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The world's first Pokemon Rehabilitator, Nori Carino's job is to reform Pokemon that treatment facilities and veteran trainers cannot handle, giving them one final chance through his unorthodox take on training. His first assignment? A sadistic Pokemon once owned by a serial killer, which is equally murderous as his former trainer.
Welcome to the fourth fic (chronologically) of a metaseries! Reading the previous fics in the series should be unnecessary to enjoy this one. As of posting, this fanfic is mostly complete. I actually need to only do the last two chapters. Normally when not writing a longfic, I would wait until total completion before publication. But I figured what the hell, compromise with myself to get posting. If you want to read the other stuff, go to FFNet or AO3 or Bulbagarden for now.
It's concurrent with Prema Kannagi: Memory of a Ghoul but aside from the respective character being supporting in the other they're separate fics. Read both to maximize enjoyment, but they're standalone otherwise. If you want to read in publication order, here it is:
bloodless carnage, wanton slaughter, mild use of bad words, occasional use of mean words, use of canon characters, occasional slaps to canon, jerkwads, and implicit abuse of basketballs.
A white-hot jet of flame emerged from the mouth of the Pansear, engulfing their creepy opponent's Pokemon. It was their best move, one with which they had won countless battles around their neighborhood. The young girl with pink pigtails stood triumphant, certain that she and her partner had claimed victory with the powerful super-effective attack.
Yet as the flames died out, the other Pokemon was still standing. With a mighty Iron Head, the Pawniard felled his foe. Little Kayla's Pansear lay unconscious on the forest floor.
“You lose,” said the man, smirking darkly from underneath his bushy brown mustache.
Little Kayla frowned. She was the best trainer among the young kids in her neighborhood. Yet this man had trounced her! With a type disadvantage at that! “This is my fault, Pansear,” she apologized to her Pokemon. “I guess I got a little too overconfident thinking we could beat an adult. Take a good rest.”
But before she could recall her Pokemon, the man flicked his wrist and the Pawniard used Iron Head again. This time, he drove the tip of his horn through the fallen monkey's chest, running her through completely.
“No! Pansear!” she cried. “What are you doing to her?!”
The man motioned again and his blade withdrew. He flashed a smile that could chill even the devil's bones as the fire monkey spasmed. “When your Pokemon faints, it dies. That's my rule.”
“What rule?!” cried little Kayla. “Pansear!” She ran up to her Pokemon in despair, desperately searching her pack for a Revive. Finding one, she ground the crystal into dust and forced it into the gash. But this was a wound too great for even the most skilled doctor to mend, let alone a mere item. Her Pansear gave one last smile before her eyes glazed over.
The girl quietly stood, tears pouring down her face. Yet she froze as a shadow loomed from behind. She turned to see the man standing over her, the glint of a machete in his left hand. She was too afraid to move or say anything.
“Your Pokemon is gone,” he said as he raised his weapon. “And now, so are you.”
---
Nori Carino: Blade of the Blackout Killer Slice 1: Unsheathed
“No! Turn it off, please!”
Maylene Gavali scrambled out and fell between the seats as she twisted the knob on the vehicle's radio. The teenager to her right cringed as crackling static assaulted his ears. If he hadn't heard this episode before or if it had been anyone but his close friend, he'd have been annoyed at the sudden interruption. But as the situation was, he couldn't help but give his friend a comforting pat on her shoulders.
“Sorry, I guess that was a little graphic, huh?” the young male mused, turning the radio off and resting his arms on the steering wheel. Actually, that was an understatement. “I'm surprised they let that air.”
He looked back to check on his Pokemon, Pachi. Thankfully, the squirrel wasn't roused from his nap by Maylene's shrieks, his bright blue and white fur rising and falling in his slumber.
His friend shuddered. “That was too much. Just...” She self-consciously pulled at her own pink pigtails, a nervous tic of hers.
Nori Carino was sitting in his mom's trailer with his younger friend, ten to his thirteen. It had been his home for almost his entire life, except from the eight months he spent training at Sunyshore Gym. Despite being a mobile home, it was almost always in the trailer park. His mom usually slept in the large bed in the back, which had curtains to cover the area up when necessary. Across from the stove and bathroom was a table with padded seats, which could be folded into a second bed. A third could be pulled down from above the car seats. Dressers and cabinets were tucked everywhere possible, under the two beds and even under the stove.
Maylene crawled back into the passenger seat. “I thought we were supposed to be listening to a crime drama, not a horror!” she griped.
“It is a crime drama, Maylene. It's a dramatized retelling of the story of Lochlyn Nuzzo, the Blackout Killer.” Nori leaned back. “He was a real person, but the victims' names have been changed, of course. He was a serial killer from Northwest Unova who targeted trainers who lost battles to him.”
Maylene growled. “What kind of maniac thinks a Pokemon fainting and losing a battle means you die?!”
Nori smiled. “A stupid moron, that's who. He was crazy, none of his actions made sense. Some say he even killed his own Pokemon when they fainted. Others say he found Pokemon just as sick and twisted as him. He probably would've gotten committed if he wasn't gunned down by a trigger-happy cop.”
“He's dead? Good!” the young girl snapped. “What was his problem, anyway?”
“Who knows?” Not like they could do a psychological evaluation of him now. It was hard to say what was going through Mr. Nuzzo's mind. Different thinkers were often called crazy or even dangerous. It didn't matter if they were right, wrong, or subjective. But then again, he thought differently from other people too. That's why he was a Pokemon Rehabilitator.
That said, Nori got the sense Maylene wanted to get off the subject, so he decided to change it. “Anyway, how's your self-defense lessons been going?”
She perked up in an instant. “Oh, it's great! I've been getting a chance to use them, too! I got in trouble for beating up a bully the other day for calling me ugly-hair, but it was worth it!” Maylene laughed triumphantly. Nori was actually a little surprised her father found the money to put her into those classes, considering he'd lost their house. But no matter how he did it, the lessons were really helping her confidence and independence a lot. “And how's your Pokemon training been going?”
“Pretty good. I've been keeping up with it. Don't want to do Volkner bad, after all.” He didn't have access to the specialized training equipment at Sunyshore Gym anymore, but he'd been finding ways to improvise. Both of his present Pokemon enjoyed battling, and he had to keep their skills, and his, sharp.
Thinking about that made him remember something important. “And also!” he declared. “I'm getting my first official assignment tomorrow!”
“Ooo, can I come see?” she asked, placing her hands together and leaning inward. “I want to know if it's something cool or cute or different!”
Nori had to chuckle a little at Maylene's new attitude. A year back, she was just like him – uninterested in Pokemon and especially journeys, just wanting to do something meaningful with her life. Now that he was working with Pokemon, she suddenly had an interest too.
“It's fine, I'm sure they won't mind. And if they do mind, I'll yell at them until they agree.” He paused. “Worst case, I'll show you after!”
“Woo!” She lunged forward and threw her arms around him. “You're the best, you know that?”
He couldn't help but giggle and blush. “All right, all right, calm down,” he said, gently pushing her away after a pat on the back. It was best if she didn't get too excited where they were sitting. “I'm going to pick it up from Crescent Hills Elementary tomorrow afternoon. There's a park nearby, so you can wait for me there.”
“I'll run over there right after school!”
##########
He was Nori Carino, Pokemon Rehabilitator. People sometimes called him the Demon Tamer.
There were a number of Pokemon out there with troublesome personality faults. Some of these were nothing more than minor quirks or a bit of unruliness. Other Pokemon were bad enough to be considered a danger to society. Therapist facilities would not accept the worst of them, and they were considered so savage that even the best trainers would have trouble controlling them. Still, it was a sensitive issue, as some felt it was inhumane to contain or euthanize these Pokemon.
That's where a Pokemon Rehabilitator came in. A new position in the world of training, of which Nori was the first, but undoubtedly not the last. It was the brainchild of Jimmy Mackenburg, head of the Officials' Special Trainers Division. A Rehabilitator was – in short – someone hand-picked for having an unorthodox mindset towards Pokemon training. The idea that people who thought differently might be able to handle Pokemon that others could not. If they couldn't help these Pokemon change, nobody could.
It had all started with the Demon, a deranged Nidorina that Nori had a chance encounter with one fateful day last year in August. A series of circumstances, including an accidental wager with Gym Leader Gasha Qian, led him to bond with her and prove that she could change her ways – just enough. He was offered the position in the aftermath, and underwent rigorous (for all the wrong reasons) training at Sunyshore City under Volkner Denzi.
Today was the day he had been waiting for, the day that would make it worth it. He would finally be making a difference in the world. His first task as a Pokemon Rehabilitator awaited him. But there was something he wanted to do before the time came to meet his assignment. That was to relax a bit and see someone he had promised to see today.
---
It was a clear autumn day, perfect for being outdoors as far as Nori was concerned. He was skateboarding through the streets of Veilstone City on his way to his destination, Pachi following close behind. The electric squirrel was a Pokemon given to him by Volkner, both as a test of his training abilities and a gift. Pachi had been an invaluable partner since February, and he was every bit as important to Nori as the Demon Nidorina.
The original Kannagi Shrine was founded nearly a millennium ago in what is now called Celestic Town. The Veilstone location was its first branch in history and was being personally overseen by the Master of the shrine, Haruto Kannagi. It sat at the former site of the JSPR station that Nori frequently listened to, which had since moved operations to Hearthome. The building contractors and shrine's faithful worked hard to change it into something worthy of their gods. They even put in those slanted overhangs, whatever they were called, around the perimeter to simulate the look. Their being detatched from the building was one of the hints that it never used to be a shrine. Of course, more blatant was a satellite dish cordoned off by a chain-link fence, which was apparently too costly to remove.
A red archway welcomed visitors onto the grounds. A small basin for washing one's hands was located on the right side of the path leading into the building; it was a necessity to clean oneself before stepping inside. While Nori had gone in when it was still the JSPR building, he had not gone in since, nor did he have any interest in doing so. Besides, he had come to visit someone.
He waved to the person standing on the left side of the door, clad in an elegant violet robe with silver trim. Satomi Kurusu was one of the top priestesses in the Kannagi Shrine, who had been present for four generations of Masters. She was a mentor to and a good friend of the future head priestess of the shrine, who was one of Nori's closest (and few real) friends.
“Hey, Mrs. Kurusu!” he greeted her with a wild wave. “Is Prema here?”
“Of course she is, Nori,” she said, turning to the woman to the right. She had vibrant red hair and was dressed in a simpler version of the same robe, looking to be in her 20s. “Kaede? Would you get her?”
“You got it, Priestess Satomi.” Kaede bowed and went inside to do so.
“So, have you been doing well, Nori?” the elderly woman asked, in a casual yet still grandmotherly tone of voice.
He nodded. “Yup! Everything's going fine. Besides this guy at school who wants me to join the battling team. Oh, and running into YAMS the other day, but I shut them up.”
Mrs. Kurusu laughed. Nori had heard that Prema had her own run-in with the youth activist group back in June. They had been vehemently opposed to him taming the Demon, to where they made them the subject of one of their protests. However, he never would've met Prema if it wasn't for Youths Against Mistaken Society. So he owed them in a strange way.
“Those kids' hearts are in the right place,” the priestess remarked. “But when it comes to Pokemon, they wouldn't know the difference between a Squirtle and a squirt gun!”
“You got that right!” said Nori with a chuckle of agreement. “And I know how far you can slide with good intentions.”
“I think the nation knows, thanks to you,” she laughed again. Guilty as charged, Nori thought to himself. “I simply hope he realizes the error of his ways.”
“I don't care if he does or not,” he replied, crossing his arms. That guy, who ironically and incidentally practiced the Kannagi faith, was still a sore spot from Nori's time at Sunyshore Gym. Nori hoped it was behind him forever, but he knew that was just wishful thinking.
“I understand why that you would feel that way. Redemption and forgiveness are two different things!” Thankfully, she got it. Not everyone made the distinction between them. “But I'm sure you didn't come here to talk about bad memories. How goes your work?”
“Just papers so far,” he said. “But I'm getting my first assignment today.”
She gave him a sly but approving smirk. “And you wanted to show Lady Kannagi and get her advice, is that it?”
Nori shook his head, but smiled back. “No, I just wanted to see my friend. But now that you mention it, that's not a bad idea.”
“I am sure she will be an invaluable partner for you, should you wish it.”
“I shouldn't totally rely on her, though.” Given Prema's responsibilities and schedule, he had no doubt that there would be many Pokemon he would have to rehabilitate without her help. On the other hand, it was her initial assessment of the Demon that made Nori decide to defend her from the cops, which eventually led him to where he was now.
“A reasonable assessment,” Satomi said. “Just do not rule it out.”
“Naturally.” He was sure Prema would still help whenever and however she could, and he was ready to accept and ask whenever it was needed. “So how's things been for you?”
“Things have been well, Nori. We are completely settled into Veilstone now. It may be in a different place, but as they say, a place is as sacred as you make it. If you meant myself specifically, it has been business as usual. Lately, I've been overseeing the gardens. The plants have adapted to the quite pretty well.” She paused and chuckled. “Although as you can see, I'm on gatekeeping duty at the moment. Always a good time, as long as you remember to keep your legs and back active!”
“That's good to hear.” He knew very little about shrines. While he was steadfast in his disinterest in religion, he liked learning about them.
The door opened and Prema stepped outside. A teenager of fifteen, about two and a half years older than him. She had forest green hair and calm sea-blue eyes. What made Nori momentarily take pause was her attire.
“Hi, Prema. You're not in your robe?” he asked. She was wearing a purple dress shirt with white frills along the collar and sleeves, along with a matching modest lavender skirt that reached to her ankles. She was also not wearing any of her accessories.
Prema lbowed slightly. “My father advised me to wear something more appropriate for casual ventures.” That said, even her informal attire was fancy, maybe even elegant.
He nodded. “Well, thanks for making time for me today.”
“Is that not what friends do?” she asked. Emphasis on asking, as her tone was vaguely hesitant. She compounded it by turning to Priestess Satomi.
“It is, Lady Kannagi. Friends spend time with each other. So enjoy your walk.”
Nori grinned at Prema. “Shall we, then?”
“Yes, let us go.”
---
A man sat in the gymnasium of Crescent Hills Elementary, unable to contain his giddiness.
He could not believe this promotion when he heard about it. He, a loyal member of the International Police for so long, getting an opportunity to work alongside the Demon Tamer Nori Carino himself! It was great to finally get some recognition for his skills and talents! All it would require was filling reports of Mr. Carino's reports and all such stuff associated with him. It was too perfect and too easy! Even he could fill out those all proper, crossing his Ts and uppercasing his Ps.
The man gazed at what he had been given. A bag with a very special box, made to lock away Poke Balls twice over! Sealed with a key and made of materials that interfered with their dissipating energies. It was not to be opened until Mr. Carino's arrival. Next to it was a cage, where the Pokemon was to be released into. And he could not blame them at all. Despite his urges to take a peek, he knew better. He'd caught that horror flick on the radio yesterday, after all!
Yet he couldn't wait to meet the blade of the Blackout Killer in person, so to speak! He had technically been scheduled to call Mr. Carino at four o'clock, but he wanted to get on with it! He rubbed his hands together. And he whipped out his phone, flipped it open, and dialed up the Demon Tamer on his Officials' radio.
It was difficult for many people to believe that the future head priestess of the Kannagi Shrine could be so close to an outgoing free spirit who had no love for faith. A few members of the shrine had actually condemned it, either privately or to her face. While the rest could not understand, they accepted it for what it was. There were times when Prema herself could not believe it, as eternally grateful she was for their friendship. It was a story in itself regarding how it came to be, and the incidental circumstances made Prema believe the red thread of destiny had bound them together in some fashion.
Her friend dressed him in dark green jeans plus a simple white shirt. His dark chestnut colored hair waved not only from the light breeze, but from the bounce in his step. The sparkle in his gentle, dark-red eyes made Prema smile.
Their Pokemon were in equally good spirits. Alongside Pachi floated a tiny pink Pokemon that appeared to be wearing a mask. Shu – her Spritzee – was engrossed in the conversation, even if he was simply listening politely and answering his fellow Pokemon's rapid-fire questions.
"Man, I'm glad we finally get to hang out, Prema!" her friend declared, stretching his arms over his head.
"As am I, Nori." She had been looking forward to this since Nori's return to Veilstone two weeks ago. He had visited prior, but this was the first time they had been able to truly spend time together. "Have you been well?"
"Yup! I got things sorted out with Maylene, for one. She still likes me a lot, but it's more like I'm an older brother to her, which is fine by me." Prema could not hope to understand, but it sounded as though Nori had found a path he was comfortable with regarding his younger friend's precocious crush.
"School's been great. I wasn't sure what to expect, given, you know." He rubbed behind an ear. "But besides being pestered to join the battling team, it's been fine. I've actually joined the club that works on the school newsletter. I'm already leading it, too. I've been using some of the money that Volkner gave me that I saved up to sometimes buy lunch. It's been weird going back to meals at home after eating so well at Sunyshore. But I should be getting my first paycheck at the end of the month, so that'll help. Best of all, ma's not asking for much out of me. She's even been teaching me money management. I figured she knew how to do it, because how else has she been balancing our budget so well when all we have is money from the government? Besides that, I've just been studying, practicing Pokemon, and going on skateboard rides. Oh, and I'm getting my first assignment today. And, that's about all that's been happening the past two weeks."
Prema listened intently and politely. "It is comforting to know your life has returned to normal, Nori." This particularly after his experiences at Sunyshore Gym, where he was subjected to conditions no one should have to live under.
Nori suddenly snapped upward, something evidently on his mind. "Um, sorry. Didn't mean to ramble there. But how about you?" he inquired, a glint in his eyes. "How's things been?"
"It is quite all right that you did so," she assured him on his first point. She was used to listening to others. "It has been as usual, primarily consisting of work at or for the shrine."
The beam that had been on his lips faded just a little. "Well, what about Nariya? You and her done much?" He spoke of the other individual she could consider a friend, one who had joined the shrine in June.
"Yes, we have been speaking."
Nori frowned and rubbed beneath his left ear. "Um, so have you run into YAMS too?"
"Not since three months ago." She was thankful for that.
"You're um, a little quiet. Terse too, I guess. Is everything all right?"
She halted, bowing lightly. "Forgive me. I did not mean to offend or worry you. I have always been more of a listener. I simply do not feel much of my life is worth speaking of."
"I think it is. I'm sure you have a very interesting life, Prema."
She shook her head. "Moreover, it would not befit my station to talk at length." Truthfully, there was a third reason. Hearing about other people's lives was a routine experience for her. It was rare that she got a chance to talk about her own with someone, to the point where she had a little uncertainty.
"I guess you're just modest, huh?"
A faint smile reached her. "I suppose so." They were opposites in that regard. It was a contrast to his being outgoing and possessing a cheer that could well brighten the world around him. "It is good to see you so inspirited, Nori. Particularly after your ordeals earlier in the year."
"Yup. I decided it was time to go back to being, well, me!" he declared with a small hop. "Well, a me with his experiences from Sunyshore, but still me."
He had grown, yet at heart, he was the same Nori she had met over a year ago. Although she was uncertain how to express it properly or why she felt so, she was relieved about that.
"Did you have a place in mind, or did you wish to go where the wind guides us?" Prema inquired. Anywhere would be fine with her. There were in fact a couple places she herself had in mind, yet she decided to save the suggestions for next time.
"I was thinking we could go to Gabbron Park, since we never did get a chance to go there–"
There came an abrupt sound, a repeating series of beeps. Nori patted himself down, retrieving a small rectangular earpiece from his right pocket. He fumbled to get it into his right ear with his nondominant hand, clicking a button on the side when he managed it.
"Hello, Nori Carino," he said. Ten seconds later, he was scowling and yelling, "What?! Already?! I thought it was going to be later on!"
Though not privy to one side of the conversation, Prema was able to understand it at once. She could not help but feel disappointed.
"I'm with my friend Prema right now. As in, Prema Kannagi, of the Kannagi Shrine?" he said, putting his hand on his hip. Five seconds later, he gritted his teeth and stomped a foot. "Fine, fine. I'll come, I'll come," he muttered in disgust.
With a sigh, he put the earpiece back in his pocket. "That was an official. My Pokemon's ready and I have to pick it up before four." He grumbled and crossed his arms. "It was supposed to be at or after four."
If that was how it had to be, there was but one thing to do. "I may accompany you if you wish," she offered.
Nori's eyes brightened and he leaned forward. "Really? You mean it?"
When she gave nonverbal confirmation, he crouched and nearly left his feet. Evidently, he was restraining himself from jumping for joy. It was somewhat cute, actually.
"It's probably not a bad idea anyway, and he said you could."
As Prema had suspected. Although if he had not, she was certain the combination of her position and Nori's insistence would be convincing after showing up unannounced.
"Okay, follow me!" he said, motioning with his arm. "It's not that far from here. It's over at Crescent Hills Elementary."
Prema was aware that offering to come along would make Nori's day, which was why she did so. Yet the truth was she had some personal motivations. For one, she also did not want their walk to be cut short. She enjoyed the time she spent with Nori, as it was time she did not have to be overburdened by scrutiny. Moreover and more selfishly, she had an interest in seeing this Pokemon.
---
Slice 2: Iron Monster
Veilstone City was renowned for its rugged terrain, from sloped ground to parts of the settlement being built into flattened cliffs. Crescent Hills was one of the latter areas, and was a good spot for a hike in the city limits.
There was a small park near the school which the two passed into. Two women were pacing around the perimeter of the playground while keeping an eye on a group of kids, who were running around playing a game on their phones. A family on a walk was heading down the east trails. A young adult with long dark hair sat around the children's backpacks at one of the picnic tables, typing away on a laptop. Both Nori and Prema turned a few heads, but they received nothing but waves.
"Hi, Nori!" came the shout of Maylene. Waiting here as she promised! She made a daring leap off the playground, landing in a crouch on her feet.
"Nice jump." He applauded her bold entrance. The pacing women seemed about to say something about it, but they didn't.
The pink-haired girl giggled and blushed at the praise. "Thanks. Hi, Pachi! And hi, Lady Kannagi! Didn't expect you here!"
"Hello," the future head priestess replied simply.
"And hi, Lady Kannagi's Pokemon!" Shu spun in the air in greeting. "So is it time?" Maylene asked.
"It's time!" he confirmed. "Let's go."
Nori led the girls to the south over a small footbridge which led to the school. He knew from being around the place a few times that the way into the gymnasium was directly across from there. He knocked at the big blue double door and stepped back. It took only five seconds to get an answer.
"Greetings and met well, sir!" a scruffy European man with an odd accent welcomed him as he flung the door open, nearly slamming it against the outside wall if not for its heaviness. If Nori hadn't stepped away, it would've struck him. The man was wearing a dark gray coat with rips along the seams. His dusty brown hair looked like an out-of-control meadow, complimented by a lazily shaved beard. "Well, no, we meet again!" he corrected himself.
"Er, I don't think we've met before, though?"
The young official glanced around as they stepped inside. The gymnasium was almost like one you'd see at any school: able to double as an auditorium, a volleyball net that could be stretched out, and lines on the floor marking a Pokemon battlefield. There were also basketball hoops and appropriate markings for the game, which was a mild surprise to see. It wasn't that common a sport in Japan.
The man slouched. "Come on, sir! Are you not remembering your school and your principal? Well, your old school. We were there having a speak, and you came by!"
"Vaguely, now that you mention it." His friend Lux had gone missing before an assembly and Nori was wandering around looking for him. Was this guy there? That day was sort of a blur.
"Proper introducing is the order, then." The man bowed, so heavily Nori thought he was going to tip over and headbutt the floor. "My name is called Studd! Agent Studd! Of the International Police!"
Nori stopped in his tracks and scrutinized the man. "I thought I was meeting with a Tomás Martins?"
The guy gripped at his head, fingers pulling on his hair. "Please, sir! Call me Studd!"
"What kind of a name is Studd?" Maylene innocently asked.
"It is my codename!" The man struck a pose. "I, of course, am called Studd because I am a stud!"
At that moment, a foul odor assaulted Nori's nostrils, a mix of grime, food, and bodily fluids that the young official hoped was only sweat. He grimaced and scrunched his nose, giving the man a side-glance to keep it pointed away. "I don't get it, I don't see anything stud-like about you."
"Pah! You only are thinking it because you are a boy who likes girls!" he dismissed before turning to his friends. "A girl can see I am one, as can you two?"
"No, you're creepy and stink," Maylene uncharacteristically said.
Prema softly smiled. "I am certain there is someone out there who sees you as one, Agent," she replied, without a shred of snark or meanness.
Studd clutched at his chest as if he'd been shot. He almost keeled over, too. "Ow. That hurt!"
"I apologize if you took offense. I did not intend any," said Prema with a bow. Maylene only giggled. She certainly did mean what she said. Nori couldn't say Studd didn't deserve it, either.
The boy shook his head at the man's antics. "Anyway, so you're the official giving me my Pokemon today?"
"Not only that, but the one who sees you over!" Studd declared.
Nori blinked. This guy was the one he was going to be reporting to? Well, his Officials' teacher back in Sunyshore did say they usually gave these jobs to the lower ranked ones. So that would explain some of that. He assumed there was a reason this guy became an International Police officer in the first place, but he wasn't seeing it yet.
"That is right, meet your new boss, same as your old boss!" Studd declared. Likely trying to force a reference Nori didn't get. He had an energy that reminded the young official of a friend he met in Sunyshore, Arumi Schrader. Only without any self-awareness.
"Can we see my assignment now?" he asked. He could tolerate this man's attitude, but he felt it would take forever to get to it if he didn't ask. And Prema had limited time to spend with him.
"Oh, but of course! Business time. And let me tell you something, sir! They are starting you off with a doozy!" Agent Studd patted his belly as he let out a hearty guffaw. "I had been unable to believe these ears on my head when I was told of its identity!"
Nori confidently put his hands on his hips and grinned. "Whatever it is, I'm up for the challenge!"
The agent clapped his hands. "Ah, the precise manner of attitude I wished to be hearing from you!" he said. "Very well, sir! Allow me to set the stage, first! I hope that you lovely ladies are ready as well!"
Maylene shuddered a little, clutching onto Nori's arm. Maybe second-guessing coming with him. Prema, by contrast, serenely smiled. "When you are ready, Agent."
"Your first assignment, Mr. Carino, is a Pokemon nearly as notorious as the Demon herself! One that puts the monster in Pocket Monster! A truly wicked iron mon! He was formerly owned by a mass serial murderer all the way over in Unova!"
"A killer in Unova?!" Maylene gasped, full-on clinging to Nori.
The boy shook his head, putting an arm around her. "It's not him," he said, patting her on the shoulder. He was sure about that one. That guy had been dead for over a year.
"After his trainer's death, he was put in the care of a veteran police officer. He killed a criminal's Musharna in their first outing and nearly killed the criminal too!"
Prema frowned, wrapping a palm over a fist in prayer. Maylene leaned into him. Her gaze was fixated on a cage near Studd that was a little over a cubic meter.
Nori asked the obvious, mainly for clarification, "And the cop couldn't get the Pokemon under control?"
"No, sir! The Pokemon even assaulted him, injuring him into his retirement! And this officer had been a forty-year veteran of Pokemon training which I have been speaking of!"
"Connecting with a Pokemon can be a difficult issue," Prema remarked. "It is not as simple as capturing one in a Poke Ball and showing compassion."
"Indeed, Lady Kannagi! Not even talent at battling can mean much!" Agent Studd stated. "This Pokemon is very fortunate, in fact! It was scheduled to have been put down, before Mr. Carino's position came to exist! It has been sitting this whole time for months now, awaiting for his readiness!"
The young official slowly nodded. A Pokemon that would have died if not for him being around. A Pokemon given one last chance at life under his care. "If there's some good to be found in this Pokemon, I'll find it," he declared. Pachi chirruped in agreement.
Shu chirped along with Pachi. The Spritzee's trainer smiled. "Well said, Nori."
"Then without further adieu!" Agent Studd malapropped. He reached into the burlap sack by his briefcase and pulled out a dark box. Fidgeting with his coat pocket, he retrieved a key which he used to open the case. Contained within was an ordinary Poke Ball painted black on the bottom. He carefully extracted it, opened a latch on the side of the cage, and held the capsule inside. In one motion, he cracked it open and removed his hand, shutting the latch as soon as he was able.
A short and shiny Pokemon materialized, primarily black with blood-red arms, feet, and top of the cranium. It was literally head to toe in blades – two sharp nails on its feet, a lightly-chipped horn curved like a shark fin, four jutting out in front of its stomach with razor-blades around its body, and two hands that looked like needles.
Maylene screamed, letting go and taking two tentative steps away. "Is that the Blackout Killer's Pawniard!?"
As Nori was about to assure her otherwise, Agent Studd's jaw hit the floor. "How did you know, miss?!" he exclaimed. "Well, no matter! It makes the introductioning simpler!"
"Uh, Nori! This is a bad idea! I'm sorry, I have to go, bye!" Maylene bolted for the door. Nori initially chuckled a little, before seeing the others' reactions.
Prema had frozen up, staring at the Pawniard with a slightly ajar mouth. The sight of it had rendered her speechless. A disturbing contrast to her somber mood when she first laid eyes on the Demon. Shu was shuddering at her side. A hesitant Pachi reluctantly squeaked something, maybe a hello.
The caged Pokemon snarled in reply and lunged. His bladed arm was unable to get more than a few centimeters out of the cage, but it still sent the two Pokemon scurrying behind their trainers.
As part of his training to become an official, Nori had been taught to read people and – to a lesser extent – Pokemon body language. Yet even if he could not, the thin retinas, the slouched and contorted posture, and rabid snarling could tell anyone everything.
He locked eyes with his first assignment, the Pokemon he would be working with. He showed the Pawniard no fear, but that was not to say he was not worried.
---
Prema excused herself shortly after they left the school. While she wished to stay with him longer, she stated it was best to return to the shrine sooner rather than later. Her sudden departure struck Nori as being a little unusual, but he ultimately thought little of it. After all, the life of a shrine maiden was probably very busy, and he barely knew much about it. And as for himself, he had his first task, and it started with getting to know the Blackout Killer's Pawniard personally – not from what he heard from the stories.
Nori quickly concluded it was best not to meet (let alone test out) his new acquisition anywhere too public. He thereby decided to head to what was informally known as the city's industrial district. Located in the northwest part of Veilstone, it was home to warehouses, factories, the docks, and the city's power plant. It was usually quiet, but had a lot of open space. One could even find the odd wild Pokemon up there for a battle, if not workers looking to take a break.
It took about twenty minutes of skating to reach his destination. He promptly went to a specific back road, a wide alleyway. There was no particular purpose for going there besides poetic reasons. Before taking out his first assignment, he brought out his zeroth. Pachi was already at his side.
"So, my Demon!" he asked the teal Pokemon in a cheery tone which made her shake her head (albeit with a smirk). "Remember this place?"
The Demon was much larger and fiercer-looking than the average for her species. She was actually the source of a debate at school the other day if she was some modern-day Alpha Pokemon, a prominent thing in those fictional ‘Hisui’ stories although based on a real phenomenon. The debate devolved into an argument followed by mudslinging. The sensible people agreed, however, that just because the ones thinking that learned about something recently doesn't mean they should start applying the moniker to every way-larger-than-average Pokemon.
The teal Pokemon looked around, soon nodding and giving a toothy grin. This was where they had fought a Staravia, and where she tried to escape him. Only he, knowing the place better, cut her off and recalled her. He always wondered if that earned him some respect, although he never felt up to asking her.
Pachi appeared curious. He seemed to ask her about it, but the Demon refused to answer. The squirrel then glanced at Nori.
"Not now," he said with a shrug. "All right, you're out just in case. Ready to meet our new teammate?"
While the Demon grinned wickedly and stood tall, Pachi shook off and motioned to be recalled. "Well, you'll have to meet him sometime," he said, ignoring his Pokemon's request. The Demon shook her head and muttered some words at her panicking teammate as Nori threw the painted capsule before them.
Out came the Pawniard. The first thing he did upon emerging was take stock of his surroundings. After that, his steely gaze turned to the Demon, who sneered back at him. His eyes then fell upon Pachi, who put up his paws and squeaked in defense. Finally, he turned to stare at Nori with his beady yellow retinas.
"So, uh, hi!" he greeted. Pokemon generally knew what humans were saying, even if humans generally couldn't understand Pokemon. "I'm Nori Carino. This is Pachi, and this is the Demon. Welcome to the team!"
There was no response. He'd done something similar when initially speaking with the Demon. It hadn't gone so well, but introductions were proper, right?
"So I guess you should know you're my new assignment. First assignment, actually. I'm a Pokemon Rehabilitator, and I'm here to help you get...um, get nicer, I guess."
His position was difficult and kind of complicated to explain. The Demon actually said something brief as well, but the response was the same as before to both of them.
"I'm sure you have a lot of blood on you. I don't know why you like killing, but you have to stop. If you keep it up, it won't end well for you."
There were so many things he wanted to say. He was terrible at giving these kinds of speeches.
"You like, can still be you! Just ask her!" he motioned to the Demon. "You can change while still being you! But like, you can't go killing things for losing a battle to you. Not everything's life and death. You know? Er, I mean, do you understand?"
The Demon actually started snickering. It brought back memories of when they first met, and he made himself look dumb, but it wasn't funny!
"Shut up!" He stomped a foot and yelled at the Nidorina. "I'm trying, o–"
Suddenly, the Pawniard was in motion, blade drawn back and ready to swing. Pachi chittered in a panic. Nori stepped back at once and aimed the Poke Ball, using his fingers as makeshift sights. However, a clang echoed through the alley as the Demon jumped between them and masterfully parried with her own claws.
The young official reluctantly watched to see what would happen. He held the ball with two hands to keep his aim steady. He didn't have anything to subdue Pawniard yet, so all he could do was get ready to recall him.
The two Pokemon roared at each other. Pawniard swung his other arm only to be blocked again. He lashed out with a stab, but the Demon was quicker and shoved away. Then he whirled around and lowered his horn, lunging for the squirrel!
Nori took that moment to fire. Pachi screeched in terror and got in a crouching position to use Agility, but Nori's aim was perfect. The Pawniard wasn't even halfway there when he was sucked back into his capsule.
"Everyone all right?" he asked. The Demon snorted dismissively, and Pachi shook his head. He smiled at the squirrel. "Sorry, Pachi. Also, try to defend yourself next time," he gently scolded, before correcting himself. "Well, if there is a next time."
The Demon barked an agreement. Pachi whined, but after a small exchange between the two Pokemon, firmly nodded in acceptance. His tail twitched, as it would when prepping Electro Ball, except he didn't actually use the move.
"Well, that went badly." Nori shuffled his feet and leaned against a brick wall. He wasn't expecting the thing to try to murder them right away. Maybe killing was a far bigger part of the Pawniard's personality than he thought. To nobody and nothing in particular, he asked, "So, now what?"
Nori eventually went back home for dinner. He'd also have to tell his mom what was happening. They got along well despite having their share of disagreements. They had to, given their financial situation and how they were their only family. She'd been very supportive of him, actually being the one who ultimately pushed him into accepting the offer to become a Pokemon Rehabilitator.
The resemblance between Nori and his mom, Ayume Carino, came mostly in their features. They had similar skin texture and hair texture, and the same look in their eyes. However, she had ravenous black hair and earthy brown eyes. His build came from his father's side of the family, a foreign businessman who his mother hadn't known since his conception at a party.
Ayume smiled as he stepped through the trailer door. The scent of canned stew was ripe in the air. Pachi ran up to her immediately.
"It's nice to see you too, Pachi, but this isn't for you." she said, leaning down to give him a pat as he tugged at her pant leg. The little squirrel squeaked, hopping up on the seat to the side. "So how did it go?" his mom asked.
"Pretty good, ma!" he answered. It was pretty good by his standards, anyway. "The guy who gave me the Pokemon is weird and his grasp of the global language isn't that great, but he seems all right. Got my first assignment and got to know him over by the docks." He paused and laughed. "And well, he's gonna need some work."
"As I expected it would," she remarked. "These things will take time."
"Yup. Tomorrow's another day!" There was no time pressure with his assignments. They would take however long was necessary. All he had to do was report in his progress every week.
Ayume stirred the contents of the pot atop the trailer's stove. "Did you get anything else?"
"Oh! Yes, like forms and documents, plus some info on my assignment like the moves he knows. Nothing major, really." Most of it, like his ID and Officials' radio, had already come in the mail. He was still waiting for...well. His tranquilizer tool, for when things got too out of hand.
His mom nodded. "Dinner's just about ready."
"Timing couldn't be better, then." He gave a glance to Pachi, who was looking up at him with eager eyes. Still thinking about food. "I guess I'll get you yours before then." He wagged his bushy tail in delight as Nori went to do so.
He'd feed the Demon after. The young official wasn't sure about feeding Pawniard just yet. It'd be a bad idea to do it in the trailer park, let alone the trailer. Thankfully, Pokemon had significantly lower metabolism in their Poke Balls, so it wasn't going to be a problem if he skipped some meals. It wasn't native to Japan, so he'd certainly have to do some research on the species when he could. For multiple reasons, of course.
After getting Pachi his food, Nori sat down at the table and reached into his pocket. He retrieved a small laminated card with orange sides. His official's ID. It had some basic information along with his name and Personal Official's Number: Nori Carino, SPRT-01. This card was proof of his status as an official and a Pokemon Rehabilitator. The same ID could be displayed on his radio, for that matter.
"Something wrong, Nori?" his mom asked as she placed down their meal. Thick steam rose from both bowls. Worth waiting a minute or two for it to cool off.
"I'm just thinking," he mused, pocketing his ID and leaning against the comfortable cushioned seat. He reached for the hand sanitizer in the window. "I'm the first Pokemon Rehabilitator. The only one so far. I don't have any template to follow."
His mom put a finger on her lips. She always did so when thinking about something, snapping her fingers when she came to a conclusion. "Think of it this way. It also means you have nobody else to live up to."
"Yeah," Nori said, chuckling slightly as he rubbed the cleansing fluid into his palms. "I'd thought about that. But in another way, there's even more expectations upon me. Since I set the standard and define what one is."
"I suppose so. But I know you have what it takes to pull this off." She took a spoonful of the stew, blowing on it before putting it in her mouth.
Very true. Nori had faced far worse adversity at Sunyshore Gym. Truth be told, having come out the other side of that ordeal, the young official felt like he could take on any challenge life dared throw at him.
"Besides," Ayume added with a smirk. "Not many kids your age can say they're earning more money than their parents ever did!"
Nori laughed at the irony. "Hey, you're right! And maybe I can earn enough money to send you to university!"
Ayume looked up at the sunroof. "I never considered that. I suppose it's an option, if you're willing."
"Of course I am! You're my mom, ma!" He lightly bowed, as much as he could while sitting down. "With all you've done for me, I'd be happy to do something for you so you can live a little better!"
"Just remember, I wouldn't ask you for anything." Nori grinned, acknowledging that. It wasn't like she was demanding a portion of his money, just enough to help them get by. "But going back to your assignment. It's something you'll simply have to keep working at. Nobody changes overnight, person or Pokemon."
True, true. Like they said earlier, this was only the first day. As bleak as initial impressions were, it didn't mean things had to stay that way. It was a rough start, but he didn't get along with the Demon at first, either. He had plenty of time to get to know and help his first assignment. He just had to do things little by little.
##########
Slice 3: Brand of Style
From his eighth year on, Nori would receive special condensed classes so he could better focus on his work. He would be in public education for the remainder of seventh year, through March 2016. He was initially looking forward to that, yet it had become a bittersweet prospect due to enjoying school life at Tobari Central Junior High. Some things hadn't changed. There were still many who found him difficult to approach, exacerbated by his newfound fame. But for once he had a group of friends who both liked and loved him. He had fans and acquaintances. His teachers were good and there was no one like a Tarou Daikoka (let alone a Kallisto Keravnos) around. The events earlier in the year didn't seem a factor in his status, be it due to his new outlook, people not caring or taking his side, or a combination of both.
After his morning class ended, Nori started off towards his clubroom. He always had an interest in the news, having joined the counterpart club back at his middle school in Sunyshore. It was also where he met his bestie, Arumi Schrader. Yet another famous friend of his. Nori had a lot of those, thinking about it. Then again, he now fit in with them.
Nori passed by the principal's office on the way, giving the receptionist a friendly wave. To the young official's chagrin, a tall ninth-year with thin-framed glasses was once again waiting to intercept him in the hallway beyond. He had platinum blond hair styled into two flat sheets behind him and yellow, feline-like eyes.
"All right, what do you want now, Chad?" he spat. He didn't even stop walking, passively bumping by him when the teenager in a white and brown jersey halfheartedly tried to block his way.
"I wanted to ask again if you'd consider joining the battling team, Nori," the captain of it replied with a strong, clear voice. He followed behind, gradually catching up to be in step.
Nori slowed, but did not stop. "This is the fourth time you've asked, and my answer's still the same."
"Nori, I am begging you," a little more humility in his tone. He passively tugged at his brown and white jacket, which had SHOSHA 36 etched on the back. "You've trained under a top Gym Leader and former Elite Four contender – some would say the superior candidate – Volkner Denzi. Moreover, you are familiar with Edward Hankstein – captain of one of the top junior school battling teams in the region."
"Yes, what's your point?" he cut in.
"My point is, you would be an invaluable asset to our team, even if you only came on in an advisory capacity."
Nori stopped in his tracks, putting his hands on his hips. "Are you parroting the coach again?" he asked, deciding to approach the argument differently.
Chad crossed his arms and shut his eyes. "I came of my own accord this time," came the reply. Nori wasn't sure if that was better or worse. "Tobari Junior has always come close, but we've never gone all the way. It's shameful for one of the oldest schools in all of Sinnoh. But I think we have a very good team this year. We might be able to make it with your help. Please, Nori." He lowered his head, pleading with eyes and hands.
"Okay, look," Nori begrudged. He was willing to compromise. "I'd be happy to give advice on the side if you need it, but I'm too busy and don't care enough to join officially. And if you bother me again, I won't give you even that."
Chad's jaw dropped. Nori felt a little bad about firmly shooting him down, but it was what had to be done. He started to walk off after five seconds of not getting a reply, only for Chad to grab at him.
"Do you have no school pride?!" he rapidly cried out. His jaw was clenched tightly, and his lips were pinched together.
Nori forcefully shoved Chad away and sent him stumbling into the wall, in spite of him being much bigger and taller. "I don't care about that, and hands off unless you wanna get hurt!"
"Your actions make no sense!" Chad argued, throwing an accusatory point. "You're letting all that talent and training go to waste, and I know for a fact that battle is something both of your Pokemon enjoy!"
Nori's mouth scrunched as he lowered his gaze. Three of his Pokemon, but that was besides the point. He hated competition. All those people trying to be the very best, with big dreams and not enough talent compared to the veterans or prodigies. But he especially hated that this stupid moron had a point he couldn't refute.
"Hey, cut Nori a break," came a familiar female voice. He turned around to see someone with ear-length beige hair and light brown eyes approaching, coming to stand beside him. She was wearing a white shirt with one shoulder-off, a pastel blue button-front skirt, and white sneakers. "You know he's the president of our club."
Chad snorted and waved a hand in her face. "Twenty thousand P says you only became that to use as an excuse."
The teenager frowned, biting her lip. Channeling her haughty side from her time as an activist, she fired back, "For your information, Chad." She flashed a smile at Nori. "We elected him because he's good at what he does."
Sick of the situation and not wanting to be held up for any longer, Nori decided it was time to stop dignifying it. "Let's just go, Yumi," he said as he started off.
"Yeah."
Even if Chad did have a point, he'd made up his mind. He would let his Pokemon battle on his own time. Besides, Nori wanted to diversify what he did. There was far more to life than Pokemon. He was already a Rehabilitator, so he didn't want to spend the rest of his free time on them.
With a contented sigh at getting away from the situation, he gave his fellow member of the club a happy grin, a bit of warmth reaching his cheeks. "Thanks for that."
"You're welcome, Nori," she replied, brushing some of her hair behind her head.
"Funny," he remarked, giggling a little. "We almost worked together last year, now we actually are."
"Sorry again," she said, nervously returning his giggle and smile.
"Hey, I told you, we're cool," he comforted. "You owned up to it, didn't you?"
"I know, but I still feel bad about how I treated you." She had been a member of Youths Against Mistaken Society. To Nori's knowledge, she and her twin brother left the group after the co-leaders went a little crazy.
"By the way, where's Touya these days? You two used to be inseparable."
"He's with his new girlfriend," she sighed, pressing a hand to her chest.
"Oh. That would do it." Nori ruffled his hair and shrugged. "Good for him, I guess. You spoken with the others since then?"
"No, we cut contact with those two completely." He didn't blame her. She sighed with a little regret. "And, well. Barely spoken with Nariya since she left, either."
It was somewhat ironic in retrospect. YAMS had given him a tough time when he was taming the Demon. When he met Yumi again, he was expecting the hostilities to renew despite their pleasant parting after he'd defeated Gasha Qian. It was a mild surprise to be on good terms with her and her brother, and never in a million years did he expect they'd become friends.
"Nori, one more thing."
"Yeah, what?" he snipped at Chad, whirling around and putting his right hand on his hip. Why was this guy still following him around?!
"Sorry, I almost forgot. There is one other reason I wanted to talk. Someone wants to challenge you."
"You mean like, to a battle? Is it you?"
The platinum blond shrugged. "Now that you mention it, that's not a bad idea." Nori slapped his forehead in frustration. Why did he have to open his mouth? "But no, from Anthony Morris. After school in the arena. Are you fine with that?"
Nori nodded. "Happy to, but not today. I'm going to be busy working with my first assignment." Chad blinked at the last part. The young official started back off before the battling team's captain could yak at him further.
"Do you know who that is?" Yumi inquired, strolling alongside.
"I think I met a Morris, but not an Anthony Morris." There was probably no relation, since that was back in Sunyshore, and if he remembered correctly, they actually idolized him. "It might just be somebody from the team who wants to fight for whatever reason."
"I guess we'll find out when you got time for him, huh?"
Nori smirked and tilted his head. "We? So I take it you want to come watch?"
Yumi laughed sheepishly. "I guess it'll be interesting to see how far the Demon has come. And you."
---
The newsletter club met in a miniature computer lab next to the library on the second floor of the school. There were three desks besides those the eight machines were atop: a large square one, a smaller rectangular one, and a teacher's desk. There was also an office Nori had never been in at the back. Working with computers was something of a minor source of frustration to him. Although not as technologically inept as he had been, he still didn't share the same passion for them as his peers. At least he knew how to search for things and use a word processor, which was enough to contribute.
When Nori and Yumi stepped into the room, half of the other members were already present. He waved his arm in greeting and said, "Heeey!"
A short ninth-year with teal hair was hunched over one of the computers. He glanced over his shoulder, momentarily puzzled by the noise behind him, until noticing who it was. "Oh, hello." He took a sip from his water bottle.
A young male in baggy black clothing peeked up from behind a Sinnoh Times paper he was reading at the table. His chocolate brown eyes flitted between them. "I uh, er...didn't expect you to arrive...you know..."
"We just ran into each other at the halls, Terrance," Nori elaborated, getting his confusion was over him and Yumi walking in together. "Well, right after bumping into Chad."
The girl next to Terrance crossed her arms. She had wild orange hair and wore long jean shorts, with a blue jacket over a white tank top. Both seventh-years like him. "Remind me again why you didn't join the club?"
Nori chuckled. "I've told you as many times as I've told him, Reiko."
She slammed her palms on the table. "Ugh, I hate that they turned me down, and you just turn them down?!"
He flashed a smirk. "It means you can be a good trainer on your own, Reiko. You don't need to join a battling club or team for that."
"Stupid!" she snapped. "You know my parents won't let me go on a journey!"
Terrance raised his hand. It drew her attention, although it took him a few seconds to start speaking. "There's...more than one way...um...Reiko, you know..."
She sighed as his tongue became entangled. "I know, but I want to have something to work towards. I don't want to battle at a battle spot to battle or whatever."
"I understand. But I know you'll get your chance someday," he assured her. Reiko was really rough around the edges and even downright rude sometimes, but Nori knew enough to see through to the real her. "Like, all the guys at Sunyshore Gym couldn't or wouldn't travel right away."
"That's true, I guess," Reiko grumbled, shaking her head. It was preferable for some to journey while young, yet there were no shortage of adult or even elderly travelers. Nori wasn't sure what the deal was. "Oh yeah," she perked up, vaguely narrowing her green eyes. "Heard you got a new Pokemon, Carino."
Word of it must have spread around. Nori wasn't particularly surprised. He was sort of a famous person, and people did see him going into the elementary school.
"Yup, you won't believe what it is, either." He paused for dramatic effect before taking out the customized Poke Ball. When they stared blankly, he clarified, "The Blackout Killer's Pawniard."
Revealing the identity of his new Pokemon made just about everyone in the room gasp in horror. There was not a single one of them who hadn't heard of the infamous Pokemon thanks to Nori having them listen to the radio drama as a club activity.
The one exception was Mitsu, who was too heavily engrossed in his typing. "Want to write a report about it?" he passively asked without looking away from the screen. Yumi and Reiko both glanced over at him, as if to ask how he could be so calm.
"Not as a news writer," he said, pocketing the capsule. "That would be a conflict of interest. Plus it'd be scummy to write about one of our members without good reason."
The others seemed to agree, but that brought the subject back around to his Pokemon.
"The...Blackout Killer..." Terrance shuddered.
Nori jumped at sudden physical contact. He turned to see Yumi's hand on his shoulder. The teenager pursed her lips and lightly squeezed. "Nori, are you..." She briefly paused, collecting her thoughts before leaning in closer. "Are you sure about this? The Demon was one thing, but she never did anything like..."
"It'll be fine, Yumi. I know I can pull this off." He forced a wide smile, not wanting to worry anyone by saying Pachi nearly got stabbed in their first outing with the Pokemon. No one saw through it.
She let go, sighing. "Okay. But if you get in over your head, stop. You don't want to get into trouble if it..." Yumi clutched at herself, not wanting to finish that thought.
"It'll be fine, Yumi. I promise." He flashed a thumbs up. "I'm trained at quick and accurate recalling. Watch!"
At once, he reached into his pocket, whipped out a laser pointer, took half a second to line up his shot, and shined it on Mitsu's water bottle. He hit his mark perfectly!
The red dot reflecting off metallic green drew his attention. "Wha–!?" The technogeek lashed out reflexively, knocking it off the table. Thankfully, the lid was on tight. Nori couldn't help but laugh, which everyone else – Mitsu himself included – joined in on.
"You really have to pay attention to your surroundings, Chisaka," the orange-haired girl snorted, turning away dismissively. Reiko Azuma was very traditionalist, calling everyone she wasn't close with by last name – in other words, everyone but Terrance Lee.
Mitsu could only nervously chuckle as he retrieved the drinking container from the floor. "I guess so."
"That's good to know," Yumi's muscles untensed, just slightly. "Try not to have to end up having to do that, though."
"Naturally." If he could avoid those situations, all the better. He took off his bag and sat down at the large table with Reiko and Terrance. "But let's get to work."
"Okay," Yumi agreed, joining beside him. It was just five out of their eight members for the moment, but five was enough. The others were likely on the way, anyway.
"For now, let's start discussing possible stories to run," the young official said as he got out his lunch. "Anything come up over the weekend?"
After school ended, Nori hopped on his skateboard and made his way to Gabbron Park, Pachi following right at his side. It was modest in comparison to the others, yet also his favorite simply for being closest to the trailer park. It had a playground, places to sit, and a field to run around in. He didn't need the sporting areas places like Asweil or Crescent Hills had. Nori had always been an outdoorsy type, and felt he'd still be one even if he had a huge mansion. He liked spending time at the park all throughout his childhood, and it was still a good place to relax and let his Pokemon out to enjoy themselves.
It was empty upon his arrival aside from a middle-aged couple in white clothing having a picnic on the grass with their Clefairy and Marill. It would very shortly be filling up with kids who were getting out of school, but it meant he had time to prepare in peace.
He sat down on a bench, put away his board, and took out his assignment's Poke Ball. Nori liked what that serial killer was going for – even they had tastes, he supposed. It sort of matched Pawniard's color scheme. With Pachi sitting beside him, albeit clinging to his side, he cast it down a few meters in front.
The black and red monster emerged. He glanced to his left, slowly sweeping his gaze to his right. He turned around, briefly leering at the picnickers, before pivoting to look back. Silently, the Pawniard lowered his gaze and narrowed his beady yellow eyes.
"So!" Nori declared, though keeping a grip on the capsule. "As you can see, I brought you to the park. Just to relax, you know? Or maybe you can get to know Pachi or the Demon." He gestured to the little squirrel, who nervously laughed. "I think your old trainer only used you to battle, but there's more to life than that."
The Pawniard's response was to growl in irritation. Right after, he started marching over to the couple and their Pokemon.
"Seriously!?" the young official screeched. He was on his feet and following right away, watching his Pokemon closely for any sudden movements. Unfortunately, he was a little too slow.
The bladed Pokemon suddenly lunged and bashed the back of his blade against the Clefairy's back, slapping it face-first into the dirt. Nori was on it at once, aiming the capsule's beam and recalling the Pokemon before he could do anything else.
The Marill first ran over to its friend, then turned to where Pawniard once was. When he saw nothing, he started huffing and puffing at Pachi. The couple, by contrast, first responded with confusion, followed by surprise upon catching sight of him.
"Sorry!" he beseeched the couple, lowering his head. "I am so, so sorry about this!"
"It's quite all right, Mr. Carino," the man replied, almost seeming to snicker a little. Nori wasn't sure whether to be relieved or even more worried about the competitive glint in the adult's eyes. "We're always up for a battle, even on a picnic." His girlfriend or wife nodded in agreement, also seeming to find the idea fun – to say nothing of their Pokemon. They were shaking their little arms and beckoning Pachi to bring it.
But no. The young official vigorously shook his head. "Sorry, I can't. I mean I can, but I shouldn't. In good conscience, I mean!"
"It's all right, we packed berries and potions, just to be sure," the woman reassured him. "As they say, you're better off safe than sorry."
"You don't understand!" the young official protested, waving the black and red ball in a frenzy. "This Pawniard might try to kill your Pokemon! I can't just have him battle anyone!"
The couple's eyebrows went up in unison. "You brought a dangerous Pokemon to the park?" the man inquired in a low tone.
"I was trying to teach him to relax and enjoy things besides fighting, okay?!" he frantically shouted, in a desperate bid to convince them he was not some crazy irresponsible kid. "Besides, I'm trained to recall him fast if he causes trouble, like I did just now!"
The two exchanged glances. Nori studied them carefully as they leaned in close and whispered. Although he could not make out what they were saying over the breeze, he did notice their shoulders relaxing.
Finally, the man nodded. "Well, you're the professional, here. We understand."
The boy could only exhale in relief at how easily that situation diffused itself. But he wasn't a professional. At least, he didn't consider himself to be one. If he was, he'd already know exactly what he needed to do instead of just winging it. But as long as they thought that, things were fine.
"NORIIIII CARINOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
At the sound of his name being screamed, Nori whirled around. He saw some kids coming into the park, but none of them appeared to have called for him. He peered around warily, wondering who it was.
"Up there!" the woman gestured, pointing to the skies above.
"Is it a bird?" someone joked, only to actually look and say, "Wait, that actually is a Skarmory, huh."
--- Slice 4:.,.,.,.,.,.,.,Knives are Out
Nori tilted his head to see something large and gray passing above, glimmering in the autumn sun. A person was riding atop, who pulled back on its neck and leaned down. The bird summarily encircled the park before it came swooping to the ground. The rider dismounted as his Pokemon touched down. He was a teenager with a bright blue bandana wrapped around his dark hair. The black jeans looked expensive. Nori's lip curled, and his eyes narrowed at the shirt he was wearing.
"Hello, do I know you?" he carefully inquired. It was rhetorical. Yet from the stylistic portrait of Kallisto Keravnos engraved on the dark orange and pink shirt, he had a feeling this person knew him very well.
"I am Anthony Kerrion Morris!" he bellowed as he performed an exaggerated finger point. "I have a bone to pick with you!"
"But we've never met?" he asked. Standing before him was the guy who wanted a battle at school, he could tell that much. He had a good guess as to what the answer was going to be, only wanting to make sure of it.
"Oh, but I am very familiar with you, bad sir, for your actions in Sunyshore City! For what you did to Kallisto, you shall pay!"
"Okay, stop." This was not the first Kallisto sympathizer he'd encountered, and that first one was already more than he cared to deal with. "Me and Arumi proved–"
"Irrelevant!" Anthony cut in. "For it revealed your true personality nonetheless!"
Nori grit his teeth and rolled his shoulders, swallowing the insult he'd wanted to immediately throw back. He was thankful most people were either uncertain or neutral about what happened in early July. Yet it wasn't uncommon to see those whose faith in Kallisto wasn't shaken or were hopeful he could move beyond what had happened. Then you had kooks like these who thought he put out fake news, or did worse.
"Now, a question. Did word of my challenge reach your ears in the hallway today?"
"It did, but–"
"Very good! Now," Anthony declared, melodramatically raising a finger. He stared right at him and flashed a wide grin. "As we are here. It is an unwritten rule that when trainers' eyes meet out in the wilderness, they must do battle!"
At that last word, Pachi curiously stepped forth, eying his possible future opponent. The metal bird bent down and screeched horribly, right in Pachi's face. The little squirrel (and many others) cringed at the ear-splitting sound.
"Okay, so first?" Nori snipped. He tapped a foot and put his hands on his hips. Pachi tried mimicking his pose, finding it difficult to do so with stubby arms. "We're not in the wilderness. This park isn't even–"
"What is a park but government-handled urban wilderness?!" Anthony cut in.
"Second, that is completely stupid, not to mention dangerous if someone's entire team gets defeated and–"
"That is irrelevant, for any trainer would carry medicine–"
"And third!" Nori snapped, interrupting him this time. He hoped his last point would make the guy shut up. He let it hang in the air for a moment before saying, "What about blind people or those who don't like making eye contact?"
To punctuate it, he turned his back on the guy. His would-be challenger was left sputtering for several seconds before he went quiet altogether. He could hear a bunch of snickering and even outright laughter from the onlookers.
"Also lastly," Nori figured to add as he started to walk off, not bothering to turn around. "I think you made that–"
"Irrelevant! And irregardless," he loudly declared, running out in front and getting directly in the young official's face. "My challenge towards you stands! Battle me, right here, right now!"
"This park doesn't even have battlefields–"
"Then come face me where we can!"
"Seriously, take a hint and screw off!" he yelled, lightly pushing him aside. "Pachi, let's just go. This stupid moron's not going to get it ever." The squirrel chirruped and followed in step as they made to leave the park. So much for any relaxation.
"Come back here you coward!"
Nori stopped in his tracks, taking a deep breath. There was a point in time when that would've gotten him to immediately accept the challenge. But now? He'd grown beyond that.
"I'm not saying I refuse." He pivoted around and put a hand on his hip, chuckling lowly. "I'm saying I'm busy. I was working before you showed up and demanded a battle out of nowhere!"
Anthony took several steps forward until he was once more up in the young official's face. "Then shall Friday afternoon work as a scheduled time for your reckoning?"
"Sure, why not?" Nori threw up his arms. He would accept because he wanted to, not because someone else wanted him to. He added for clarification, "Tentatively, unless my rehabilitating makes me reschedule."
Anthony grinned and rubbed his hands together. "Very good. It shall be set in our middle school arena, a setting most public for your humiliation!" His Pokemon cackled by his side.
Nori couldn't believe this guy. "Just remember, it's just as public for you, too," he reminded his future opponent. Part of him also wondered if it was partially an excuse for the junior battling team to see him in action, although he didn't mind giving a demonstration.
"I will not lose to you! For I have been studying your technique!" Anthony boldly declared. "You will be flattened beneath my superior counter-stratagems, inspired by my idol!"
Nori bit his lip, but on the inside, he couldn't help but laugh. Was he outright giving away his plan? He seemed too brash to be lying about it. This was going to be easier than he thought...
"I shall take my leave now. Farewell until then!" With this, Anthony mercifully hopped back on his Skarmory and flew away.
Pachi watched them the whole time until they were out of sight. Sparks leaped from his cheeks. "Can't wait, huh?" he asked, getting a grin in reply. It had been a while since Pachi or the Demon had been able to have a serious battle. And this kook had given them every reason to look forward to it.
The onlookers started to gather around them. "Wow!" a young boy exclaimed, jumping like a Spoink. "So what's your plan, Mr. Nori?"
The young official could only smile. "Just win."
"Want us to help you train?" the picnicking man offered.
He shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks." He had his own way of getting ready. With a whistle to Pachi, he started off to do just that.
##########
When Nori entered the clubroom on Tuesday during lunch hour, he was quickly set upon by Reiko.
"Hey, Carino," she said, twirling a finger. "Heard you had a little incident at Gabbron Park yesterday."
"Pawniard?" Maybe that almost-attack would've gotten reported by someone. He set the record straight. "I recalled him before he hurt those Pokemon. The owners even wanted to battle me, but I had to turn them down."
Yumi's hands flew to her mouth. She was in casual slacks and a bright pink shirt today. "Wait, something happened with Pawniard too?!" She ran right over to him as the shock wore off.
Nori ruffled his hair as what they were really talking about clicked. "Oh, I guess it would make sense if you were talking about that guy. But I had that under control, too."
The teenager with light brown hair nearly grabbed at him. She squinted tight. "Nori. What happens if you can't stop Pawniard?" she squeaked. "What if you're too late, and it badly hurts or kills someone?!"
"I..." He trailed off. "Well."
Yumi turned away, her quivering legs almost causing her to collapse to the floor. "I knew it."
"Well, I can't just refuse!" he said, running around to the other side of her. "It's my job! And if I can't do anything, who will?"
Yumi stumbled over to the nearest chair, sitting down at the smaller table. "I know..." she sighed.
"Takao, I think you're overreacting. Just leave this to the expert here." Although she furrowed her brow and tilted her lips down as usual, Reiko nodded at him. "If anyone can pull this off, it's him."
It picked up Yumi's mood, just a little. Not to mention Nori's own. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Reiko." He wasn't expecting that out of her.
"Yeah, yeah." She brushed it off. "Just stating facts, here."
Terrance peered up. "But what about Anthony?"
"What about him?"
"Sh-shouldn't you be getting ready?"
Reiko agreed. "Yeah, he's on the battling team. You better not take them lightly, even if you've beaten Gym Trainers!"
"I know, I know that!" he replied, putting his hands on his hips. "I am getting ready! I'm gonna go train this afternoon!" He wanted to see Pawniard in action anyway, so that would let him defeat two birds with one rock.
"What about your strategy?" the orange-haired girl countered.
"Hey, guys!"
At that moment, two ninth-year girls walked through the door. Adelle Richards had curled blonde hair and was wearing her black hoodie up indoors. Yasmin Paramar had tanned skin and black hair in a short ponytail, dressed in a school uniform. While not mandatory at Tobari Junior, some did choose to wear the brown and white attire regardless.
"Man, you couldn't have timed that better!" he snickered at the entrance of the club's two field reporters.
"Timed what now?" Adelle asked.
"Never mind. So did you get the info?" He'd managed to catch them before school started to ask them to help. As his mentor had taught him, every battle started with knowing your opponent. He was never big on complex planning or crazy technique like some trainers were, but it didn't mean he couldn't prepare. In this instance, finding out what he was up against.
The blonde teenager nodded. "We interviewed some people about Anthony, yes."
"Huh, didn't actually think you'd work that fast. Well then, my part in the club is over until the battle's over." This was certainly going to make school news, and it wouldn't do good to have a conflict of interest. "But before that, what did you find out about him?"
Adelle put down her bag and retrieved her notebook, reciting what she had written. "Anthony Morris is ranked number three on the battling team, behind Emi Pikaru and Chad Shosha. No one was really sure how to answer how he battles."
"Strategy all over the place, then? He claimed to be inspired by Kallisto. It sounds like he's not really getting it." It didn't come as a surprise given he was hard to imitate. Kallisto was something else. He wasn't considered one of the best trainers in the country for nothing.
"His ace is his Quagsire," Yasmin continued. She spoke in a thick accent. Nori could never remember the name of the Indian region it came from. "Other Pokemon of his include Skarmory, Carnivine, and Hitmontop. He is also training a Manectric. It may not yet be ready for serious competition."
So in other words, he was probably not going to see that. "Thanks, guys. Only question now is, what kind of battle he'll want? One on one? Two on two? Doubles?" He put a finger on his lip. "Guess I better prepare for all those possibilities."
"What if he wants three?"
Everyone turned to look at Terrance, then to Nori. The ninth-year duo stared blankly. Yumi froze up, almost begging him to reconsider with her eyes. Even Mitsu stopped typing and stood up to look around the computer.
"Yeah, what if he was waiting until you had three Pokemon?" Reiko asked, tapping her foot.
They had a point. One that made far too much sense. Why would he wait until now instead of challenging him as soon as possible? Plus, three on threes were standard. Nori took a deep breath before answering his clubmates.
"Hopefully he doesn't insist on that. But one more thing," he spoke, eager to change the subject to something more pressing. Something had occurred to him. "Does the Quagsire know, like, Surf or Muddy Water or anything?"
Adelle and Yasmin glanced at each other. "We did not ask about any moves," the latter replied.
Great. He was definitely seeing the ace, so he needed to know. "Reiko? Have you seen him battle?"
"How should I know, I've never bothered with them!" she snapped, slamming a hand on the table, which startled Terrance. "Why's this a problem?"
"Just wondering...for strategy, you know?" That was a lie.
"Well, not like they're uncommon," grumbled Reiko, drumming her fingers along the desk. "You should be ready for them just in case."
Nori covered his mouth, obfuscating his worried groan. She was right. And even if it didn't, there was still going to be something. He would just have to...well. He wasn't sure.
---
"Just one more hit should do," Nori calmly stated, gesturing to his Pokemon to finish it as he pleased.
Pachi responded in kind by twitching his tail. He did a fancy backflip, batting an Electro Ball directly at their hapless foe. The wild Roselia got knocked two meters away by the force of the impact. It weakly waved its red petals in surrender.
"That's it, I guess," said the young official, adjusting his jacket. The little squirrel slumping said it all, that wasn't very challenging.
They were out in the wilderness of Route 214, as he planned. He'd started off with some battling practice for Pachi and the Demon against any wilds who wanted to accept their challenge. Soon, but not yet, it would be Pawniard's turn. It would be better if he hurt the Pokemon out here than someone's beloved partner. Still not great, but more tolerable.
Pachi abruptly took off running. Nori put a hand in his pocket on instinct, watching as his Pokemon scrambled up a tree. The squirrel plucked an Oran Berry from the branches and threw it down to his opponent. The young official smirked in amusement as the plant devoured the blue tree fruit in a single bite. It nodded its thanks, getting enough energy from that to limp away.
"Could you warn me next time?" he asked, putting his hands behind his back. For a second, he thought Pachi was moving to attack a pissed-off Pokemon or something.
The reply was a big show of teeth and wagging his tail so hard it could serve as an attack. Nori could only chuckle.
That was Pachi's second victory, the first being against a Rhyhorn. Nori had been making a point to choose whichever Pokemon had a type disadvantage in order to push them; for a similar reason, the Demon dueled with a Girafarig and Golduck, overwhelming them with her strength and intensity. She avoided or powered through their Psychic type moves respectively.
"I think it's time we go further!" the young official said with a hop and clap of his hands. When Pachi didn't seem to understand what he was getting at, he elaborated with a double fist-pump. "Into the woods!"
Beyond the beaten path of routes and roads lay a zone of mystery. The Pokemon that lived within these deeper parts of the wilderness were stronger than the ones wandering out more in the open. Of course, they were also far more territorial as well. Despite the danger, it felt like a perfect place to go. The opponents would be far more powerful, it would be good practice to battle in closer quarters, and his assignment would be at less risk of hurting others given their toughness.
The young official marched through the thicket. It was getting into autumn in Sinnoh; many of the leaves were painted reds and yellows, mingling with the evergreens. A light layer of fallen foliage covered the forest floor. Nori stepped carefully to avoid tripping over any hidden roots.
He briefly glanced back to see Pachi was only barely keeping up, wearing a frown on his face as he kept alert. Nori slowed, thinking maybe he was getting a little more excited about the escapade than he should have. His adventurous side was speaking too loudly, he supposed. He walked backwards so that he was closer in step with his Pokemon.
The young official could hear birds and critters all around, although the only thing that jumped out at them were flies. He didn't stray far from the treeline, not wanting to go too deep in. Or to get turned around and lost.
After about five minutes of being in the deeper woods, he heard a low yowling sound. It sounded distressed. An injured Pokemon, perhaps?
"Can you find what that is?" he asked, glancing at Pachi.
Hesitantly, the squirrel nodded. He crept to the right, approaching what looked like a very small clearing, maybe five meters in diameter at most. Pachi cautiously peeked inside.
Only to fall back, wobbly. Nori flinched, reaching for his Pokemon's ball. Whatever was in there did something mind-affecting. He brought Pachi back and had barely reached for another Poke Ball before a red creature emerged.
Four legs, curly hair tuft, five or six tails, purple eyes. Purple? Nori blinked. It was like his head was spinning for a second, but he couldn't let weird things distract him!
"HEY!!" he screamed at it, feeling a sudden pang of anger. He threw down the capsule he had grabbed, and Pawniard emerged. "Come on!"
The little orange-red creature emitted a panicked yelp. With his bearings gathered, Nori noticed it was a Vulpix! Those were uncommon sights in Sinnoh. Groups of them only popped out in the open under special circumstances, whatever they were. But he could think about that stuff later, it was time to fight!
Pawniard snickered lowly at sight of his opponent. Whatever he said or did must have been an informal taunt, because the fox's response was to angrily spit Embers at him. In the forest.
Nori gasped at the wild Pokemon's recklessness, especially as his own evaded and kicked the fox into the clearing. To his relief, the sparks of flame didn't ignite the tree they struck. He hurried in to keep an eye on the action.
He poked in just in time to see the Vulpix spew another cloud of Embers at Pawniard. These struck true, probably for the best since they would've hit dried leaves otherwise, but Pawniard was unabated and got his claws readied.
"Okay, Night Slash." he said. Best to end things as soon as possible before the stupid thing set the forest on fire. To his relief, the bladed Pokemon was all too happy to oblige. To his chagrin, Pawniard swiped at the eyes.
Temporarily blinded, the dazed Vulpix fell back. Its nose was sniffing wildly in attempt to make out their relative location. Pawniard grinned wickedly.
"Uh, Slash?" Nori asked. Pawniard calmly walked out directly in front. The Vulpix reacted and slammed into him. Barely feeling it due to his Steel typing, he carried out the order by sinking a claw into their foe's side.
The Vulpix yowled again, except this time, it wasn't faked. Nori winced, gripping Pawniard's ball tight. If that was a cry for help, he had to finish this fast.
"End it with Iron Head." To his relief, there was nothing cruel or sadistic about it. Pawniard simply smashed his hard head against the Vulpix's temple, completing the Slash in the same motion. It fell back, a noticeable and open wound in its side.
Nori approached at once. When he saw his Pokemon start to raise a claw to finish the job, he nearly slammed the ball into his face and recalled him point-blank. He gave the wound a quick once over. It didn't seem too deep, thankfully. He considered reaching for a Potion just to be sure, when he heard movement from nearby.
Deciding not to risk sticking around for whatever was coming, he pocketed Pawniard, took out the Demon's Poke Ball just in case, and ran out of the thicket.
---
The evening air nipped at Nori's body even through his warm clothing. The clouds above were as cold and gray as steel, hiding the setting sun from view. They shed no tears, although the young official was trying to fight off a few of his own.
He didn't get it. Sure, the Demon was excessively violent when he first met her, but she nonetheless only did so when it was time for a battle. The only good thing was gleaning Pawniard would listen to him, but it was all too clear the former blade of the Blackout Killer actually enjoyed hurting others.
Nori's legs started to feel stiff. He was uncertain if it was from all the running or the stress affecting him physically, but did not want to risk a fall. So he got off his skateboard, disassembled it, and placed both halves into his bag.
A question came to mind as he started walking. Was he trained to be that way, or was it in his nature? And if it was in Pawniard's nature, how in the world was he going to deal with it? That didn't work for that cop! Nori wouldn't blame Pawniard either. He hated when others told him how to behave. The Demon even all but confirmed that a big part of why she accepted him was because he let her be herself. So what could he do?
As he dragged through the streets, he soon spotted the old Magcargo Express building on his right. It was here that he met Prema for the first time. If he hadn't done so, he never would've become a Pokemon Rehabilitator. It was her assessment that helped convince him the Demon was worth fighting for, no matter how bleak things appeared. Maybe Mrs. Kurusu was right. Maybe he really did need his friend's advice. She didn't give an assessment upon seeing him for the first time, but maybe she needed time to think about it?
Something caught his attention, making him do a double take. The lights inside the warehouse were on. That was right, the place was undergoing renovations to become something new. He wasn't sure what it was going to be, but his curiosity was urging him to take a peek inside.
Acting on his whims, the boy strolled over to one of the windows. He almost leaped through on instinct to help upon seeing the sight inside: the workers and their Pokemon were strewn out on the floor.
Nori made sure to wake up extra early on Wednesday. He had a quick if unbalanced breakfast of an asahi biscuit sandwich with milk before skating off to school. He couldn't afford to waste any time.
He proceeded directly to the clubroom after entering the building. When he found the door locked, he plopped down beside it, pulled out his laptop, and started working. Last night, he'd been the one to discover a story. It only felt natural to report on it! They distributed the newsletter on Wednesdays, so he had to get the article in immediately!
It was written from his perspective. He got help from some salarymen who were passing by. They went inside to find the incoherent workers, some of the more delirious ones mumbling about a ghoul. He brought out the Demon right away, but whatever it was didn't appear. They called 119 for an ambulance, and the police also showed up. Nori gave some testimony before heading back home, whereupon he immediately started work on the article. He actually would've started at the scene if he had a notepad or something. He made a mental note to pick one up when he could. Then it would just be a matter of remembering to take it with him everywhere.
Eventually, he spotted a pair of people coming down the hall. Mitsu was following the chunky teacher in charge of the room, Mr. Rosso. He wildly waved to them.
“Nori!” said Mitsu as they got closer. “What're you doing here so early?”
“We've got breaking news from last night!” Nori said, closing up his laptop and jumping to his feet. He held it under his left arm and did a fist pump with his right. “Reno workers injured in Ghost Pokemon attack! Article title still pending.”
“Huh? I think I heard something about that on TV this morning.”
Mr. Rosso nodded at them, unlocking the door to the computer lab. He went inside and sat down at the desk, allowing Nori and Mitsu to do business undisturbed.
“Yeah. Around 8pm last night, a thirteen-year-old male – me, by the way!” He pointed a thumb inward. “I discovered an accident at the old Magcargo Express warehouse!”
Nori winced. Maybe he'd need practice to do it neutrally like Arumi did. He got a little overly excited there. Like, it wasn't actually an accident. But hey! He discovered the bodies! Well, the unconscious bodies. It was kind of exciting once the shock wore off!
“It'd be rare to get a firsthand account of something.”
“Indeed, this reporter is an eyewitness!” Nori boasted. Their weekly newsletter covered all sorts of stories, school-wide and city news taking precedent over regional, with at least one each week from elsewhere in the world. “I was thinking we run this article today! A lot of people likely haven't heard of it yet!”
Mitsu nodded. “Yeah, when you put it like that.” Nori felt relieved to hear his crazy idea made sense. He didn't want all the work he'd done so far to go to waste!
The young official grinned. “So you up for some quick editing before school starts?” They got everything printed out Wednesday morning, so it was ready to distribute by lunch. In other words, they – or rather, Mitsu, because Nori didn't know how to work with the program – would have to put it in and rearrange everything else to make it fit.
The technogeek nodded emphatically. “Can do! We'll run it on the front page!”
---
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.Slice 5
Piercing Eyes,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.
The article turned out to be a smash hit. One of the school's most well-known students discovering a near-deadly assault? It got all sorts of attention. They actually had to go back and print out extra papers due to the demand. Over a dozen people or groups came up to him at lunch, afternoon break, and after school asking about it. Nori told them all the same thing, everything he could say was in the article. Which was everything, given freedom of the press.
After classes had ended for the day, he stopped by the clubroom. He didn't have a chance to really chat with the others prior to that point, as he was handling distribution during lunch. It was no surprise that Mitsu had gone home early. He was a little surprised it was only Yumi, Reiko, and Terrance with none of the others. The trio were sitting at the large table.
There was little celebration after distribution day. The most they did was discuss how people received the newsletter for the week. After all, they needed to start planning for next Wednesday right away.
“Nice job, Carino,” Reiko droned as he approached and sat down. The other two nodded, much more genuinely.
“That sounded like something of a backhanded compliment from you…” he remarked. It was just from her tone.
“That's because it was. Wish I could've done something like that.”
He could only laugh. It's why he liked Reiko. She was like him in how she always spoke her mind. “Sometimes, news is about being in the right place at the right time. Or wrong, depending on how you look at things.”
“Well, you did do a good job, Nori,” encouraged Yumi. “It was really well-written and thoughtful. I'm proud of you.”
“Thanks, Yumi,” he said with a beam. “But a lot was with Mitsu's help.”
Reiko crossed her arms. “Way you wrote it, think you're planning on being a journalist.”
“I actually thought about it,” he admitted. It's part of why he was at the club. “If being a Pokemon Rehabilitator doesn't work out for any reason, I wouldn't mind working in the news. Plus, Arumi could help with that.”
“And you know so many people too. Gods!”
“Could you calm down already, Reiko?” Yumi fired a glare at her. “I'm sure Nori didn't come here to listen to you complain you're jealous.”
“Aren't you?” she countered.
Yumi didn't deny it. “A little, but I'm still happy for Nori.”
“It's fine, Reiko!” he encouraged her. “I know if you keep working at it, you'll be able to do great things too!”
“I know that! It's just…” She sniffed, rubbing an eye. “I want it to happen already, dammit!”
Nori and Yumi shared a thoughtful gaze. He hadn't known Reiko for very long, but he still considered her enough of a friend that it hurt seeing her like that. But what could they do for her?
“I…can't believe it, though…”
They turned to Terrance. “What can't you believe?” asked Yumi.
“Weren't you scared when you saw them, Nori?” he meekly inquired.
The young official shook his head. “Nope! I was a little surprised, but my first thought was to go help them! It was kind of exciting, actually!” Those were his honest thoughts! They took everyone aback, although Yumi's gave way to a giggle. “And I did help them, plus it's really good there were no serious injuries! I got to give a police statement too, and–”
“Don't forget, you have your Pawniard to worry about,” Reiko cut in. “Shouldn't you be doing your job, not your hobby?”
“I know that, I know that!” he snapped. Much as Reiko spoke her mind, she sometimes went too far with it. “Actually, I found it when coming back from training him!”
Yumi sat up straighter. “For Friday?” she asked.
“Er…probably, hopefully not.” He rubbed his neck.
She sighed. Nori was able to hear her whisper, “That's good,” to herself before speaking up. “So are you training your other Pokemon for the battle?”
“Not as much as I'd like to yet,” he admitted. “But I'm gonna do a little more this evening.”
“Still should train your Pawniard,” grumbled Reiko.
“It's a marathon, not a sprint.” She had a point, but it wasn't like he had deadlines there. He glanced up at the wall. “Well, I should get going.”
“You're not going to…stay and help?” Terrance inquired.
“I'm gonna go see Prema. I want to tell her about this! And maybe ask her about Pawniard, too.” Hearing what she had to say for sure would help a lot. He considered something else. “Maybe I'll tell Arumi too, but I'll have to email her.”
“Okay, see you later, Nori.” Yumi adjusted some of her bangs. “If Nariya's there, tell her I said hi.”
He nodded. “No problem, I'll pass it along.”
---
Nori was certain Prema would have heard about the incident at the warehouse on her own, but he wanted to go see her anyway. The incident just gave him yet another reason to go to the Kannagi Shrine after school.
While walking up the stone steps with Pachi, he paused momentarily on a grassy rest spot to pull out the extra copies of the paper he'd brought along. He probably brought more than was necessary, but better to have too much than too few. As he continued and eventually made it up, he found himself unable to resist. He shouted out his headline and waved it over his head as he approached.
“Read all about it! Renovation Crew Injured in Mysterious Pokemon Attack!”
He caught a lot of peoples' attention with his boisterous shouting. About half of it was negative, but Nori didn't let that bother him. He swiftly turned his attention to a girl with raggedy black hair sitting on her knees on a placemat. She had to be over 200 cm. Her orange shirt, dark gray jacket, and light gray sweatpants clashed, but Nori came to expect that with Nariya Yaznik. She wore whatever she liked.
“Oh. Hi, Nori,” she greeted him, making a vague gesture that seemed almost reflexive. Nariya was another former member of YAMS, who had also left due to conflict. “Prema had to step inside, if you were wondering.”
Nori took it in stride with an irreverent shrug. “Ah well, I can wait. Oh!” He better say it now before forgetting. “And Yumi says hi.”
“Okay?” Pachi gave a little wave to Nariya. She returned it before looking back at him. “Um, sorry if this is impertinent. What was with…the dramatic introduction?”
Again, he shrugged. “Get it from a friend of mine back in Sunyshore. We were in the news club together, and she always did that when handing out newsletters.” Good ‘ol Arumi. He rubbed his neck with a sheepish chuckle. “So have you heard about what happened at the old warehouse YAMS used to use last night?”
Nariya shook her head. “I don't really…look at the news. I know…um, you and Lady Prema enjoy it, however.”
“You should check this one out. It's right here on the bottom of the front page.” He passed one of the set of stapled-together sheets to her. “It has this reporter's firsthand account of happening upon the scene!”
Nariya accepted it. As she was reading, Nori noticed there seemed to be a few other interested looks from people. He waved the stack in the air to offer them copies, although only a little blond kid took him up on it.
After about two minutes of reading, Nariya spoke up and asked, “Oh, I see. You're thinking they might be Pokemon you might be rehabilitating?”
“Yup!” he confirmed. “Well, only one of them and now that you mention it, but still!” That hadn't actually occurred to him, but it gave him another reason to be interested.
“But you're still rehabilitating that Pawniard. R-right?”
Nori stood up a little straighter. He was not expecting Nariya of all people to take the wind out of his sails. He glanced over at the shrine. “Yeah, I know. And that's not going so well. I took him to train in the wild yesterday, but…” Well, that was a story in itself, one he didn't feel like sharing with the world. “Oh, never mind. So how've you been?”
“Oh, I've just been me.”
It wasn't a very clear answer. It was even more vague than the one Prema had given him on the weekend. Nori was about to say something about it, when Prema herself emerged from the shrine. Dressed in her Kannagi Shrine robe, as she often was.
He caught her attention right away. She smiled at him. “It is good to see you, Nori. I was not expecting you to visit today.”
He laughed, both at her pleasant smile and her surprise. “Thought I'd come by. I wanted to talk to you about a few things.”
She solemnly nodded, lowering her head. “I see,” she said in a neutral tone. “What is it that you wished to speak about?”
What to start with? Probably what just happened. “Well first,” he started with a clap of his hands, readying another newsletter. “Did you hear what happened down near the old Magcargo Express last night?”
Prema glanced up in thought. She herself took a few moments to respond. “Yes, although I cannot confess to knowing in detail.”
Nori could tell from her hesitation that she probably knew a little more than she was letting on. Probably only as much as the cops did, though. Still, he didn't press. “It's really crazy,” he said. Prema was walking over, but Nori met her halfway, presenting her with the newsletter. “They got attacked by Pokemon. A Crobat, a Sinnohite Zoroark, and one other – might be a Dusclops or Dusknoir from the sounds of it, knowing what's native.” It was only his speculation from the description. It wasn't rotund enough to be a Gengar, and those two were the next most common humanoid ghosts in the region. “I found them by accident! Got some bystanders to help and went right in there to investigate! Some of them were delirious, mumbling about a ghoul.” He could've gone on, but didn't want to come across as too excited about it.
“It is not unusual for Pokemon to come to inhabit a place that humanity left behind,” Prema mused while reading. “These miniature colonies gather together for their own benefit and protection, much like groups of similar species in the wild.”
Yeah, she was absolutely right. “Still, it's crazy!” he emphasized. “They attacked unprovoked from the sounds of it, and in the city no less!”
“They can be territorial, but they…” Nariya tried to speak up, yet hesitated. “Human territory, respect it too…”
Nori got what she was trying to say. “Yeah, they don't get this violent in urban areas. Even then, you have to go to the deep wilds to see ones like this!”
Wild Pokemon weren't as dangerous as some of the stories said. The ones you find in the city know they're in human territory, and respect that. Attacks on people generally only happened if they were provoking the Pokemon or outside designated routes. That's what made places like caves and the deep wilds more dangerous.
“As every person is different, so too is every Pokemon. The ones inhabiting this abandoned warehouse are unlike most urban Pokemon. While I cannot speak as to why they act this way, I am certain they have their reasons.” She handed the newsletter back, although Nori flashed the others he'd brought to indicate she didn't need to. She folded it and placed it in a pocket in her robe, before asking, “What else did you wish to see me about?”
And this was the bigger one. He stretched his arms and legs before speaking. “So the second thing is, since you didn't say, what were your initial impressions of Pawniard?”
Prema did not react at all initially. “Nori…” she eventually said. One second, two seconds, then three passed without her saying anything more.
He took a step towards her. “You think he's irredeemable, don't you?” He did not mask his concern and frustration. He just wanted her to be honest, no matter what.
Under his scrutinizing, maybe pleading gaze, she eventually relented. “I suppose it would be for the best to tell you. I sensed an implacable malice within your Pawniard I have felt in but a few Pokemon before.” She paused for a second and a half. “I would not go as far as saying he is irredeemable, however. It will simply be a far more difficult task than with the Demon Nidorina, who was merely misunderstood and seeking a purpose.”
Nori slowly nodded. Being honest with himself, given how evasive she was being, it was about what he expected. She was even a little vague there. He put a hand on his assignment's capsule as he looked up at the skies. Pawniard and his former trainer had sent many innocent trainers and Pokemon to the afterlife. That alone made him irredeemable in the eyes of many. It was his job to prove otherwise. Even if he succeeded as far as the government saw it, there were going to be many people who would never forgive Pawniard. And…that was okay. It would be hypocritical of him to think otherwise.
When Nori looked down, now it was Prema who was pleading with her eyes. All he could do was smile and laugh. “I kind of figured,” he quietly said, although still with self-assurance. “Both from how you clammed up like a Shellder and from what I've been seeing.”
Prema closed her eyes and folded her hands. Her vague sigh of relief did not escape his notice. “Nori. If you at any point feel you are unable to handle this Pokemon, do not hesitate to tell the Officials as such.”
“I know, I know!” he repeated. “I can recall Pokemon really fast if I need to. It won't come to that, though. I'll find a way to rein him in, just you wait!”
Prema chuckled. Even Nariya and a few others around the shrine did so. It was a happy laugh; he could tell they at least weren't making fun of him.
“We are having a late lunch if you wish to join us,” Prema offered, bowing and smiling at him. “I take it you also wished to spend time here, given our time the other day got cut short?”
“Yup!” That was the third reason he'd stopped by. He glanced downward upon noticing Pachi swishing his tail eagerly. “If you don't mind, that is.”
“Of course.”
Together, they sat down with Nariya. This was exactly what Nori needed right now, some time away from school and work to rest and unwind with his friends! Especially after yesterday.
---
After spending time with Prema, Nori hurried home. His mom was always understanding that he might not come home from school right away, especially now that he had become a Pokemon Rehabilitator. He tried to inform her of his plans ahead of time all the same, and she only asked that he got back before dinner. It was more on the basis of not wanting to use power to keep it warm, rather than any imposed curfew.
His mom was in a simple black outfit with a white apron over top when he stepped into their trailer. She was standing in front of the stove.
“So how was school today?” she asked him.
“It was great, ma!” He still called her that by habit. He used to have something of a light rural accent before he broke out of it from spending a lot of time around those who didn't . “Everyone loved the story!”
She smiled. “I'm glad to hear that, Nori.”
It was ultimately his mom's insistence on getting into Pokemon last August that indirectly set him on the path to being a Pokemon Rehabilitator. Only now that he was a little older did he understand some of the reasons why.
“Here, I brought it back for you!” He took off his bag and placed it on his bed. He fished around and retrieved another paper. “Front page, right here!” He couldn't help but do a little twirl as he passed it over to her.
His mom sat down to read. After several seconds, she came up with a smile.
“Well, it's good that people liked it.” She didn't seem too interested, for one reason or another, but Nori didn't let that hold his mood back.
“So when's dinner?” he changed the subject, waving his legs over the side of the seat. “What is dinner?”
“I just started it now. It should be ready at around six. Brussel sprouts and rice.”
“Sounds good!” he said. He missed having good meals back at Sunyshore Gym, but they had to make do with what little money his mom got from the government before his first paycheck came in.
With this, Nori stepped into the bathroom to take a quick whiz. After doing so, he made for the door leading out of the trailer. His mom spoke up as he opened it.
“Heading out again?”
He nodded. “Yeah, going to try to slip some training in before dinner.”
She put a hand on her hip. “It's good you're keeping up with Pawniard, but you don't have to overdo it.”
“No, no, not him, Pachi and the Demon. I have to get some of their rust off.” The little squirrel did a flex. Nori put a hand on his hip. “Some Kallisto fanboy challenged me to a battle Friday after school.”
“I see,” his mom slowly said. She had never explicitly disapproved of what he'd done in Sunyshore, but he never did hear her actual opinion. He was kind of afraid to ask. “Just stay out of trouble.”
“Don't worry, I'll try not to cause any. No promises if I get dragged into stuff.” With this, he went out the door and closed it behind him.
Anthony Morris. Someone with a grudge against him based on his rivalry with another. This would be his first serious battle since coming back to Veilstone City. He was sure the Demon was looking forward to it, and maybe even Pachi. He had some ideas as to how to approach things, but strategy wasn't everything when it came to battles. So he would do basic workouts today and sparring – maybe even at a battling spot – tomorrow. Then, on Friday, it'd be time to show the school his stuff.
After dinner on Wednesday, Nori went to Pokemon Workout World (or as people called it, PWoW) to prepare for the battle with Anthony. Thursday was shopping, training in the wild, and even some battles at Mynwest Court. By the time Friday rolled around, the young official was confident they were ready for their first major battle in a while.
He went to the clubroom after class ended. Reiko and Terrance had gone home for the day, while Mitsu wasn't too interested in watching. Yumi, Adelle, and Yasmin all came with him.
Tobari Junior's arena was bog standard, able to act as either one large battlefield or three smaller ones. Spectators could observe from the auditorium-style seats. Nori had never been in the room before, but from speaking with others, he knew there were rooms to accommodate training. There was one that had exercise equipment for Pokemon and a few for humans. There was an infirmary right next to it. The dressing rooms under the stairs allowed for the battling team to get into their uniforms, and included toilets and showers. Finally, besides the pair of entrances in from the school, there were also double doors which served as an exit out of it.
Nori's gaze swept over the stands, impressed at the number of people who had shown up to watch. There were students, faculty, and people who seemed to be neither, with more piling in.
“Took you long enough!” Anthony shouted at him, already situated on the near part of the battlefield where they stepped inside. “I have been impatiently awaiting your arrival!”
Yumi's lip curled and she put a hand on her hip. Raising her chin, she asked, “And did you run over here right after class?”
“I–” the Kallisto fanboy choked. “I wasn't talking to you!” A pang of laughter echoed through the audience.
“Well, did you?” Nori asked in turn, flashing a grin at Yumi. He already had the psychological advantage thanks to her. Perfect.
“So what if I did?!” came the retort. “I have been eagerly anticipating this, and you cannot hold that against me!”
The young official shrugged, conceding that one. He gave a nod to Adelle and Yasmin as they went to find seating. “So, I'm here. What's the plan?”
“A simple, standard battle. Nothing more!” Anthony boisterously declared. He flashed a mirthless grin. “Do you think you can handle that much?”
“Wait, standard battle? As in, three-on-three?” Yumi picked up on it right away, as did part of the audience. His other clubmates paused in their tracks. Even the coach – a rather stout woman wearing a faculty uniform and her black hair tied up in a bun – sort of looked at Anthony questionably. Being famous meant your Pokemon were famous too, and everyone knew Nori had only three Pokemon.
“Correct!”
“I can't do that!” he yelled, angry yet firm.
“You have three Pokemon, so of course you can!”
Nori put a hand up. “One of them is the Blackout Killer's Pawniard! I can't fight you with that yet, and I'm NOT doing another two versus three fight like I did that one time!” He was sure he could win, but he wasn't that sure!
“I simply do not care!” countered Anthony. “I do not want a one-on-one, those are foolish and almost entirely up to Pokemon choice. I do not want any kind of two-on-two, either. I want a simple standardized three-on-three. Do you accept?”
Nori glared. This guy really was waiting until he got a third Pokemon to challenge him. “Of all the things, you–” he started, holding back his insults. He looked over at the crowd, who was watching with bated breath. Then he looked at Yumi, who was tightly pinching her lips.
“Speak up!”
He let out his frustrations with a huff. He was tempted to just walk off, but he knew he wouldn't hear the end of it if he did so. “If you're that intent, fine. I can do something to allow it, if you're willing.”
“Allow what? What are you rambling on about?” the Kallisto fanboy asked, tapping a foot. “Yes or no? This should be but a simple question to answer!”
Nori calmly took off his bag. He unzipped it, reached in, and retrieved a folder. It had various papers associated with his work, such as identification and information. He'd been given a few copies of the form he was looking for, and it didn't take long to find it.
“This is a simple legal agreement.” Nori held it up like he was a prosecutor presenting evidence to a judge. “By signing this, you agree to not hold myself or the Officials accountable for any injury that might incur in a battle against a Pokemon I am actively rehabilitating.”
Just like that, it was like his hearing was gone. It wasn't, but with how silent it went, it sort of felt like it. Most of the crowd was watching Anthony for his answer if not his reaction, but some seemed so stunned they couldn't look away from the document Nori had whipped out.
Yumi put a hand on his shoulder. “Nori, is this–”
“What are you trying to pull on me?!” Anthony demanded, taking a preliminary step towards him.
He looked his opponent dead in the eye, a gesture which made him stop in his tracks. “In other words, I'm telling you your Pokemon might get badly hurt – or worse – if you face this Pawniard. I'm obligated to try not to let that happen, but I can't promise you anything.”
He put on the most devilish smirk he had. Finally, the overeager fanboy had taken some pause. Nori figured that would be more than enough to dissuade him. Maybe it'd even scare him off altogether, best case scenario.
“But Nori–” Yumi again tried to ask, squeezing his shoulder.
“All right, you're on!”
Nori was one of many who went, “What?!” Anthony marched up and snatched the paper out of his hands. He took a pen out of his shirt pocket, signed the thing on the floor without even reading, and handed it back to him. It nearly slipped from Nori's fingers in his bewilderment. Whether he wanted to or not, the battle was on.
“I guess that matter's settled,” remarked the team coach, with a heavy sigh. “Get to your position, Mr. Carino.”
He signed the paper autonomously on a clipboard, dated it, folded it up, and stowed it away. Maybe it wasn't entirely bad, he thought. These agreements existed for a reason. The only way he was going to help Pawniard would be to try to understand him. What made the Blackout Killer's Pawniard tick? So far, he had established the bladed Pokemon seemingly existed for battle and had a sadistic streak. And that he would listen to his commands. Maybe he needed to be super specific.
As he walked to his side of the battlefield, Yumi followed. There was a lost look in her eyes until the coach spoke to her.
“Battling trainers only on the battlefield, Ms. Takao. Go to the stands.”
She slumped, turned on a dime, and after a moment of looking around, spotted her twin brother. “I'll be fine!” Nori assured her as she moved to sit with him. “I'll recall Pawniard if things get too dicey!”
A few people laughed. “Oh, so now you're a comedian?” Anthony snapped.
“What do you mean?” Right after saying that, he realized why they were laughing. Slice and dice. “Ah, I didn't mean to pun.”
“Yeah, well, the only one getting cut down to size is you, your ego, and your Pokemon!” Anthony glared at the coach, motioning to hurry up. “Prepare to suffer complete and utter defeat, Demon Tamer!”
The coach stepped into her position as judge. “This is a battle between Anthony K. Morris and Nori Carino. Each side will have a maximum of one substitution permitted. As the one who issued the challenge, Mr. Morris, you are to send out your Pokemon first.”
“I was well aware of that fact, and that disadvantage is irrelevant to my success! Carmen, the stage is ours!” he said, using a variation of Kallisto's catchphrase for sending out Pokemon.
Anthony's first Pokemon was a hovering plant. It had multiple flowing tentacles beneath it and a mouth that reminded of a flytrap. That was the Carnivine he'd heard about.
“Mr. Carino, your first Pokemon, please.”
Choices. He would prefer not to use his assignment if possible. The Demon was effective here, but using her against the first Pokemon seemed excessive. Especially since he needed to save his one switch if he needed to use Pawniard. So that just left…
“Pachi!” he said as he sent him out. The little squirrel eagerly emerged, happy to hop into the fray. There was a small type disadvantage, but they'd overcome worse odds together.
The coach raised a set of flags. “Trainers, begin!”
“It is time to begin, Carmen!” declared Anthony, dramatically flipping his bangs behind his head. “Kick this battle off by using a Stockpile!”
Nori thought for a second as the flytrap started to inhale. There was an opportunity. “Thunder Wave, Pachi.”
Pachi focused as air flowed into the Carnivine's maw. Just before the other Pokemon had finished and ended up with a slightly bulging throat, he emitted a weak blast of electricity. She (being named Carmen implied a female, right?) tried to dodge, but couldn't quite make it.
Anthony growled, stamping a foot. “I must admit, I was not expecting that immediately!”
That confirmed Nori's suspicions. Anthony had grossly underestimated him, and possibly outright misunderstood him. He only smiled at his opponent, as did Pachi.
“But it is irrelevant! For it only shows your amateurishness!” he dismissed, further confirming them. He may have had a point in how it was odd to use a status move so early, but the fact was he presented the opening to make it work. “A scattered Seed Bomb, Carmen!”
Anthony's Pokemon trembled, but her head tilted upward. Nori didn't explicitly have to tell Pachi to dodge, although he was still caught indirectly by the miniature explosions. Their blast radius was larger than expected.
“You'll have to move further away if they do that again,” he stated the obvious. “But for now, Swift.” A handy Normal move; stars that fly around erratically and home in on their target.
The other trainer cringed. “Gah! Brace yourself, Carmen!”
The little squirrel didn't show any signs of major damage. To contrast, the flytrap had to take a second to catch her breath after the near-unavoidable attack struck.
Anthony sneered. “Get in close, Carmen! Do it again to cover your approach!”
Nori sighed and looked to Pachi. This time, the seeds were aimed around behind to cut off his escape. The squirrel answered by moving inward, completely escaping the blasts. He turned around, waving his tail tauntingly and haphazardly batting an Electro Ball. It wounded the flytrap's pride more than her body, but the battle was already taking its toll on her.
If Anthony was worried by his Pokemon weakening, he wasn't showing it. “Stockpile again, Carmen!”
Building up for an attack, or healing? “Back up and Swift again, Pachi.” Evidently, their opponent had limited options at a range. Weakness scouted.
Their opponent snickered. “Okay! Seed Bomb! Launch yourself!”
To the surprise of Nori and his Pokemon, the flytrap fired some Seed Bombs directly below and behind herself. The momentum caused Carmen to careen towards Pachi, who was clipped by the makeshift tackle.
“Cut a swath!”
She lashed her vines to slice at Pachi, which he barely evaded. To contrast, Pachi was better at range, although that wasn't to say he couldn't fight up close.
“No you don't!” Anthony took notice as the squirrel tried to fall back. “Acid Spray!”
It would be problematic if Pachi was hit because of the switching limitation. Even if it wasn't in place, it would mean a bit of recovery time in his Poke Ball rather than staying out of it. Nori wasn't sure how that neutralized stat changes faster, but it did.
“Dodge inward,” he told his Pokemon as Carmen started to rear back. It was aggressive, but tied into what he wanted to do next. He hoped Pachi could make it under the spit of corrosive fluids.
It turned out to be unnecessary. The Carnivine froze up before she could attack. The audience gasped.
“Crap!” Anthony clenched his fists.
Nori grinned. Time to pile on. “Sweet Kiss, Pachi.”
“Stun Spore!”
The young official could only roll his eyes. As Pachi leaned in, Carmen barely managed to expel the useless golden spores out of her body. The squirrel halted and started coughing upon getting a whiff of them.
“Impudent moron!” shouted Anthony. “Now make'em pay with Power Whip!”
Carmen wound up her vines and twisted them into one big one. She put everything she had into a vicious swing. Pachi was sent rolling across the floor, taking his first serious hit of the match.
“Okay, what?” he could not help but ask. “How did that work?” If he knew Electric types, and he did because he trained at a Gym with them, he knew their abnormal nerve impulses usually prevented paralysis. What happened there?
“Why don't you try inhaling pollen?” Anthony taunted, standing on the tips of his toes in attempt to appear taller while crossing his arms.
Nori frowned, understanding at once. It wasn't about the paralysis. It was just meant as a countermeasure. “Well…still winning.”
He awkwardly mumbled that sentence fragment, yet it was the truth. Pachi was a little shaken from the blow, yet Carmen's exhaustion could not be concealed. She probably wouldn't be able to take more than one or two good hits.
Anthony cackled. “Use Swallow, Carmen!”
Or that could happen. The good news was, Pachi was already on his feet and ready. After a moment to consider, Nori shrugged. “Rush in and use Super Fang.”
Few were expecting that, least of all Anthony, although his reaction was far more negative compared to the audience. The little squirrel raced forward using Agility, getting into range right as the flytrap devoured the energy to restore her health. His fangs glowed with a mysterious power as he jumped up and chomped on her midsection.
The cheers from his supporters in the crowd were infectious enough to bring a smile to his face. It undid a good portion of the healing. Pachi gave a cheeky grin, as Carmen almost lost control of her levitation due to another bout of paralysis.
“Bind, Carmen!” Anthony was furious, for many reasons. “Completely foolish for you to come back into melee range! Did Volkner train you at all?!”
“Yes, let it happen and Discharge.”
Anthony slapped his forehead, realizing his mistake. Nori was hoping he might try something like that. When you grab an Electric type, you invite your Pokemon to get zapped.
And Pachi put everything he had into what was his strongest attack. Carmen's entire body lit up like a light. She let go of Pachi and fell to the floor as it concluded. The move had completely overwhelmed her, type disadvantage or not.
“Carmen is unable to battle!” ruled the coach, raising a flag in the air.
Nori soaked in the cheers. It had been far too long since he'd gotten them. They felt great.
“I'm sorry, Carmen. And I…I must admit!” conceded Anthony, as he recalled his Pokemon. “I was not expecting your Pokemon to exhibit that level of power!”
A little humility? Maybe he wasn't as egotistical as Nori thought. “All that training by Volkner wasn't for nothing,” he replied, beaming plainly. In the end, this was power versus strategy. Nori was used to being the former. “Of course my Pokemon are strong.”
“Nevertheless, it is irrelevant!” Anthony declared. Okay, maybe his head really was swollen. “Your staunch refusal to exhibit technique shall prove your downfall! And this next Pokemon shall be the harbinger of your defeat!”
“Are you trying to be a Shakespearean actor on the side?!” shouted Yumi from the stands. She got several laughs, including from Nori. It was uncouth, but he had to admit, it felt nice having someone to stick up for him.
“Don't underestimate Tony's skill!” another girl countered. “He's just getting started!” By contrast, that got cheers.
“She is correct! Prepare yourself, Nori Carino!” Anthony brandished his second Pokemon. “Quade, the stage is ours!”
Nori tensed up at the sight of the chunky bipedal blue Pokemon with stubby feet, hand-like flippers, and a flat tail. A Water Pokemon. A Ground type too, but he wasn't too worried about that part. Anthony seemed to be worried too, for a different reason, given he was already using his best Pokemon.
“Okay,” the coach said. “Restart the battle!”
Power versus strategy. It wasn't like Nori couldn't be strategic, just not super creative strategic. Sometimes, it's best to keep things simple. This was one of those times.
Anthony snickered. For someone who claimed to have studied him, he seemed unaware of the threat. “Start it off with a Mud Shot, Quade!”
Nori nodded to his Pokemon, who seemed to have the right idea as their foe was rearing back. “Wait for it…” he said. And as soon as the Quagsire started spewing a stream of goop, Nori gave the signal. “Quick Attack!”
It was not yet time to use that move. So Pachi charged. The Ground-type move whiffed as he closed the distance in a flash and slammed his body into Quade's. However, their foe stood his ground.
“In that case, unleash your Mega Kick!”
The young official hummed. He decided to take an aggressive approach. “Pachi…” he started, watching to see how Quade was going to act. Once he saw the movement, he said, “Under the right, and Grass Knot!”
Now it was time! The squirrel used it at the perfect moment. As Quade lifted his leg, Pachi rolled beneath. His motion spun him around and was set to end with him facing down Pachi, but the squirrel tapped his feet before he could do so. Vines came up from nowhere and whipped at their foe's single grounded foot, sending him to the floor.
“You are joking!!” exclaimed Anthony. Did he somehow not know Pachi knew that move? Or was he thinking he could just avoid it? “On your feet, Quade!” The Quagsire was trying, but struggling.
“Get some distance, and use it again.” Pachi hustled off a few meters and raised his own foot.
“Disregard that Quade, roll away!” To Anthony's relief, Quade managed to do so, getting up in the same motion. “Return fire! Unleash Water Pulse!”
At once, Nori's muscles stiffened. A huge pulsating sphere of water emerged from the abyssal monster's maw. It was sizable, twice the size of his head, easily enough to envelop and drown someone. It moved forward like a massive bullet, flashing yellow as a smaller sphere impacted it and exploded into a shower of–
Nori snapped out of his reverie. Pachi had stopped it with a Electro Ball. “Thank you…” he huffed under his breath.
“Toxic!”
“Er, watch out.”
The young official breathed in and out to compose himself. It never got easier. He had some bad experiences with water in the past, and seeing it in a Pokemon battle always proved distracting at the best of times. He thought he was getting better about it, but…
“Mud Bomb!”
“Focus, Nori!” he yelled at himself under his breath. He was in the middle of a battle, he could think about that stuff later!
The good news was, Pachi was understanding when it came to his phobia. Plus, he knew how to fight on his own to some extent, albeit not as much as the Demon. He escaped the blob of liquified dirt and returned fire with Swift.
“Good. Slowly, but surely.” There was one good takeaway. Given how Anthony wasn't using Surf as a counter to their evasive tactics, maybe Quade didn't know it.
“I've had enough!” Anthony screamed. “Try dodging this! Quade, Earthquake!”
Oh, or there was that. Nori knew one way to actually avoid that, but Quade was too quick in carrying the command out. He leaped up and stomped down with both legs. The ground shook, ravaging Pachi as he was thrown around by the shaking floor. Nori stood strong, confident his Pokemon could handle it and Quade wouldn't be able to use it again so soon.
“You all right?” he asked for posterity. The squirrel answered by standing tall. “Okay! Quick Attack, do a hit-and-run!” Nori shouted, a little more worked up from his aquaphobia than he expected.
“Counter, Aqua Tail!”
Quade lined up like a baseball player might, yet couldn't hit Pachi before Pachi hit him and got away. The Quagsire briefly huffed, clutching where the squirrel had impacted.
“Quade!” shouted Anthony. “Use Mud Bomb, and shoot it all over the battlefield!”
Nori understood where his opponent was going at once. “Don't let them! Grass Knot!”
Quade unleashed glob after glob of mud, haphazardly all over the battlefield. He cringed and cried out as the vines lashed out at it, but by the end of the attack, he was standing tall. Maybe defiantly.
The young official frowned. Pachi was quick and agile, but not both at once. They were trying to nullify their speed advantage. At least they'd gotten another big hit in the process. One more should do it!
“Ice Beam!” Anthony followed up before Nori could even open his mouth. “Sweep it across the whole battlefield!”
Nori had a split second to think of something. “Swift.”
He was counting on Pachi to fire off the homing stars in time. However, Pachi instinctively went on the move to try to avoid the beam.
“Wait, no!”
The fact that Pachi actually managed to get his attack off and avoid the beam was no consolation when he slipped on some mud and tumbled to the floor. Anthony was ready to pounce.
“Gotcha! High Horsepower!”
Although straining – perhaps he was more damaged than Nori had believed – Quade cloaked himself in brownish energy and charged. He rammed right into Pachi, sending him tumbling.
Nori watched carefully as his Pokemon stumbled around in the process of trying to stand up from the vicious blow. It was going to take more than that to knock them out of the match!
“Pachi is unable to battle,” the coach suddenly ruled, and the crowd cheered.
Nori could only shoot the coach a dirty look. “Pachi can still fight!” To punctuate it, Pachi got up and clapped his hands together. Wobbly, but no worse off than Quade.
“My ruling is final, Mr. Carino,” she dug in her heels.
Nori growled. That was stupid, if not rigged! If they wanted him to be a part of the battling team, that just gave him another reason not to want to! Pachi whined, a mix of pain and frustration.
“Yeah! Eat it!” Nori thought that was just a taunt at first, then he noticed Quade snacking on a berry. The mud skipper stood up strong after doing so. “How do you like that? What's next out of you?!”
Nori rolled his shoulders as Pachi started sulking over. The young official approached, picking his Pokemon up and giving him a light hug.
“You did good,” he encouraged, patting the squirrel on the back. “We'll get'em back for that, somehow. Just stick back and enjoy the rest.”
Pachi lightly chirruped, nestling into his trainer's chest while he still could. Nori carried him over to their side of the battlefield and let him down by his feet.
“Hey!” barked Anthony, irritated at being ignored. “Do not ignore my question to you! Answer me, answer us all, what is your next Pokemon?”
Well, what next, he thought? He pulled out the capsules of his remaining two Pokemon. Pachi had nearly won before he got prematurely declared out of the match, and that berry had thrown a wrench into things. How much damage did that undo? Either of his other Pokemon was at a type disadvantage. Whatever the third was though, he'd have to rely on the Demon to either break through (or just zap) tough Skarmory scales or not get destroyed by Hitmontop. It would be for the best if she was as fresh for that as possible.
Which meant…using Pawniard next. That gave him the best chance of winning anyway, and he couldn't just roll over and lose – especially in front of everyone watching. Nori took a deep breath as he gripped the capsule of the Blackout Killer's Pokemon. It would be possible to try to just win with the Demon. Unfortunately, he only realized that after he had thrown the Poke Ball and the bladed creature was out in the open.
At once, the young official became cognizant of everything around him. He saw Yumi tense up (along with half the crowd), whispering something to her brother. There was a faint squeak from Pachi. The battling club's coach visibly forced herself to remain stoic and steely. Anthony rubbed an eyelid, yet tossed his head about, crossed his arms, and smirked. Quade growled and spat, showing no fear even as the Pawniard made a threatening motion. The bladed monster drew a listless slash across his throat.
The coach slowly raised her two flags. She shuffled her feet momentarily before saying, “All right, resu–”
“Hold on a second,” Nori said with authority, waving the teacher off. He turned to his assignment, “Okay, listen up,” Maybe he was going to end up looking like a tryhard, but he couldn't think of anything else. “Do everything I tell you, nothing I don't. Got it?”
No response. Nori frowned. He liked giving his Pokemon a say in strategy. It threw people off, felt more respectful, and they thought of things he didn't. Yet there was a purpose behind not doing so here; he had remembered something Volkner had once said to him. His mentor had brought up that if he left some of his assignments to their own devices, they might end up doing something he'd regret. Was this Pawniard one of those cases where Nori had to keep a tight leash? A few days ago showed he would listen to him, at least.
“Done with your heart-to-heart?” Anthony asked, twirling a finger as he dismissively looked away from him.
“I am,” he sighed. “Nothing to do but do it, Nori,” he whispered to himself under his breath. “You still have your swap, use it if you have to.”
“Continue the battle, in that case,” the coach said.
“Let's get this party started!” Anthony pointed with dramatic flair. “Unleash a Mud Bomb!”
Quade reared back. Exact orders, Nori repeated in his head. “Cleave that Mud Bomb apart vertically,” he specifically stated.
It was a bold maneuver. But it was also a good chance to test the full extent of his Pokemon's abilities, especially with the floor still something of a mess. To everyone's surprise but Pawniard's, he did so, avoiding damage entirely.
“You are JOKING!!” cursed Anthony.
“Use Torment on Quade.”
All too happy to oblige, his Pokemon made some cruel gestures while mouthing off. Quade quivered, clutching at his head. Pawniard cackled, a wicked screeching sound.
Anthony was undeterred. “Mud Shot, then!” Well, he didn't expect that. It was the advantage of redundancy. Nori supposed their last move was of limited effectiveness because of it.
“Hit Quade with a ranged Psycho Cut,” he requested. The officials had given him a list of Pawniard's moves, and was well aware of the exertion that one would take at his Pokemon's level. Maybe it wasn't the best tactical choice, but it was good to test Pawniard's potential.
The wicked Pokemon made all sorts of slashing gestures, producing violet crescent arcs which rammed into Quade. Meanwhile, the mud skipper's own ranged move impacted Pawniard right after. The bladed creature stumbled, turned back and snickered, posing and showing off the spot where it hit him. Nori remembered he didn't say to dodge.
“Then close in,” Nori said. “Go and use Slash on Quade.”
“Stop it with Water Pulse!”
Nori jumped at mention of the move, choosing to look away from it. “Go…around? Dodge?” he meekly asked. He didn't hear the pulse hit, so…
“Run that monster down with High Horsepower!”
Nori turned back. His Pokemon had gone so far around that he wasn't anywhere close to slashing range. “Um, hit it with Iron Head when it gets close!”
A lot of people gasped at that one. No wonder, given it was a ridiculously gutsy counter. If Pawniard didn't land that move, he was going to take a huge hit. But if he did…
He timed the move perfectly, but Quade ran Pawniard down anyway. It sent his assignment rolling across the floor, although their foe was unable to follow-up, clutching a flipper to his forehead.
Pawniard was still splayed out. The coach looked at him in puzzlement, then at Nori.
“Get up,” Nori quickly told his Pokemon, before she could make another hasty judgment. Pawniard got up, ready for more, cackling at him in the process. Exact orders. He sighed at his Pokemon taking it too literally.
“Are you okay?!” asked Anthony. By contrast, their opponent's Pokemon was critically weak. Quade groaned but waved a flipper. It was clear from his posture that he was not okay. “Then one last big one!” said Anthony.
Nori braced himself. “Don't let it, N–”
“Quade, RIDE THAT SURF!!”
Surf?! “Why would you–” Nori started to shout, but it gave way to mere screaming as the wave started to form. No, no, no! He had to get away! He ran. All the way to the battlefield's side to get absolutely out of range. The young official fled in seconds. He almost curled up and covered himself, but stopped short, bashing his head against the wall.
“Nori, that was…” he started to whisper to himself, tensing as the wave crashed down behind him. That was embarrassing, but he couldn't help it.
Stupid panic attacks. He was expecting the laughter of his peers over his phobia being exposed before them. What he got was gasps and shrieks. The young official slowly turned around.
The scene was graphic. Pawniard's legs were shaking, yet he stood triumphant. He was pressing his hand against Quade's snout. The latter's mouth was open in a silent shout of terror. The tip of the wicked blade was jutting out of the roof of the water skipper's mouth. A light ooze was trickling down from it.
The bladed Pokemon snapped his arm back, and with that, a horrible guttural cry pierced the air.
Everything started happening all at once. There was screaming and shouting. The words were all blending together. Nori thought he heard ‘disqualified’ in there, his name several times, Anthony crying for Quade, the word ‘recall,’ and lots more. The only thing he was sure about was his profuse apologizing. There were suddenly many Pokemon on the battlefield, but Pawniard slashed his way out and hid behind Nori, cackling lowly yet madly.
The young official turned to his Pokemon. Pawniard flashed a sick grin, standing a little taller. He pointed his claws towards Nori, although he kept his arms slack at his side. Nori trembled. He couldn't sneer, or frown, or make any kind of expression. Without a further word, he retrieved the monster's Poke Ball and stowed him away.
Nori took another look at the scene unfolding before him. Pachi had rushed to his side, but his expression was nearly empty. Yumi was nowhere in sight. The fieldworkers were filming on their phones in shock. Some were gathered around Anthony, others looked like they wanted to come his way. One part of him thought about helping. But he also figured that anything he said or did was just going to make things worse. Plus, there were too many people throwing leers and insults his way. It wasn't worth sticking around.
“I'm sorry. I'll go.”
Ignoring their retorts, he wasted little time in scooping up Pachi and going through the doors out of the school. He was running, even though he knew he couldn't escape. There was going to be so, so much fallout. He simply didn't want to face it right away.
---
Slice 6: Sword of Damocles
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From here on out, expect spoilers for Memory of a Ghoul to start showing up. If it's a problem and you want to read both fics, read up through C3 of MoaG before the next chapter. That said, it's foreshadowing by design there (what it alludes to hasn't been dropped as of this chapter's publication). I'll have explicit WARNINGS later on for more serious instances.
Sorry for delays, depression and distraction both struck pretty hard. And needing to buy a new computer. Also, shoutouts to leaks being true with the SV release. Which I need to figure out what I'm using on; not necessarily limited to six either.
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Slice 7: Dagger in
the Heart
How had things ended up this way?
“It was an accident, Nori. Just an accident.”
It was just an accident. One that he could've avoided if he wasn't so stupid! His aquaphobia made Pawniard act on his own. He did what felt natural, violence. But no one was in the mood to listen to him. Even Pachi didn't seem to want to talk with him and wanted to be recalled. Ultimately, he was left alone with his thoughts.
“You can do this. You made it through worse…”
Nori didn't know what to do or what to think. Everything had been going smoothly until those five seconds of fear, then everything went wrong. Even though he had Anthony sign the waiver, there were going to be consequences. Some people were not going to ever forgive him, maybe rightfully so. The Officials weren’t going to be happy. It hadn’t even been a week and their new operative caused trouble. He was not looking forward to the inevitable talk about it.
“So just…” He halted. “You'll just have to…” He wasn't sure. He didn't know what to do next. But he knew what he wanted to do.
He was far, far away from his school. The young official had silently skated to the northeast side of town. He started up the stone stairs, each step heavier than the one before. He was initially uncertain why he was going to see Prema, settling on his motivations as he was heading up to the shrine. She would be able to help. She had always been there for him. She might know what to do, and if not, just seeing her would help immensely.
By the time he reached the top, Nori needed to pause to catch his breath and rest his legs. It felt wrong. He'd never felt so lethargic before in his life. Maybe it was in his mind. No matter how it happened, the fact was, his Pokemon may have killed another. Whatever might happen to him – and Pawniard – as a result were things he didn't want to think about.
Eventually, Nori found it in himself to pass under the red arch. Nariya and some others were sitting on the grass. He flashed a weak wave – barely lifting his hand, actually. He approached the entrance.
That Kaede woman from Wednesday stood guard in front of the shrine, along with a middle-aged man he knew was named Jirou. The two seemingly glowered at him. Had word already reached them? Nori would not have been surprised, given the internet. Still, he was going to ask. It was the only way to get anything.
“Is Prema here?” he inquired, straight and to the point.
The male on the left, with simple short black hair and brown eyes, leered and snapped at him. “You shall refer to her respectfully as Lady Kannagi.”
He returned the expression. He hated this guy already, but he didn't have it in him (and was aware enough that it'd be unwise) to argue at that moment. “Is…” Nori paused, considering how to most formally word his request. “Is Lady Kannagi present? I wish to speak with her.”
“Lady Kannagi is busy,” the man replied.
“With what?” Nori said, before bowing lightly and adding in a more reserved tone, “Um, might I ask?”
“It does not concern you.”
His hostile and dismissive attitude set Nori off. “I'm her friend. I have a right to know!”
He realized how stupid those words were right after they came out of his mouth. Mercifully, it was Kaede who answered, “No, you don't,” and in a plain if somewhat mocking tone.
“Sorry, I just…” Nori paused and took a deep breath to compose himself. “I know that I actually don't have a right, but, but I really, really need to talk to her about something. Is there no way this can be arranged?”
Kaede shrugged. “Sorry, you heard the guy. She's busy with shrine stuff.”
Nori frowned, feeling his lungs had all the air let out of them. A clear enough answer, although not one he was hoping to hear. “When's she going to be finished?”
“Not any time soon,” said the man.
“That doesn't tell me anything! Look, something happened–”
“That is–”
“And I need her advi–guidance!” he corrected himself. “If not her, is there no one I can speak to?”
“I'm not posted to chat with visitors, least of all non-worshipers.”
“Sorry, man,” said Kaede, before he could tell that jerk next to her exactly what he thought about him. “It's important training and an all-day sort of thing. I'll let you know that much.”
“We're not here for your consultation,” the male guard cut in. “So if it is not clear, we're asking you to leave. If not, you will be removed.” Even Kaede glowered at her coworker, although she did not speak up.
“Do you really have to be so rude?” he asked. Before he could answer, Nori said, “And fine, I'll go.”
Nori turned on his heel and left. A fair portion of the people about the grounds were giving him harsh or indifferent looks. When his eyes fell upon Nariya, she averted her gaze.
“I…can't…” she squeaked as he started to approach.
“Whatever, I don't care.”
He fought off tears, twisting it into anger as he left. Nori knew. He knew full well! Not everyone at the shrine liked him, let alone approved of his friendship with Prema. It was going to be a problem eventually. That was inevitable. So then, why? Why did it have to be now?!
He wanted to run down the steps. He wished he had a bird to fly away on. As it was, he could only walk quickly. Enough to get away as soon as possible, but not fast enough that he might end up tripping.
Prema was busy. He could understand that! Being the heir to the shrine was probably a busy life! But they didn't have to be so cold about turning him away! They wouldn't even hear him out or just let him stay there and relax! If their goal was to eventually get him to be a follower, well, they just ruined any chance they had of that!
A mix of buzzing and beeping cut through the air, interrupting his anguish. His official's radio, and the pattern meant it was for him. He took off his backpack and reached into the side flap, retrieving his earpiece. He fumbled to get it into his right ear before pressing a button on the side.
“Yeah, what?!” he unwittingly snapped into the receiver.
“Nori Carino, be reporting in immediately,” came the unmistakable voice of Studd. “Same place.”
“Sure…all right.” Terse and quick. He hung up and put the radio back in his bag.
Nori had to sit down on the steps. He thought he might have more time to get ready, but he had already gotten the call he was dreading. There was nothing to do but…prepare for the worst.
---
It took Nori around forty minutes to make it to the elementary school, simply by virtue of not having the energy. He had been repeatedly going over what to say in his mind, and mentally preparing for everything that could be said to him. Only one thing was for certain, however. He was going to fight. For himself, and the Pawniard. This was an accident, nothing more.
As he raised his arm to knock on the gymnasium door, he felt his body lock up. He took a deep breath and said to himself, “Just push through, Nori,” and knocked. No going back now.
The young official waited. Yet after a minute, there was no response. Had he arrived too early? Too late? Had he not been heard? He knocked again with no hesitation. He waited. There was some noise from the other side of the door, yet there came no answer. After another minute, he decided to go around to the front of the school.
The doors were still open. The young official walked in as if it were perfectly natural for him to be going there. While it was his first time being inside Crescent Hills Elementary, he found his way to the gymnasium easily enough. He paused when he heard an annoying rhythmic sound coming from within.
Basketball.
That explained everything. With a grumble, he stepped inside.
He was under the assumption there was after-school practice happening. That thought was proven wrong when he saw only one person in the room, Agent Studd. The scruffy man was ignorant of his presence as he haphazardly hurled the orange and cream-colored sphere with one hand, missing not only the net but the backboard entirely.
“Bah!” went Studd as the basketball rebounded and came back his way, scrambling and stopping it with a foot. “I will be showing you! Time to lay it up!”
The man wailed as he charged for the net. With a mighty leap into the air that barely took him off the floor, he threw up the ball with both hands. It hit the rim from below and went straight down as Studd was unable to stop himself from going straight into the wall.
Nori had been holding his breath, but could not help but burst into laughter as the agent teetered and crumpled backward onto the floor.
“That is not funny!” shouted Studd, slipping as he tried to get to his feet.
“Yes…sorry.” He was going to say yes it was funny, but thought better of it.
“You are in much trouble, youngling!” Studd said, trying and failing to sound stern. He coughed and held his gut with one arm, but wagged a finger with another. “I need not tell you what it is that you did, because–”
“It's fine, it's fine!” Nori interrupted as he placed his bag on the floor. He retrieved the legal agreement and showed it to Studd. “I had him sign this!”
The man scanned it. “I see!” he said, and for the briefest of moments from his tone, Nori thought himself in the clear. “Nevertheless, it is not your meal ticket to do whatever wanted with whoever signs!”
“It was an accident, okay?!”
“Irregardless, it is not reflecting well! Especially that you cannot handle on your first outing.” Nori averted his gaze. “Look at me! This is a strict warning to you!”
About what he thought, now the only question was, what was going to come of it? Nori waited and waited. Eventually, it seemed like he wasn't going to say anything else. “Is anything…?” he tentatively started to ask. “Is it really just a warning?”
“A warning!” Studd confirmed.
“You could've made that more clear!” he snapped. All that stress over nothing! He couldn't believe himself, but more than that, he couldn't believe this guy! Just a warning. Ridiculous, as someone he knew would say. He wasn't going to complain, but still!
“I apologize for the lack of clearness, sir!” said Studd. “Well, if there is death, you do not wish to know what will be happening, signed or not! But one more and the same thing will happen!”
“I get it, I get it!” Nori repeated. He had a possible second chance, but there wouldn't be a third. He just wanted to get out and go home.
“Now I am still expecting your report, so be calling in.”
“But I can do it now, and you know what happened.”
“I said call in on Sunday!” Studd hastily said before picking up the basketball. “Now if you will be excusing me, I have revenge to get.”
He wasted no time in leaving, not bothering to look back as there was a loud crash followed by the kooky agent screaming. He couldn't tell if it was in pain or frustration, and didn't really care either way.
---
Nori was perfectly aware that the most difficult person to explain himself to was going to be his mom. He had spent eight months training to be a Pokemon Rehabilitator. He got into the position in the first place partially because his mom was worried about his future, and things were already going awry. He had one thing working in his favor: they did not own a phone. So she'd likely be hearing about it from him before anyone else.
His mom was on her bed at the back of the trailer, reading one of her library books. They always had limited means of entertainment at home, and while she was social, Ayume Carino was never as outdoorsy as her son. Nori hoped their financial situation would improve before long, but it all rested on his ability to do his job.
“Ma?” he spoke up to get her attention.
His mom initially did not as much as look up from the book. Nori got a glance at the cover. It had a husky man with long, flowing hair embracing a plain woman in a forested grove while a Zangoose watched on. The Wild Mink, a romance. No doubt with some saucy content from what he knew about her. Nevertheless, she acknowledged his presence. “How was school today, Nori?”
He inhaled deeply before answering. Nothing to do but do it, he thought. “Not good. There was…an incident, I guess.”
That got her attention. She grabbed her bookmark, closed her book, and put it on the side. “What happened?” she asked, sitting up and facing him.
He got right into it, explaining how Anthony had insisted on a three-on-three battle. The agreement he had him sign. How he came to the conclusion to use Pawniard. What he could remember of the battle before his aquaphobia got triggered and everything went wrong.
“And that's about it,” he concluded. The young official held his breath, waiting for the reaction.
It did not take long. His mom leaned back, sighing. However, it was not one of frustration or exhaustion, rather an irreverent one. “I guess it can't be helped.”
“You're not mad? Or disappointed?” he chanced asking her. He'd rather know than have doubts!
“Well, I was expecting you to run into trouble with a Pokemon some day.” She smiled a little. “I didn't expect it to be so soon, although I suppose I should've given they gave you something tough to start out with.”
“That’s putting it lightly…” Nori was expecting his first assignment to help ease him into the process, but they were holding nothing back from the get-go. Was it simply too much too soon?
His mom put her hands on her hips. “There's something else you're not telling me, is there?” she asked. “You took a while to get back.”
“I was gonna get to that,” he clarified. He wasn't going to hide this or anything. “I got called in to see that Studd guy. He let me off with just a warning, thankfully. As long as that guy's Pokemon doesn't die.”
Ayume huffed vaguely. “I see,” was all she said about it. “Anything else?”
Caught off-guard. Nori paused a second too long. His mom leaned in closer, eyes narrowing. He didn't want to talk about it, because he knew what her answer would be. But with her prodding, he had no choice.
“Before I saw Studd, I wanted to see Prema to get her thoughts on what happened, so I went to the Kannagi Shrine. She was too busy to see me though, and there was this really stupid guard who turned me away rudely and like, demanded I call her Lady Kannagi and threatened to throw me out if I didn't leave right away. So I just had to leave.”
His mom blanched at the mention of the future head priestess of the Kannagi Shrine. Her nose crinkled momentarily as she peered forward flatly. Nori may not have cared for religion, but she had even stronger feelings against it. As he went on, her lip started to curl and her eyebrows tilted down.
“Typical,” was all she said.
“But Prema's not that kind of person. She's always accepted me.” he defended, even as his mom didn't actually attack her. “It'll be fine.”
“Nori, I'm a little worried she's going to end up another Claris for you.”
He did a double take. That was his mom's reasoning? Claris Willins. His dear friend from first grade to partway through fourth. His only real friend in that frame of time, too. A child actress who wanted to go on a journey with him…until he said some pretty cruel things. What happened to her because of it was all his fault…
“N-no, this would be…closer to what happened with Lux…” he said, slightly shaken. “But things are different from that, too. Prema's not going to stop being friends with me just because one jerk said so.” Even if the worst case did somehow come to pass, Prema wasn't his only friend, like Claris and Lux were at their respective points.
“We can only hope,” his mom spat, words dripping with venom.
“Actually,” he said, eager to change the subject. “What I'm most worried about is how bad my reputation's going to be after this.” Not that he cared what others thought too much, but…
Ayume snorted. “This coming from my son who became one of the most hated people in the region months ago,” she sarcastically quipped.
He was forced to laugh a little. Guilty as charged. “Yes, but I'd prefer if I wasn't in that same spot ever again.” It wasn't pleasant.
“I'm sure you'll be all right, Nori.” His mom nodded. “If the worst happens, it won't be as bad as before.”
“Thanks, ma…” He knew it wasn't going to reach that level, but hearing it from someone else validated his thoughts. With a smile, he gave her a hug of appreciation. It was just positive reinforcement, but it did a lot for his mood.
“Get some rest,” she patted him on the back. “And if anyone bothers you, let me know.”
With that out there, Nori almost hoped they would. He wanted to see what his mom would do to shut them up. Plus, he had friends like Arumi and Volkner over in Sunyshore who could help out. Maybe, just maybe, he would come away relatively unscathed from what happened after all.
##########
The time on the dashboard read 11:14pm. Nori was sitting in the front seat of the trailer, quietly listening to the news on the radio while his mom and Pachi slept. He found himself unable to join them no matter how long he closed his eyes, the events of the day still lingering in his thoughts. He reasoned hearing what was going on around the region and world might help take his mind off it long enough to rest.
Most of it was uninteresting or stuff he'd already heard during the evening news. That was, until the anchor said, “We've just received breaking news out of Veilstone City.”
Nori snapped to attention. Breaking news at this hour? Whatever it was couldn't be good news. Did somebody get shot? Was there a big gang bust? Could Quade have died on the operating table? He leaned his ear up to the speaker and listened close.
---
It was not a story he was expecting to hear. Far from taking his mind off things, it gave the young official another thing to worry about. It wasn't about him, but about Prema.
The people at the shrine hadn't lied to him, she had been very busy today. She had gone to the old Magcargo Express warehouse they met at to perform an exorcism. As the report went on, he found himself upset and concerned in equal measure. The good news was, Nori had found some direction. He knew what he needed to do first thing tomorrow morning.
Heya, going through my hitlist of people that I wanted to shoot at least one review during the ongoing Review Blitz, and I chanced to remember the reviews you generously gave the Context Switch rewrite back when it was still being uploaded… which I had never reciprocated all this time. ^^;
So let’s go ahead and fix that by diving into one of your stories and see how things shake out:
Chapter 1
A white-hot jet of flame emerged from the mouth of the Pansear, engulfing their creepy opponent's Pokemon. It was their best move, one with which they had won countless battles around their neighborhood. The young girl with pink pigtails stood triumphant, certain that she and her partner had claimed victory with the powerful super-effective attack.
IMO, you should consider a different adjective than “creepy” here, since that’s a subjective descriptor and doesn’t tell why this opponent is creepy. Though between this opening paragraph and the summary, I can tell things are going to get deep into [uhhh] territory in short order.
Yet as the flames died out, the Pawniard was still standing. With a mighty Iron Head, the Pawniard felled his foe. Little Kayla's Pansear lay unconscious on the forest floor.
Scratch that, this is the Blackout Killer. The Pawniard must be his Pokémon.
Little Kayla frowned. She was the best trainer among the young kids in her neighborhood. Yet this man had trounced her! With a type disadvantage at that!
"This is my fault, Pansear," she apologized to her Pokemon. "I guess I got a little too overconfident thinking we could beat an adult. Take a good rest."
He’s never going to wake up again, is he? Though I would recommend splitting Kayla’s dialogue from the rest of the paragraph there.
But before she could recall her Pokemon, the man flicked his wrist and the Pawniard used Iron Head again. This time, he drove the tip of his horn through the fallen monkey's chest, running her through completely. [ ]
"No! Pansear!" she cried. "What are you doing to her?!"
IMO, you should have a sentence or two about that “moment of shock” after Kayla sees that Pawniard has stabbed her beloved Pokémon that’s probably visibly bleeding and audibly gurgling or stuff like that.
The man motioned again and his blade withdrew. He flashed a smile that could chill even the devil's bones as the fire monkey spasmed.
"When your Pokemon faints, it dies. That's my rule."
Oh, so the Blackout Killer is basically an IRL Nuzlocker, huh? That’s certainly a creepy take on that premise though I’m surprised that the premise of the story is that this guy’s Pokémon is getting rehabilitated if the authorities were cognizant that his Pawniard got up to things like this.
"What rule?!" cried little Kayla. "Pansear!"
She ran up to her Pokemon in despair, desperately searching her pack for a Revive. Finding one, she ground the crystal into dust and forced it into the gash. But this was a wound too great for even the most skilled doctor to mend, let alone a mere item. Her Pansear gave one last smile before her eyes glazed over.
… Wait, why is Kayla not summarily recalling Pansear into her Pokéball and attempting to leg it from the creepy man who is obviously bad news? Especially if this is a setting where Pokéballs have stasis abilities where that would mean keeping Pansear alive in spite of the giant gash in her chest, if only temporarily.
The girl quietly stood, tears pouring down her face. Yet she froze as a shadow loomed from behind. She turned to see the man standing over her, the glint of a machete in his left hand. She was too afraid to move or say anything.
Well that was the most unsettling opening to a story I’ve read in a long while. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever read another story that used a “pre-title card opening” format, so congratulations for doing something different there.
"No! Turn it off, please!"
Maylene Gavali scrambled forth, falling between the seats as she twisted the knob on the vehicle's radio. The teenager to her right cringed as crackling static assaulted his ears. If he hadn't heard this episode before or if it was anyone but his close friend, he'd have been annoyed at the sudden interruption. But as the situation was, he couldn't help but pat his friend in comfort.
"Sorry, I guess that was a little graphic, huh?" the young man mused, turning the radio off and resting his arms on the steering wheel. Actually, that was saying the least about it. "I'm surprised they let that air."
I’m surprised as well, since that sounds like a recipe for being sued by Kayla’s parents.
He looked back to check on his Pokemon, Pachi. Thankfully, the squirrel with vibrant white and blue fur hadn't gotten roused from his nap by Maylene's shrieks.
His friend shuddered. "That was too much. Just..." She self-consciously pulled at her own pink pigtails, a nervous tic of hers.
The Blackout Killer has/had a thing for picking off pink-haired chicks, huh?
Nori Carino was sitting in his mom's trailer with his younger friend, ten to his thirteen. It had been his home for almost his entire life, aside from the nine months he spent training at Sunyshore Gym. Despite being a mobile home, it was almost always in the trailer park. His mom usually slept in the large bed at the back, which had curtains to cover the area up if necessary. Across from the stove and bathroom was a table with padded seats, which could be folded into a second bed. A third could be pulled down from above the car seats. Dressers and cabinets were under the beds and stove, as well as to left of the latter.
Oh, so Nori’s from a background with meager means. Noted for the future.
Maylene crawled back into the passenger seat. "I thought we were supposed to be listening to a crime drama, not a horror!" she griped.
"It is a crime drama, Maylene. It's a dramatized retelling of the story of Lochlyn Nuzzo, the Blackout Killer." Nori leaned back. "He was a real person, although the victims' names have been changed, of course. He was a serial killer from Northwest Unova who targeted trainers who lost battles to him."
Nori smiled. "A stupid moron, that's who. He was crazy, none of his actions made sense. Some say he even killed his own Pokemon when they fainted. Others say he found Pokemon just as sick and twisted as him. He probably would've gotten committed if he wasn't gunned down by a trigger-happy cop."
Oh, so Lochlyn is confirmed for having been an IRL Nuzlocker. That’s certainly a dark take on the premise there, even if it makes sense under a certain logic.
"He's dead? Good!" the young girl snapped. "What was his problem, anyway?"
Nori: “He was a psychopath who got off on killing others? Maylene, why are you this worried about some dead guy anyways?”
"Who knows?" Not like they could do a psychological evaluation of him now.
It was difficult to say what was goingwent through Mr. Nuzzo's mind in life. Different thinkers often got called crazy or even dangerous. It didn't matter if they were right, wrong, or subjective. But then again, he thought differently from other people too. That's why he was a Pokemon Rehabilitator.
inb4 he was doing this for social media clout or something like that. Though I just realized that the serial killer’s name is a play on ‘Nuzlocke’ there. Clever, even if it took me a while to see it.
Though “Pokémon Rehabilitator”, huh? Surprised that Nori is already able to do this at age 13 when he’s likely not even out of schooling yet.
That said, Nori got the sense Maylene wanted to get off the subject, so he decided to change it. "Anyway, how have your self-defense lessons been going?"
She perked up in an instant. "Oh, it's great! I've been putting them to use, too! I got in trouble for beating up a bully the other day for calling me ugly-hair, but it was worth it!" Maylene laughed triumphantly.
He was actually a little surprised her father found the money to put her into those classes, considering he'd lost their house. But however he did it, the lessons were helping her confidence and independence a lot.
Would suggest splitting up the last paragraph into at least 3. Though why do I get the distinct sense that Maylene’s dad is putting her into these classes through less-than-legal means.
"Pretty good. I've been keeping up with it. Don't want to do Volkner bad, after all."
He didn't have Sunyshore Gym's specialized training equipment, but he'd been finding ways to improvise. Both of his two (at present) Pokemon enjoyed battling, and he had to keep their and his skills sharp.
Somehow, I’d never have pegged Maylene as ever being like this, though I suppose that a Gym Leader’s public and private personas don’t necessarily have to match, especially given what we see of Jasmine when she’s off-duty canonically.
Nori had to chuckle a little at Maylene's new attitude. A year back or so, she was just like him – uninterested in Pokemon and especially journeys, only wanting to do something meaningful with her life. Now that he was working with Pokemon, she suddenly had an interest too.
Even without the summary in mind, this sounds like an absolutely cursed and terrible idea since for all you know, your first Pokémon isn’t even going to allow you to make bodily contact without snarling to try and scare you off considering the way abused animals commonly react to strange humans IRL.
He couldn't help but giggle and blush. "All right, all right, calm down," he said, gently pushing her away after a pat on the back. It was best if she didn't get too worked up where they were sitting. "I'm going to pick it up from Crescent Hills Elementary tomorrow afternoon. There's a park nearby, so you can wait for me there."
Oh, so these two really are 13 and 10, huh? It… admittedly strains my suspension of disbelief for someone to be doing a job that from its title sounds like it would require understudy to make sure that you’re not accidentally making things worse for Pokémon in need of rehabilitation. But eh, setting where grade schooler pants veteran trainers in every other region, so I’ll let it slide for now.
He was Nori Carino, Pokemon Rehabilitator. People sometimes called him the Demon Tamer.
How does he already have this reputation at age 13? .-.
There were a number of Pokemon out there with troublesome personality faults. Some of these were nothing more than minor quirks or a little unruliness. Other Pokemon were bad enough to be considered a danger to society. Therapist facilities would not accept the worst of these, and they were considered so savage that even the best trainers would have trouble controlling them. Yet it was a sensitive issue, for some thought it was inhumane to contain or euthanize these Pokemon.
… Wait, how does a 13-year old magically do things that trained professionals fail at anyways? Does he have latent aura abilities like Riley or something?
That's where a Pokemon Rehabilitator came in. A new position in the world of training, of which Nori was the first, but undoubtedly not the last. It was the brainchild of Jimmy Mackenburg, head of the Officials' Special Trainers division. A Rehabilitator was – in short – someone handpicked for having an unorthodox mindset towards Pokemon training. The idea being people thinking differently might allow them to handle Pokemon others could not. If they couldn't get these Pokemon to change, nobody could.
Bruh, you’re 13 and just starting to go through puberty...
Though I would explain “having a friend in high places pull strings” would explain a few things for how Nori’s in a position to do any of this.
It had all started with the Demon, a deranged Nidorina that Nori had a chance encounter with one fateful day last year in August. A series of circumstances, including an unintentional bet with Gym Leader Gasha Qian, led to him bonding with her and demonstrating she could change her ways – just enough. He was offered the position in the aftermath, and underwent rigorous (for all the wrong reasons) training at Sunyshore City under Volkner Denzi.
I kinda wonder if the bit in parens is either superfluous, or else should be mentioned as an aside at the very end of the sentence it’s in. Though so this is why the link to this story in your signature is “Fic 4”. Nori must have had one hell of a crazy year given that a quick peek at the opening to the first fic of your series says he was 12 at the time.
Today was the day he had been waiting for, what was going to make it all worth it. He would finally be making a difference in the world. His first task as a Pokemon Rehabilitator awaited him. But there was something he wanted to do before that time came.
It was a clear autumn day, perfect for being outdoors as far as Nori saw it. He skateboarded through the streets of Veilstone City, Pachi following close behind. The electric squirrel was a Pokemonhad been given to him by Volkner, both as a test of his training abilities and a gift. Pachi had been an invaluable partner since February, and he was every bit as important to Nori as the Demon Nidorina.
Holy cow, the past three fics have happened over the course of six months? Is Nori just this setting’s version of the DPPt PC or something?
The Kannagi Shrine was founded nearly a millennium ago in what was now called Celestic Town. The Veilstone location was its first branch in history and was being personally overseen by the Master of the shrine, Haruto Kannagi. It sat at the former site of the WGPR station Nori listened to, which had since moved operations to Hearthome. Aside from a satellite dish cordoned off by a chain link fence (which was apparently too costly to remove), there was no trace of what it formerly was. The building contractors and shrine's faithful worked hard to change it into something worthy of their gods.
A red archway welcomed visitors onto the grounds. A small pool for washing one's hands was off to the right side of the pathway leading into the building. It was a necessity to cleanse oneself before entering. While Nori had been inside when it was still the WGPR building, he had not beengone in it since, nor did he really have an interest in doing so. Besides, he had come to visit someone.
I’m a little surprised to see callsigns in the style of the eastern US’ radio stations in this setting. For reference, if you’re modeling Sinnoh after Japan as much as those names and the bland-name torii seem to be indicating, you’d want something more like JOPR as the radio station’s callsign or some play off of it.
Though wait, what do these grounds look like anyways? Like is there a garden or something? A building with tiled roofs and shoji? Since there’s not a whole lot mentioned about what this building looks like nowadays.
He waved to the person standing on the left side of the door, clad in an elegant violet robe with silver trim. Satomi Kurusu was one of the top priestesses in the Kannagi Shrine, having been present for four generations of Masters. She was a mentor to and a good friend of the future head priestess of the shrine, who was one of Nori's closest (and few real) friends.
… Wait, what on earth is this thing a shrine to anyways? It’s mentioned that it’s a shrine to “gods”, but not what any of the relevant ones are.
"Hey, Mrs. Kurusu!" he greeted her. "Is Prema in?"
"Of course, Nori," she said, turning to the woman to the right. She had vibrant red hair and was dressed in a simpler version of the same robe, looking to be in her 20s. "Kaede? Would you get her?"
"At once, Priestess Satomi." Kaede bowed and went inside to do so.
Wait, but it was never mentioned that there were two people standing at the door to begin with. You probably want to explicitly mention Kaede’s presence earlier on since this read as if she came out of nowhere.
"So, have you been doing well, Nori?" the elderly woman asked, in a casual yet still grandmotherly tone of voice.
IMO, you’re missing some sort of body language or whatnot to serve as transition for Satomi turning her attention back to Nori, since I’m having a little bit of a hard time getting a bead as to what her intended mood is supposed to be, even if I assume it’s supposed to be “friendly”.
He nodded. "Yup! Everything's going fine. Besides this guy at school who wants me to join the battling team. Oh, and running into YAMS the other day, but I shut them up."
Mrs. Kurusu laughed. It was to Nori's understanding that Prema had her own run-in with the youth activist group some months ago. They had been vehemently against him taming the Demon, making them the subject of one of their protests. Though if it wasn't for Youths Against Mistaken Society, he and Prema never would've met, so he owed them in a weird way.
Guessing those were antagonists from the second or third story in this series. Though boy is that an unfortunate acronym there. :V
"Those kids' hearts are in the right place," the priestess remarked. "But when it comes to Pokemon, they wouldn't know the difference between a Squirtle and a squirt gun!"
"You got that right!" said Nori with a chuckle of agreement. "And I know how far you can slide with good intentions."
Whatever story YAMS was in was quite the saga, I can already tell.
[ ]
"I think the nation knows, thanks to you," she laughed again. Guilty as charged, Nori thought to himself. "I simply hope he realizes the error of his ways."
Probably makes sense to drop in some sort of description here like Satomi giving a wry smile or something in reply.
"Doesn't matter to me if he does or not," he replied with a shrug.
That guy was still a sore spot from his time at Sunyshore Gym, one who ironically and incidentally practiced the Kannagi faith. Nori hoped it was behind him forever, but knew that was just wishful thinking on his behalf.
… Wait, who is ‘that guy’ anyways? Like I get that you don’t want to unload an out-of-context name on readers coming into this story in the cold, but even so, this feels a little too vague in terms of how the topic is broached.
[ ]
"It is understandable that you wouldn't," the priestess acknowledged. "Getting off that topic, how goes your work?"
[ ]
"Just papers so far," he said. "But I'm getting my first assignment today."
IMO, this sequence would work better with some description of body language or internal thoughts from some combination of Satomi and Nori here. Since these lines feel as if they’re meant to be said after some pauses, but they don’t really read that way in bare dialogue, especially when going from Satomi to Nori’s line.
"And you wanted to show Lady Kannagi and get her advice, is that it?"
Nori shook his head, yet smiled. "No, I just wanted to see my friend. But now that you mention it, that's not a bad idea."
[ ]
"I am sure she will be an invaluable partner for you, should you wish it."
Same deal here, though this is that Nidorina from the first story, isn’t it?
"I shouldn't totally rely on her, though."
HeNori didn't doubt there'd be many Pokemon he'd have to deal with on his own, given Prema's responsibilities and schedule. Although Nori did havehe had to admit, if it wasn't for her initial assessment of the Demon, Nori might not have chosen to defend her, and thus go down the path of a Pokemon Rehabilitator.
I’m still surprised this kid has managed to become a competent Rehabilitator at age 13, but I guess sorting out a ‘Demon’ wins you some credibility on that front.
"A reasonable assessment," Satomi said. "Just do not rule it out."
"Naturally." He was sure Prema would still help whenever and however she could. "So how have things been?"
[ ]
"Things have been well, Nori. We are completely settled into Veilstone now. It may be in a different spot, but as they say, a place is as sacred as you make it." She smirked. "If you meant myself, it has been business as usual. I've been overseeing the gardens the past week. The plants have been adapting to the soil pretty well."
Wait, “disinterest” about what? Since if he’s disinterested in the shrines themselves, how can Nori be interested in learning about them? I think you’re probably missing a word or two here like “about religion” or something like that.
The door opened and Prema stepped outside. A teenager of fifteen years, about two and a half years older than him. She had forest green hair and calm sea-blue eyes. What momentarily surprised Nori was her attire.
… Is this one of those settings where Kanto and some combination of surrounding regions had a massive apocalyptic war in the relatively recent past and that’s why there’s a ton of free-range kids? Since there seem to be a lot of positions filled by “bruh, why are you not in school?” types.
"Hi, Prema. You're not in your robe?" he inquired. She was in a purple dress shirt with white frills along the collar and sleeves, along with a matching modest lavender skirt that reached to her ankles. She was not wearing any of her accessories either.
Prema lightly bowed. "My father advised me to wear something more appropriate for casual ventures." That said, even her informal attire was fancy, maybe even elegant.
Wait, so how’s this jaunt over to the shrine relate to Nori’s job in this story again? Since it’s a little unclear to me. Like if this is supposed to be “need a moment to destress with friends before getting right to brass tacks”, it probably makes sense to explicitly state that once or twice somewhere in the narration or Nori’s dialogue in this scene.
Nori: “So… you all got a rock garden here or something? Or else where are we headed to?”
Prema: “I mean, don’t you have that Pokémon you’re supposed to take under your care later today?”
- Nori blinks -
Nori: “Huh, now that you mention it, it is a little weird that we haven’t really done anything about that until now…”
A man sat in the gymnasium of Crescent Hills Elementary, unable to contain his giddiness.
He could not believe this promotion when he heard about it. He, a loyal member of the International Police for so long, getting an opportunity to work alongside the Demon Tamer Nori Carino himself! It was great to finally get some recognition for his skills and talents! All it would require was filling reports of Mr. Carino's reports and all such stuff associated with him. It was too perfect and too easy! Even he could fill out those all proper, crossing his Ts and uppercasing his Ps.
This is Looker, isn’t it? And just how taken aback is he going to be when he sees a 13-year old strutting in through the door?
The man gazed at what he had been given. A bag with a very special box, made to lock away Poke Balls twice over! Sealed with a key and made of materials that interfered with ball light or whatever it was called. It was not to be opened until Mr. Carino's arrival. Next to it was a cage, where the Pokemon was to be released into. And he could not blame them at all. Despite his urges to take a peek, he knew better. He'd caught that horror flick on the radio yesterday, after all!
Yet he couldn't wait to meet the blade of the Blackout Killer in person, so to speak! He had technically been scheduled to call Mr. Carino at four-o-clock, but he wanted to get on with it! He rubbed his hands together. And he whipped out his phone, flipped it open, and dialed up the Demon Tamer on his Officials' radio.
>imagine yeeting a serial killer’s Pokémon halfway across the planet for some 13-year old kid to look at
So how much notoriety did Nori build up over the past 6 months if the International Police is seeking him out from distant jurisdictions to get him to try and tame a serial killer’s Pokémon? Since I’ll admit, this did strain my credulity a bit reading this in a vacuum, but maybe this hits different after reading the three stories earlier in this series.
Alright, so while I can’t judge too harshly since I’m getting in a fairly small taste of your story, I think that on balance, things in this chapter were a bit of a mixed bag. There were some things that were done well, as well as some flaws with the chapter as I read it that kinda got in the way of its intended delivery.
To start out with the positives, but I really like the “pre-title catch” format. To the point that I kinda want to try doing something like that out someday with one of my own plot bunnies chilling on the shelf. It’s a rare practice in fanfic, but I felt that you used it quite well since it set up a really strong atmosphere of tension that stuck with the rest of the chapter.
I also thought that the way that you integrated the premise of “Nuzlockers” into your setting was pretty clever. Like it’s dark, but I could honestly buy that being a thing that could conceivably happen in a Pokémon setting given a disturbed trainer and sufficiently loyal Pokémon to push around. The idea of someone who goes around to help Pokémon that have issues that make them a hazard to themselves and others is a pretty neat one, including attempting to rehabilitate a serial killer’s Pokémon. Not sure what that’s going to look like since there wasn’t anything really established about how Pokémon operate in this world since Nori never brought one out with him, but it’s an interesting premise at least. I’ll have to tip my hat to you there, since a lot of these more standout ideas are ones that I don’t ever think I’ve seen another Pokémon fanfic do.
That said, there are a number of things that struck me as being rough edges to this work. The elephant in the room is that there’s moments of the story that really could use more description, either in what’s going on physically or inside the characters’ heads since I had trouble visualizing some moments in scenes. The scene going to the radio station turned temple was probably the biggest offender since I literally was unsure of how to visualize the place beyond that it had a torii and some parts of the conversation between Nori and Satomi read a bit talking heads-y since there were a couple moments where there were just long chunks of bare dialogue between the two.
As an unrelated criticism of the second scene, but at the time I read it, it felt a bit disconnected from the overall plot of the story. Perhaps it makes sense after reading the first three stories from Nori’s series, but it just felt like we went off to go and see a friend of Nori’s and then things abruptly cut off to the school. Like something as simple as “whelp, time to go to the school” being explicitly stated by Prema or Nori noting to himself outright that he needs a breather before getting sucked into another potentially stressful adventure would’ve gone a long way to making that second scene feel more connected to the main plot.
Finally, some of the scenarios are a little credulity-straining since Nori is literally doing work that IRL requires dedicated training to produce consistent results at age 13 after 6 months of training. And he’s apparently gotten enough notoriety at it that he’s literally being sought out by the International Police to handle intractable Pokémon cases from distant regions. I dunno, if this is legitimately what just has to happen because that’s what the series needs, and you do have canonical precedent through stuff like Red, I suppose. Even so, if you’re going to go that route, it might make sense to lean into the whole “wouldn’t have imagined this would ever happen” or “boy this sounds implausible”-ness of the scenario where Nori reminds himself that even if his circumstances would’ve sounded laughably crazy a year ago, that it’s actually happening and he’s still coming to terms with it.
That about sums up my thoughts, @System Error . I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back to this story in RB4, but kudos for rolling an unusual premise and sticking to it. I hope the feedback didn’t come off as too harsh, since even with the flaws, your chapter was also fairly memorable, and with a bit of extra polish, I think its strengths would come through a bit more.
Hey, good to see you here! Replies to review might be a bit frazzled due to distractions and it being late, so sorry if some of it reads odd or off. But here we go!
IMO, you should consider a different adjective than “creepy” here, since that’s a subjective descriptor and doesn’t tell why this opponent is creepy. Though between this opening paragraph and the summary, I can tell things are going to get deep into [uhhh] territory in short order.
A thing to keep in mind about this opening scene, it's a radio show. If there's some parts that stand out as unusual because of it, that's because it's part of the program's style. It's intentionally a bit corny and subjective; basically, the listener is intended to fill in some of the blanks on their own.
IMO, you should have a sentence or two about that “moment of shock” after Kayla sees that Pawniard has stabbed her beloved Pokémon that’s probably visibly bleeding and audibly gurgling or stuff like that.
Oh, so the Blackout Killer is basically an IRL Nuzlocker, huh? That’s certainly a creepy take on that premise though I’m surprised that the premise of the story is that this guy’s Pokémon is getting rehabilitated if the authorities were cognizant that his Pawniard got up to things like this.
I think it's a dumb challenge (albeit with some interesting strategies I heard to minimize luckscrewing) and the hardcore enthusiasts about it tend to be full of themselves. Like some of them seriously writing Nintendo to make it an official inclusion. Exploring what it would be like in-universe definitely seems unnerving. Because given rivals' recurring Pokemon, only yours "die", and it'd be totally insane otherwise.
… Wait, why is Kayla not summarily recalling Pansear into her Pokéball and attempting to leg it from the creepy man who is obviously bad news? Especially if this is a setting where Pokéballs have stasis abilities where that would mean keeping Pansear alive in spite of the giant gash in her chest, if only temporarily.
Too shocked to react. It's easy to say they should do something in a situation like this, but speaking from experience, it doesn't always work that way.
Well that was the most unsettling opening to a story I’ve read in a long while. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever read another story that used a “pre-title card opening” format, so congratulations for doing something different there.
Nah, he's equal opportunity murderous. This is just a bit of humor, he killed someone described as having pink pigtails just like her, so she's visualizing a bit and getting nervous about it.
This is a world where 10 year olds can become recognized as among the strongest trainers out there. Also in particular, there's Lack-Two from Adventures who's an International Police agent who's Looker's superior and he's in his teens. I figured if it can happen in an official piece of media, it can happen in my fic. Only difference is, I actually explain how Nori came to have his position (and don't hesitate to portray him as being in over his head sometimes)
Somehow, I’d never have pegged Maylene as ever being like this, though I suppose that a Gym Leader’s public and private personas don’t necessarily have to match, especially given what we see of Jasmine when she’s off-duty canonically.
Even without the summary in mind, this sounds like an absolutely cursed and terrible idea since for all you know, your first Pokémon isn’t even going to allow you to make bodily contact without snarling to try and scare you off considering the way abused animals commonly react to strange humans IRL.
Ties into the first fic. His first Pokemon which led to his position was an infamous Nidorina called the Demon. Since he tamed her, he became the Demon Tamer. The paragraph there is pretty much a summed up version.
… Wait, how does a 13-year old magically do things that trained professionals fail at anyways? Does he have latent aura abilities like Riley or something?
It's hinted at although not outright stated that he takes a much different approach to training than Pokemon/Master. In the Demon's case at least, it was directly stated in to be a matter of respect. She'd never have listened to someone who gave her absolute orders and/or just wanted her to be a strong member of their team. Of course there are some top official trainers who might be able to handle stuff like this, but they implicitly don't necessarily have the time for doing so with all their duties.
Of course, every Pokemon is different, and he absolutely did luck into that. But here he is, and this fic is about what happens as a result of being not fully ready. Even though he in fact recognizes his got a little lucky with her.
I kinda wonder if the bit in parens is either superfluous, or else should be mentioned as an aside at the very end of the sentence it’s in. Though so this is why the link to this story in your signature is “Fic 4”. Nori must have had one hell of a crazy year given that a quick peek at the opening to the first fic of your series says he was 12 at the time.
Nah. Training a Demon (fic 1) is August 2014. Official In-Training (fic 2) is Late December 2014-early September 2015. Prema Kannagi: A Move to Adjudicate takes place in June 2015. This is mid September 2015. Nori just never got Pachi to train until early February.
I’m a little surprised to see callsigns in the style of the eastern US’ radio stations in this setting. For reference, if you’re modeling Sinnoh after Japan as much as those names and the bland-name torii seem to be indicating, you’d want something more like JOPR as the radio station’s callsign or some play off of it.
This gets touched upon more in Prema's fics. Nori's not interested in religion, so it gets little mention here. For reference in short, it teaches understanding and lifestyle stuff, and was basically the precursor to modern views on Pokemon. The Interview goes into much more detail. The big key line is The Kannagi Shrine is not focused on worship, as some of our contemporaries are. What comes first to us is promoting living life with virtue and respect to the natural world, as well as fellow people.
They were sort of antagonists in Training a Demon and definitely in A Move to Adjudicate. And believe it or not, that acronym was intentional on their behalf to be something that could be sounded out.
… Wait, who is ‘that guy’ anyways? Like I get that you don’t want to unload an out-of-context name on readers coming into this story in the cold, but even so, this feels a little too vague in terms of how the topic is broached.
Basically, twist antagonist from Official In-Training. I did name that individual at first, but I decided it'd be more powerful if Nori didn't say a name to show how strong he feels about it. It gets covered later when someone at school who was a fan of that individual challenges him
So this line, hehe. They're talking about Prema when they say "Lady Kannagi". Satomi saying she'd make an invaluable partner is her recognizing how well the two compliment one another. Prema has abilities that can help Nori's rehabilitation, and Nori helps Prema come out of her shell. Satomi also ships the two, long before the two have interest in each other at that
Wait, “disinterest” about what? Since if he’s disinterested in the shrines themselves, how can Nori be interested in learning about them? I think you’re probably missing a word or two here like “about religion” or something like that.
… Is this one of those settings where Kanto and some combination of surrounding regions had a massive apocalyptic war in the relatively recent past and that’s why there’s a ton of free-range kids? Since there seem to be a lot of positions filled by “bruh, why are you not in school?” types.
To talk about my greater view for this metaseries a bit, no this isn't a setting like that. But people like that certainly do exist. Nori and Prema are two of them, they're both young people in the adult world. It's a big part of why they're drawn to one another. That said, Nori is absolutely used to being a kid, whereas Prema never had a chance to be one.
Wait, so how’s this jaunt over to the shrine relate to Nori’s job in this story again? Since it’s a little unclear to me. Like if this is supposed to be “need a moment to destress with friends before getting right to brass tacks”, it probably makes sense to explicitly state that once or twice somewhere in the narration or Nori’s dialogue in this scene.
So how much notoriety did Nori build up over the past 6 months if the International Police is seeking him out from distant jurisdictions to get him to try and tame a serial killer’s Pokémon? Since I’ll admit, this did strain my credulity a bit reading this in a vacuum, but maybe this hits different after reading the three stories earlier in this series.
Yeah, missing/glossed over context. More verbose shorthand version:
There was an infamous Pokemon in Veilstone called the Demon who was attacking trainers' Pokemon at random. It became wanted and was scheduled to be put down if ever captured. Nori met Prema due to both attending a YAMS meeting when Prema happened to be in-town setting up the shrine with her father. They both decided it wasn't for them and Nori invited her to hang out at his home - she was not used to this but went along with it because she had spare time. It just so happened the Demon was escaping the authorities and hid under his trailer. Prema's empath abilities revealed she was feeling frightened despair and definitely wasn't a bad Pokemon, and Nori started mouthing off to the cops in the Demon's defense. Then the Gym Leader and notorious gambler Gasha Qian showed up when he said he "bet" it could be reformed. She sort of let him do it and set up a battle for him to prove he'd reined her in enough, but under threat of being permanently blacklisted from owning Pokemon if he failed. It was tumultuous and got him a lot of flak, but he and the Demon bonded when fighting off an angry Rhydon. They proceeded to beat Gasha in the battle, in a battle where raw power (and a bit of violence) trumped strategy. But the top brass (Mackenburg) was impressed, and that's when he came up with and offered Nori the Rehabilitator position.
I could've gone into that much detail, but I wanted the recap to be just short enough to give the key details. Part of the problem with writing a metaseries. The advantage is it doesn't turn into a gigafic that's daunting for people to jump into. The disadvantage is trying to find the right balance of giving details about past adventures so people can generally jump in wherever and get an idea of what the deal is.
The idea of someone who goes around to help Pokémon that have issues that make them a hazard to themselves and others is a pretty neat one, including attempting to rehabilitate a serial killer’s Pokémon
One other thing to note about this, it does get alluded to there's care facilities for Pokemon with mental health issues. These Pokemon he's rehabilitating are so bad even they won't accept them.
That said, there are a number of things that struck me as being rough edges to this work. The elephant in the room is that there’s moments of the story that really could use more description, either in what’s going on physically or inside the characters’ heads since I had trouble visualizing some moments in scenes.
Yeah, I can admit this can be a problem for me sometimes. I try to go for just enough description, because well, I could be really excessive about it in the past and sometimes I overcompensate avoiding it. :P I'm talking like 6-8 sentences to describe a Gyarados.
...parts of the conversation between Nori and Satomi read a bit talking heads-y since there were a couple moments where there were just long chunks of bare dialogue between the two.
This is something that you do see in actual writing, just back and forth dialogue with not much in the way of stopping to describe their physical actions while they talk. It helps a lot with the flow of dialogue. And really, sometimes there aren't a lot of physical actions while talking, or they're otherwise irrelevant. Some fics I've read get real bad about this in particular, making everyone super action-y and/or thoughtsy when they talk when that's not always the case in real life.
As an unrelated criticism of the second scene, but at the time I read it, it felt a bit disconnected from the overall plot of the story. Perhaps it makes sense after reading the first three stories from Nori’s series, but it just felt like we went off to go and see a friend of Nori’s and then things abruptly cut off to the school.
The second scene with Maylene, you mean? That's setting up some of the plot and telling the audience who the Blackout Killer is. She does show up later as promised to meet the Pokemon. Maylene does show up as promised in the second chapter.
Nori noting to himself outright that he needs a breather before getting sucked into another potentially stressful adventure would’ve gone a long way to making that second scene feel more connected to the main plot.
Or do you mean the scene with Prema? Yeah, I might make his motivation in going to see her more obvious. That said, from a design standpoint, this is to set up Prema coming along with him. As the school cut to not-Looker implies, Nori's getting that call early. And with her presence, I immediately contrast with the Demon with her having a much different reaction to seeing the titular Pokemon
That said, part of this is related to how the first chapter originally led up to Nori getting the titular Pokemon, making more immediately obvious. It got too large, however, so I split it in two and added some bits (like the last scene) so the split parts wouldn't be too small, either.
Even so, if you’re going to go that route, it might make sense to lean into the whole “wouldn’t have imagined this would ever happen” or “boy this sounds implausible”-ness of the scenario where Nori reminds himself that even if his circumstances would’ve sounded laughably crazy a year ago, that it’s actually happening and he’s still coming to terms with it.
I do to some extent, alhough it's more in the sense that he's involved with Pokemon which he had no interest in. A key part of Nori's personality (as briefly touched upon) is wanting to make a difference in the world, which was why he had no interest in Pokemon to begin with - he was cynical about journeys. And he is making a difference in the world, and he is working with Pokemon.
Thanks for the review. I'll see about taking some of the suggestions you made when I feel up to editing. Now to stay up even later watching this DKC relay
It was far from a front page headline, but neither was it a footnote, witnessed and written by one Akari Schrader who was staking the place out. Last night, Prema Kannagi had attempted an exorcism at the old Magcargo Express building – where those spirits who attacked those workers were. It ended in disaster, and one person was seriously injured. Nariya Yaznik, aged 16. The important takeaway was knowing why Prema was so busy. If he'd been able to help her, though…
First thing in the morning after breakfast, Nori skated off to East Veilstone General where e figured Nariya should have been admitted. Not only was he concerned about her condition, he had his fingers crossed about something.
Nori walked over to the receptionist's desk, where a man with navy blue hair sat. “Hi!” the young official greeted him.
The man's eyes went round as Voltorbs, even sparkling like they might. “Nori Carino…” he gushed.
“Mhm, that's me!” He struck a pose and pointed inward at himself.
“It's an honor, sir!” The man meekly stuck out his hand, which Nori promptly grabbed and gave a firm shake. The young official found it strange to be getting used to stuff like this. “What brings you here today?”
“I've come to visit a friend of mine, Nariya Yaznik,” he kept it straight and to the point, even given the warm welcome. “I can go see her, right?”
“Of course, Mr. Carino!” the receptionist replied. “She's in ward C5. Head down the right hallway. I'll let the doctor know you're coming.”
“Okay, thank you!”
“The pleasure is all mine.”
Step one, complete! That was easy! Maybe it was his fame at work, but he wasn't going to complain about that part of it. Step two, hope he actually could speak with Nariya. Or maybe even…
---
SliCe 8 ,_,arvi
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He wasted no time, walking through the halls just fast enough that it wouldn't be considered running. He made his way over to the C-wing, avoiding carts and people along the way. The room numbers were to the right of each door. The first he came to was C20, on his right. He kept going. He counted the numbers off under his breath. Suddenly, a gurney came out of C10, way faster than Nori expected.
“Coming through!” he shouted a warning. He swiftly turned left, just barely avoiding crashing into a uniformed nurse.
They glowered at him, but he spoke first.
“Sorry, sorry!” Maybe they were moving too fast, and maybe he was getting overenthusiastic, but this wasn't the time or place to argue. He turned around and kept going, more slowly.
“Ah!” Nori jumped at the sudden sight of Prema Kannagi. It was exactly who he was hoping to see. If she wasn't present, he wanted to have Nariya pass a message along to her. But now that she was in front of him, he had no idea what to do! He glanced away to find a balding bespectacled doctor with the name tag Whitman, and a woman who looked a lot like Nariya. They were all standing before a door.
“Room C5! This is the one!” he blurted his thoughts aloud.
Before he knew what was happening, the doctor was in front of him. “Hold on, sir, you can't just walk in without permission. Who are you and what business do you have?”
“I'm one of Nariya's friends,” he introduced himself. He stole a look at Prema, who was simply watching on in stunned surprise. “I heard she got hurt last night, and I want to go see her!”
Visit her at the same time as Prema. That made the most sense now. The doctor glanced over at the woman. It was safe to assume she was Nariya's mother. With an angry noise, she walked over to the door and stood in front of it.
“This is a private ward,” she declared. “Family only.”
What?! That made no sense! Nori stomped, taking a step towards her while shaking a fist. “Do you really think not letting any of her friends see her is going to do her any good?!”
“Considering she is in here because of her so-called friend?” She fired a hateful leer at Prema, who shut her eyes in response. “I think so, yes. I don't know you well enough to trust you, and Lady Kannagi is clearly a toxic influence.”
“You let her into YAMS, though!” he countered. “You let her be with a toxic protest group!”
“Yes, but she never got hurt over the course of their protests.”
He scowled. Mental and social injury is way worse than physical! He knew! He had his arm broken at Sunyshore Gym, but having to wear a cast on his dominant arm for a few months was nothing compared to becoming a pariah! Not to mention emotional injury! He couldn't claim to know autism like Nariya had, but he imagined not being able to see a friend again would feel horrid for anyone!
This woman was being more stubborn than a Mudbray, but he knew what he could do about that. He reached into his jacket, pulled his wallet back out, and retrieved his Officials' ID. “My name is Nori Carino, doctor,” he introduced, just for the sake of formality. “SPRT-01. I'm requesting permission as an official to see the patient.”
He caught sight of Prema, who was suppressing a surprised gasp. The doctor raised an eyebrow, but his expression was otherwise blank. If it didn't work, he'd still get to see and talk with Prema.
Nariya's mom was unamused. She marched up and crossed her arms, standing over him in a feeble attempt to intimidate. “Mr. Carino,” Nori was a little surprised she was addressing him that way. “What reason do you have for wanting to see my daughter?”
He knew the rules! He aced his test about this stuff! The young official stood on his toes and powerfully explained, “This incident concerns a highly dangerous Pokemon. As a Pokemon Rehabilitator, it is my job to work with these Pokemon. And as a Special Trainer in the International Police, I have the authority to become involved in Pokemon-related incidents if I deem it necessary.”
The mom shook her head. “And what about speaking with Nariya do you deem necessary?”
“Nariya–” he caught himself. “Er, your daughter, the patient, is an important witness. It is important to know what we're dealing with.” He turned to face Prema. “For the same reason, I'll have to speak with you about it as well, Miss Kannagi.”
“Very well, Mr. Carino,” she replied. Nori couldn't help but smile wildly at her deciding to play along. “I will do what I am able. I'm afraid I will be busy for the rest of the day, however.”
“That's fine,” he said to her. “Do what you can, when you can, as long as you do.”
Mrs. Yaznik sighed in exasperation, holding her temple with her palm. She and the doctor spoke for a bit before Dr. Whitman addressed him.
“Your request is granted, Mr. Carino,” he said. Nori had to contain his grin. “The patient needs to rest, but I can give you fifteen minutes to speak with her.”
“Thanks a–” He paused. Have to be formal, right. “I mean, thank you for your cooperation.”
“It is I who should be thanking you.” Nori felt a warmth in his chest as Prema gave him a light bow. “The Kannagi Shrine truly appreciates your assistance with this matter.”
“Happy to help.” He flashed her a thumbs-up and winked before heading to see Nariya.
His heart was nearly pounding out of his chest, not from that tense situation, but from getting to speak with Prema there. She was still his friend! Everything was going to be okay! But for now, he'd gotten himself a chat with Nariya. He had to admit, he was curious about what happened. Maybe it was the newshound in him. Either way, he said he was here to do something, so even though it wasn't really what he came for, there was nothing to do but do it.
##########
Nori had an intriguing conversation with Nariya, who was thankfully in the condition to speak with him. She said she heard the word ‘ghoul’ in her head, just like he heard those workers say. While she felt guilty for burdening Prema, Nori assured her otherwise. And got some reassurance in kind when musing she had been far more of a friend to her than he had been able to. After all, she'd been able to be there. He pondered if there was something he could do for her in this situation. At the least, it would be something other than homework to distract himself with.
After his time was up, the young official skated back home. As he entered the trailer park and made his way over to his home, he found somebody leaning against the vehicle. She was engrossed her cell phone.
For whatever reason, the thing that distinguished Yumi Takao the most to Nori was her trendy sense of fashion. She was wearing white sneakers, bellbottoms, and a small vest with an Elekid pattern (Electric types being popular since June thanks to a certain individual) over a splotchy pastel shirt. Her rectangular sling bag was at her side.
He called out to her. “Oh, hey!”
Yumi glanced up, pocketing her phone when she saw it was him. “Hey. Your mom had to step out for a while.”
“Well, come in,” he said, walking over and unlocking the side-door. Pachi, at his feet, hurried on ahead and jumped into the bed at the back; he liked doing so whenever Nori's mom wasn't around. “I was just visiting Nariya in the hospital.”
The girl with light-brown hair was halfway inside, pausing mid-step. “What? What happened to her?”
“She got hurt protecting Prema from a ghost.”
“Oh no…” Yumi closed the door behind them. “Is she all right?”
“I don't know much about any side effects from the attack, but she seemed fine physically.” He walked over to his bed and folded it up. “I was able to talk to her for a bit.”
His friend let out a sigh of relief. Nori had properly met Yumi at the same time he'd met Prema and Nariya, at the same meeting of Youths Against Mistaken Society. There were never any hard feelings between her and Nariya, although both were hesitant to approach the other for their own reasons.
Nori sat down at the table where his bed had been. He scooted over in case Yumi wanted to sit beside him – there was plenty of room. Her feet became frozen to the floor, eyes darting from the seat across to the space to Nori's right. Ultimately, she chose the former.
Yumi slumped in her seat. “So I came to let you know that I heard Quade's surgery was successful.”
“That's a relief,” he said, leaning back. That wasn't high on the list of things he was expecting her to come here for. That said, “It sounds like there's more to it than that.”
She nodded solemnly. “Yeah, the good news ends there,” she continued with a heavyhearted sigh. “He'll never be able to safely battle again.”
He knew it. “He was Anthony's strongest Pokemon, wasn't he?”
“By far.”
Nori felt more than a little guilty. Middle school battling wasn't as noteworthy as high school battling which had an entire national circuit. You'd still see battling clubs, but some of them – Tobari included – still competed on a regional scale. It had to have been a big blow to lose one of their best battling Pokemon, to say nothing about possibly Anthony himself. And no matter what, it was still partially his fault for agreeing to the battle…
Yumi leaned over the table, her brow wrinkling. For a second and from how her arms moved, it seemed like she wanted to grab his hand. “Nori, about Pawniard…”
“I know, I know!” he said as she trailed off. “But I still have to keep trying. I have to. Plus, I still want to.” Nori may have been uncertain about a lot of different things, but that was one thing he was sure about. “If I stop now, everything so far will have been a waste. Including what just happened.”
“Are you afraid?” she tremored. It was almost a yell that was choked back. “That he might hurt another Pokemon? Or even…even y…” She trailed off and, for a moment, she appeared to be staring off into space.
“Yumi…”
He wasn't sure what to do or what to say. The fact was he worked in a dangerous profession. Just because he approached it with optimism didn't mean he wasn't aware of what could happen to him.
He took a deep breath. “It's a risk that comes with what I'm doing. It's going to come with many of the Pokemon I rehabilitate. Even with all my training to prevent these situations. I know, I get that you're worried about me, I really do. And it means a lot that you care. I swear I'll be as careful as I can be.”
All he could give was his word. And that hurt. But it wasn't as if he could give a guarantee. Anything could happen. In fact, knowing his own luck, he fully expected to be hurt by one of his Pokemon at some point. It was yet another reason why he usually kept Pachi out of his Poke Ball, besides the squirrel liking it. He was a means of protection.
He was thinking about actually explaining that part, when Yumi lightly smiled. “Okay,” she sighed. It was more of a happy one than relief or sorrowful. Maybe his words alone really did reassure her. “What are you going to do next?”
That was a good question. He had mostly been considering damage control or worrying about fallout from the incident. “I think I need to go back to the basics. That is, looking up Pawniard behavior, just like I did with the Demon. I don't know how much of it is going to be applicable, but it can't hurt to do the research.”
Yumi nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.” She turned her head lightly away, although kept looking at him. She held her bag close. “Are you heading to the library? I'll come with you if you are. I need to return the books I finished and check out some new ones.”
He rubbed his neck. “Actually, I was thinking an internet place. I'm not sure if there'll be many books, given the really detailed ones only cover Japan-natives.” They pretty much had to, given there were thousands if not tens of thousands of species out there.
Yumi fidgeted in the seat. “Well, they have free Wi-Fi at the library if you want to bring your laptop. You'll still be able to look at any books while you're there.”
Nori could take a hint. He understood that Yumi wanted to hang out with him. And frankly? He wanted to hang out with Yumi.
“When you put it like that, sure.” He flashed a smile at her. “Just let me get ready.”
Nori got up, pulled up a rug, and unlocked a hatch on the floor of the trailer. He pulled his laptop out from its case underneath and grabbed his backpack. It was not something he was expecting, but he was glad about it.
##########
Of the two public libraries in the city, the one known simply as the Veilstone Public Library was both the older and closer of the two. One wouldn't necessarily be able to tell from looking, however, given the renovations over the years. Nori did not have a library card himself, so he primarily came by with his mom. It would be something to rectify as soon as he was able to afford to get his own. Thankfully for his purposes, reading in the library itself was permitted.
He found a good open table to sit at and open his laptop while waiting for Yumi. He was able to figure out how to connect to the internet on his own easily enough. The young official was starting to learn this computer stuff. By the time his friend came and found him, twenty minutes had already passed.
“What took ya?” he asked. Nori very slightly moved his machine to the right to open up some more space.
Yumi blinked rapidly for a second before sitting down beside him. “Just had trouble deciding what to check out,” she stated.
“So what did you get?”
“I picked up three, since that's my limit.”
Yumi held out her loaned books one by one. The first of these depicted a sapphire citadel over a sunset backdrop, entitled The Crystal Kingdom. The second depicted a teenage girl who could've been any aspiring trainer: a League hat, a backpack, travel-ready clothes, and a starter Pokemon (specifically a Flambear) at one side; on the other, in step with her, was an exasperated male trainer. Love of Journeys. The third caught Nori off-guard. It was The Wild Minx.
“What's wrong?” asked Yumi as he stared at it in a bit of disbelief. After a second, she retracted the book and placed it face down.
He blinked. “Oh, just my mom was reading that last one.”
Yumi leaned back, a smile slowly reaching her lips. “That's…a surprise,” she remarked, pressing a hand over her heart.
“You like romances?”
“That and fantasy. Those are my two favorite genres.” She hesitated before asking, “What about you?”
“Well, I like crime and mystery the most. Romance can be nice sometimes, but I like sci-fi over fantasy. Don't really have any genres I hate.”
Nori had to admit, that wasn't what he was expecting out of Yumi. But he felt he should've, given how sensible it seemed in hindsight. From the smirk on her face though, she evidently completely expected his response.
Yumi adjusted her bangs before picking up The Wild Minx. “Did your mom like it?”
“She didn't hate it,” he answered as he shut his laptop. “If she did, she'd have ranted about it to me.”
His friend giggled a little as she opened the book. “Well, I guess I'll get started on it myself.”
Nori stood and stretched. “Okay, look after my stuff,” he told Yumi as he cracked his knuckles over his head. “I'm going to see if I can find any behavioral books.” He knew where they were from the last time he came to the library. Hopefully they didn't move stuff around.
“I'm surprised you didn't get them before sitting down,” she said, glancing up from the book.
“I wanted to make sure we got a spot for ourselves!”
Yumi laughed. “I guess that makes sense.” She placed her bag on his seat as he set off.
Like a homing missile, Nori went directly to the Pokemon resource section. His eyes darted across the many rows of books. As he thought and knew from before, many of them were regional or national focused and would never include information on Pawniard. Others seemed way too broad, likely only to have regional information. Then there were very specific ones like Pikas Worldwide or Be a Better Bird Keeper. There were a few that seemed promising, so he grabbed them and took them back to the table.
“That was fast,” remarked Yumi. She briefly folded up her book, using her finger as a bookmark as she picked up her bag and placed it between them.
“I work fast!” he boasted, showing her the four books he'd grabbed for now. “This one's about the Dark type, this one covers Pokemon from the US regions, there's one on handling Pokemon with sharp claws for hands, and finally, grabbed a Pokemon A-Z (and more) book just in case.”
“Hopefully, they'll be able to help,” she remarked before diving back into the novel.
“Yeah, let's hope.” He'd already been looking online, and what he'd found so far hadn't been helping. With any luck, he'd be able to find something here.
---
Nori periodically got up to put books back and grab more. He jotted things that were important enough in a notepad he'd bought on Thursday. Yumi eventually left after reading a hundred pages, wishing him luck. As the hours went by, Nori's investigation started going in circles.
The information he was finding on Pawniard as a species, be it in a book or online, was generally unhelpful and most of it was repeated between different sources. The best he found spoke about their pack mentality, which at least seemed to correlate that Pawniard would listen. The wild ones were led by the Bisharps, and sometimes, a Kingambit. Some of them left their packs in pursuit of their own goals, but this was rare. Mostly carnivorous, but also known to feed on metal like many other Steel types – often gorged by the alphas in packs. The most interesting bit of information came from their different slashing motions; it appeared they had knowledge of how to slightly adjust their angle to get the desired cut on various targets. It was intriguing in a scientific sense, but not particularly helpful for taming one.
He had the sense to look up the Blackout Killer, thinking the behavior had something to do with their training. That mostly got information on the man and not his Pokemon. From the accounts, there was no way to tell anything was wrong when battling him. One of them even fought and beat the Pawniard, so assuming it wasn't a lie, it put a kibosh on the theory that the killer slew his own Pokemon for failure. That said, the killer had only two Pokemon at the time of his death. He had to have had others, at least at some point, given standard battles were typically three-on-three.
He sighed. “Come on, Nori,” he whispered to himself. “There has to be something here.”
The young official went over what he knew in his head. Fact, Pawniard belonged to a murderous trainer. Fact, he instinctively hurt and killed. However, he did not default to killing. The other Pokemon the Blackout Killer owned was not involved in any incidents after the fact – maybe it was a possible avenue? Pawniard would listen to him, perhaps seeing him as the leader? Pawniard had a cruel side, once called a malice like few others. Perhaps he was a misanthrope? This was only according to Prema who was either vague or couldn't get a read, but…
His mind drifted to Prema. She was dealing with a group of wicked Pokemon, seemingly far more dangerous than Pawniard. At least he wouldn't attack people. But she had it far worse than him, come to think of it. And there actually was a chance he would be rehabilitating those Pokemon after she got through with them.
Nori paused. He was sort of using semantics. Yet part of him wanted to do something to help Prema. She'd done so much for him already. How could he return the favor? It was kind of a crazy thought. But given how poorly researching Pawniard was going, he figured it might actually help. After all, distractions can help you step back and get some retrospective.
“Well, let's do it,” he whispered to himself as he brought up the search engine.
The scene where Nori goes to see Nariya wasn't important to the overall plot of this fic. Read it in Memory of a Ghoul if you're curious. Random aside, publication/editing took so long that I was able to name Kingambit directly rather than just saying "Bisharp's evolution." It was in there since I learned of the leaks and they turned out to be credible. Too much gaming and distractions.
“So that's my report for the week,” Nori concluded to his superior. He had written it before going to sleep, although it turned out to be mostly a wasted effort. He just needed to give it verbally. In fact, for whatever reason, Studd outright refused to even see the pages for whatever reason. At least they helped him to remember everything. He was vague about the Vulpix in the deep wilds, but otherwise covered everything from their first meeting near the docks to yesterday's research.
“That had many more details than I had been expecting!” replied the boisterous man. “You are knowing that you could've said just fine?”
“But you know it wasn't just fine,” he replied, as he folded and pocketed the handwritten sheets of paper. “Besides, I didn't know what you expected from me. I didn't even know how to contact you. That's why I came here.”
“Yes! Fortunate thing that I, too, came to the same place.” When Nori arrived though, Studd was sulking over how he wasn't allowed into the school. “Why had you not called?”
“Well, I don't know how to call you. I don't even have a phone to do it with.” The agent never like, gave him a number or anything. And as far as Nori was aware, his Official's radio only received calls. There didn't seem to be a way to enter a number or anything. “I thought you were going to call my radio like before.”
Studd's jaw nearly became unhinged. “N-never mind that!” he said in a panic. “How could you live without a real phone?!” he shouted, attracting the attention of everyone around them (which the agent was unaware of).
“I just do?” It wasn't the first time someone had asked him that, nor the first time he'd given that answer.
“Bah!” The agent reached into his jacket and whipped out his phone, contained in a Zubat-themed case Nori had seen for sale in a 100P shop a few days ago. He flipped it open and hoisted it proudly over his head. “I never go anywhere without my trustworthy Sharpe GX dash 25!”
“Isn't that, like, super old?” said a random black-haired little boy, peering down at them from the playground.
Studd sputtered in disbelief for several seconds. “It's more than you can afford!” he eventually yelled back at the kid.
In response, the boy pulled out his own cell. It was like the ones Nori saw everywhere. “The Sharpe Suicune Crystal mark 2!” he boasted with a cheeky grin. “Dad bought me it for my birthday!”
“Well, not every man has money for one of those!” Studd screamed, with both anger and anguish in his voice.
The boy pulled down an eyelid and stuck out his tongue. “My dad makes more than you!”
“Grr, I don't care!” he lied. At least he had the sense not to dignify it further. But as soon as whirled around and caught sight of Nori, he snapped, “Wipe off that smirk out of your face, sir!”
Nori couldn't help it, it was too funny. Kids making fun of adults wasn't uncommon, but it was rare that the adult was so bothered by it. “Hey, as long as it still works, you don't need something new,” he reassured Studd.
The man flipped the phone up, and put it back in his jacket. “You should still get one,” he grumbled, crossing his arms and turning his nose up.
“Never had a reason to.” Besides, he'd only really use it to talk with Arumi or Volkner. Everyone else he could meet face to face.
“Anyway, I'm done here. Same time and same place next week.” Agent Studd spun on his heels and began marching away. “As they speak in your language, sayanora sucker.”
“That's not what we say!” yelled the kid on the playground. Nori wanted to explain the two mistakes more politely, but Studd started walking faster to his car, trying to ignore the kid.
He shrugged it off. That was one thing taken care of, Nori thought to himself. With that out of the way, he could continue what he'd started last night. He got on his skateboard and set out.
At first, he had thought that he could be of some help to Prema with just a little bit of research. He was also a little curious, due to sort of being involved. Instead, he found a rabbit hole that set off his burgeoning reporter's instincts. He knew there had been an earlier accident, but the problem was, he couldn't find much information about it. He didn't know where it would lead, but he jumped in.
And if nothing else, it'd make a great story for the school newspaper!
He knew from the scarcity of information that it would take a lot of effort to find what he was looking for. Luckily, he had a friend with the right connections.
Nori had first met Arumi Schrader earlier in the year. They became fast friends at his middle school in Sunyshore, and she was one of the few people willing and able to stick with him through all that had happened. Her last name was third only to Joy and Jenny, belonging to a widespread family of reporters. If there was anyone who could help dig up a buried story, it'd be his bestie.
He went into a manga café. After paying the fee and signing a couple of autographs, Nori went to his rented booth to check his ElectronMail account. After a bit of fumbling with the browser, he got in.
He had two new emails. One was news from the service itself, and the other was a reply from Arumi. After briefly skimming the former, he clicked into what he wanted to check.
“Hey, Nor!” were the opening words of her reply. That was her nickname for him. It was strange seeing it written out rather than spoken, though.
“Nice to hear from you! I've been just fine. Used to my newfound fame, and helps things have settled since the summer. You would've loved to see how Beau and the others reacted to my article. They all said to say sorry to you. Yuki still wishes he believed in you since things might've gone way different, lol. He wants to know your email. Is that okay?
“I heard about that accident last November, but I had no idea it got buried! You might want to ask my aunt Akari about it. If anyone would be in the know, it'd be a Schrader in Veilstone. You should also ask the guys at the Veilstone Times. Don't worry, told them both you'd be coming by. Just do not accept an interview request with my aunt, okay? Trust me on this one.
“As for the Blackout Killer, all I could find on short notice was some articles you probably already found. Sorry I couldn't do more. School's been crazy lately. I'll try to see if I can dig more up for you. Heard what happened with your assignment though, and yikes! Knew there was a side I wasn't hearing though, i.e. yours. Glad it didn't really make headlines, huh?
“Oh yeah, you hear about that tiny island tribe they found extinct? The Kaltor people? And we only just found out now five years later since they were so isolationist? Real crazy news.
“Miss you lots, man! Mail me back when you can and lemme know how things go!”
The young official smiled and nodded. They might have been a town apart, but they were still best friends. He wasn't expecting much, given he emailed her late last night. Yet the help she gave was enough to exceed his expectations. He composed his reply.
“Thanks! I'll head over to see them later today. I miss you lots too. Gonna have to find a way to hang out sometime in person.” If he got a chance to take a vacation, he was definitely picking Sunyshore! Not just to see her, but to see Volkner again too! “I'll keep you posted on Pawniard and the accident.”
He paused. That was sufficient, but brief. Looking over what she'd written to him again, he added, “Not surprised to hear about the others. Begging your forgiveness to get in your favor, I take it? I don't know how you feel about them now, but tell them I said thanks for the sorrys. Things would be way different if even one of them had believed in me besides you.” Although, he supposed, it would've meant making even more friends he wouldn't be able to regularly see. Speaking of which, “Sure, go ahead and tell Yuki how to email me.” He didn't anticipate talking with him as much, but he felt it couldn't hurt.
He mused her last point. Arumi liked talking about random news from elsewhere that really didn't affect them. “I haven't heard of the Kaltor people before. I've been too busy” Mid-sentence, he realized, duh! He was at a computer, so he could just look it up! So he did some brief research, finding out that they had lived on a remote island in the southern Pacific Ocean. He backspaced over his last four words and typed, “But I looked them up just now. That is really crazy, and freaky too. We knew so little about them, because they were so aggressive and xenophobic, they even refused aid after natural disasters, and now we'll never know. So they're sort of lost to time. It's ironic since they're saying resource scarcity and tribal infighting did them in. They must've had weird worldviews or culture.”
He wasn't sure what else to say about these people. Maybe there was a reason why they hated everyone outside their bubble, but he had the feeling that things could've turned out differently if they hadn't. They didn't need to change completely, just a little, while still being themselves. Nori had to do that before.
It also wasn't lost on the young official that he himself was dealing with a Pokemon with a definite twisted take on life. How much Pawniard would have to change remained to be seen. But Nori would do everything possible to try to push him through it.
He finished the message up with a goodbye and hit send.
Nori leaned back in his seat. He would never deny that he missed some people from Sunyshore. Some who he had no way of contacting. He had sent out some letters to certain people like Lux (who didn't live there anymore), but given the circumstances, he had no way of knowing they actually reached him unless he got a reply. Yuki…he left on odd terms with, but was willing to see where it would lead.
He checked the clock. He'd rented the booth for an hour, and still had plenty of time left. The young official decided to spend some of it on news sites, and the rest on researching his assignment. He closed his email and began browsing. He knew what he wanted to do after leaving, but he wanted to make the most of the money he spent.
##########
It was a breezy autumn afternoon in Veilstone City. A gray curtain hung over the sky, with a few darker clouds dangling below. The temperature was pleasantly mild, only 14°C at the most.
Chad Shosha was named after his father's favorite foreign actor. The two kanji that made up his family name were also the first two kanji in the Japanese term for Champion. His great-grandmother, a former Champion herself, had coined their motto: ‘shōsha to wa uinā.’
Even before Chad received formal trainer's license, his parents and older siblings had constantly pressured him to live up to their name. He had yet to go on a journey; Chad didn't want to rush headlong into it as soon as possible, he wanted to be fully prepared. That meant excelling in his studies and with Pokemon in the meantime.
He was the president of Tobari Junior High School's battling club. They met to talk about everything related to Pokemon battles: strategy, training, their favorite trainers, battles (both their own and those they'd watched), and so on. They also sparred with each other to practice and hone their skills. The best of them made up the battling team which he led.
For a serious trainer, there were no days off when it came to championship aspirations. That was the attitude Chad took with his team. However, only three of them wanted to bother on Sundays: himself, Anthony, and Emi Pikaru. Four of the others weren't serious enough, and a fifth attended a Ceutholic church. But even Anthony and Emi were absent today, for the same understandable reason.
The Demon Tamer Nori Carino, a person who would be a tremendous asset to the team. Chad did not blame him for the incident on Friday, if only due to the futility of pointing fingers. However, he had the sinking feeling he was alone in that belief. It had been an unspoken topic yesterday, and the focus had been on Quade on the day of the incident. He was praying to the Great Azelf that Anthony could overcome the turmoil of his partner's forced retirement.
Part of Chad's weekly ritual around town was to visit a battling spot on Sunday. He rotated, playing among them all. One week it was Mynwest Court. Another, Fightopia. Today, it was the battling cages.
Many schools, sports fields, and larger parks had areas cordoned off by metal fences where outdoor battling could take place. With only a few exceptions, they were open to the public. You could usually find a challenge there if you waited, and they were popular spots for trainers who wanted to have it out in front of an audience. Chad enjoyed them because of the variety of competition you could see. Battling facilities were generally only frequented by serious local trainers, but you could find all types at the cages.
Today seemed to be one of those rare times when it wasn't worth coming by. Everyone was too far below his skill level, so he just sat with his companion and relaxed while they watched. He hoped someone better would come by, but had no expectations.
“Kids, huh?” he remarked to his Pokemon, as a young boy's Buneary rammed into a girl's Shinx. He leaned back on the bleachers. “Remember when we were starting out?”
A quiet nod. It was objectively strange to speak with one who could not answer you back. It was something of a habit of his. When he was young, and his parents were arguing or yelling at him or one of his siblings, Theodore was the only one he could talk to. The now Noctowl had always been willing to listen, even offering him wing hugs after he evolved.
The fights were monotonous, tackles being met with tackles or the odd weak elemental move. Watching other people's battles could be useful to glean information about different strategies, but Chad knew there was nothing to see today.
He looked down at his feet. The bond between humans and Pokemon was expressed in many ways. Battling was only one of them. Most Pokemon were more than happy to do so. Yet what happened on Friday made Chad question things.
What does a Pokemon feel when they are badly hurt in a battle? Why do they take that risk for what was basically a sport? People had hypothesized, and even some Pokemon had given their own answers when they were able to. Yet the only thing clear was there was no single answer. He would not be able to bear seeing Theodore or any of his other friends get seriously injured. It turned his stomach to see what had happened to Quade, and he could only imagine how Anthony felt about it. There was always the possibility of an accident, and yet that Pawniard…
“Oh, look. Someone's all sad.”
Had he not recognized her voice, he would have looked up with a leer. Instead, he just frowned without amusement at the teenager, who had a fluffy fennec following at her feet. Her boyishly-short red hair matched the fur of her Pokemon. Her attire was equally masculine, though it was contrasted by her moderate bust size.
“For the record, I was contemplating.” He knew she was probably joking, and only wanted to set the record straight for anyone who might have overheard.
“By sitting around watching newbies play with each other.”
Chad did not react outwardly, but he still felt the heat in his face and the prickling at the back of his neck. Emi's snark often stung, and this was no exception. “I wasn't really watching,” he said slowly. “But I am glad you're here.”
She sat next to him. Her Flareon, who had no nickname, trotted over to greet Theodore. The fox spat a couple small Embers, and Theodore replied with a light one-winged Gust. Exchanging attacks was their way of saying hello.
“So lemme guess,” Emi asked him, leaning back and putting her hands in her pockets. “You're thinking of trying to guilt-trip him into joining the team.”
She didn't need to specify who she was talking about. He confirmed. “I think there's a very good chance he will accept.”
“I think so too,” Emi agreed. “But that doesn't mean I want him with us.”
Chad had to do a double take at that. He knew full well that the others might think ill of him. But they were failing to see the bigger picture. “Emi, be reasonable,” he pleaded with her. “I know it may sound horrible to say, but we can benefit from this.”
She shrugged. “Yes, what happened on Friday was definitely the best thing that could have happened to us,” she said, so sarcastic that it bordered on parody.
“He will help.” Chad was sure he felt bad enough to do so.
“What, you don't think we're good enough?” Emi said, standing over him and clenching her fists. “You and the coach have been so fixated on getting him to join since the semester started. I'm sure he'll make a great team player and not cause any friction at all. Especially after what just happened.”
Chad looked up toward the sky. He wanted to say yes, they were not good enough as things stood, particularly with Anthony's status unknown. But now was not the time to say bring those points to bear.
“I want to give us the best chance of victory as possible,” he explained carefully. “Nothing more, nothing less. That is all there is to it.”
Some would say he was taking things too seriously for a middle school battling team. Nevertheless, Chad wanted to win. No, rather, he had to win. After all, he was a Shosha. And Shoshas were winners.
Emi rolled her eyes. “Sure. But just so you know, it's not just me you'll have to convince. Good luck with the others. This whole idea was dumber than a Slowpoke to begin with, and now?” She paused and threw up her arms dismissively. “It's never happening.”
Chad felt like he had been hit in the stomach. He didn't dare say anything else, for fear of making things worse. It wasn't that he didn't believe in his team. He had personally chosen each of them based off a multitude of factors. But as a whole, they were missing something: that immeasurable element of chaos that someone like Nori Carino could bring to the table. Chad knew they would go far with the team they had, but their chances of winning the annual national middle school tournament were slim without him. It may not have meant much to most people, but it did to his family. If they could not at least reach the regional finals, then…
“We don't need him,” she attempted to reassure him with a hearty pat on the shoulder. She motioned to Flareon. “Now, let's show these kids how real trainers battle.”
Chad could only let out a heavy sigh as he followed her into the battling cage. This was not how it was supposed to go. Almost everyone had agreed that Nori would be a huge help, maybe even the difference maker. Ironically, the only one who had initially dismissed the idea was Anthony. His motivation for challenging Nori Carino was to prove his case to the others. The bitter irony was that he had succeeded. Just not in the way anyone had expected.
He also knew what would happen next. His parents would hear about it. They would find a way to blame him for the rest of the team's opinion, like saying he didn't do a good enough job of convincing them. Every missed step forward was a step toward defeat, as they put it. Chad was not looking forward to that inevitable scolding.
##########
There was a gentle knock at the door of the dim and dusty room. Nori turned to see an elderly man entering. He wore a black blazer with matching trousers. The derby covering his bald scalp indicated the man was ready to go home.
“Sorry, son,” he said. “It's past closing time. You should get home. Your mother is probably worried sick.”
Nori glanced at the wall clock. 9:17pm!! “What?!” he gasped. How did time slip from him like that?!
The man could only chuckle at his shock. “Ah, I understand. I've known more than a few folks who lost track of time trying to reach a deadline.”
He started to gather his things and put them in his backpack. “It's okay, I got all I needed. And I told my mom I might be late.” Well, okay, he might've been pushing it, but still. “Thanks again for the help, Mr. Sanaka!”
“It was my pleasure, Nori.” The man bowed respectfully, before handing him a stick of dango. “And happy Tsukimi.”
Nori blinked. How could he forget about the holiday?! In the past, it had been one of the few he could fully enjoy. He didn't need to buy anything or do much to have a moon viewing! “Thanks again, Mr. Sanaka!” he said as he bit into it. Chewy and tasty!
The man smiled. “You take care, and stay safe on your way home.”
“I will, sir!” He would be more worried about the safety of anyone or anything that tried to mess with him.
Nori left the Veilstone Times building with a spring in his step while taking bites of the snack. He got a chance to see what real newspaper writers were like! More importantly, he found all the information he needed between their archives and Arumi's aunt. And as they say, it was an eye-opener. He had to put it all together and get it to Prema as soon as possible!
##########
=========
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WARNING! WARNING!
WARNING: If you want to read Memory of a Ghoul, get up through at least Chapter 4 and ideally Chapter 7 (not yet released) before the next chapter of this fic. It contains big spoilers!
That was the question Nori Carino was asking himself, over and over. It was around eleven at night. He could count the number of times he'd been up so late on one hand, but he was in bed those other times. Right now, he was walking up some steps. He had been skating, but he couldn't continue doing that.
As he ascended, he repeated to himself the stupidity of what he was doing. Sure, he was excited. And sure, he needed to get what he'd found over to her as soon as possible. But would she even be awake? Would they even want him to see her? Would coming so late ruin his chances of doing it at all?
The last thought made him pause, almost freeze up. Left foot on one step, right foot on the one above. The shrine was visible, faintly illuminated in the darkness. He looked over his shoulder. No, it was not too late to turn back.
And yet more questions assaulted him, running counter to his doubts. What if that jerk of a guard was back tomorrow? What if Prema left in the morning? What if they understood that it had to be important since he was here so late? Yeah, that's what he'd go with. Even if they turned him away, at least they'd be reasonable about it tomorrow. And there was only one way to find out if it was okay now. Summoning his nerve, he took the last few steps needed to clear the stairs.
The shrine had a different feeling to it at night. A tranquil silence had set in under the stars, befitting such a sacred place. Yet there was a strange eeriness that was detached from the calm. Was it the presence of the gods, Nori wondered? Or was it just his imagination or apprehension about the whole thing?
Another thought came to mind. What if they already knew? Well, it was too late to go back now, anyway. Besides, with how much trouble he had finding the info, he was willing to bet that it would be news to them.
As he expected, there was someone standing guard. Whoever it was didn't notice him until he stepped on a carelessly discarded chopstick – right, they probably held a moon-viewing festival – and snapped it like a twig. The guard instantly turned to face him.
“Halt.”
He only slowed down. “Oh, you're…” It took Nori a few seconds, but he'd seen the tall, black-haired brown-eyed man before. “Naito, aren't you? Naito the night watchman, heh.” That was a little funny.
Naito eyes flashed with recognition. His hostility turned to suspicion and irritation. “What are you doing stalking around here so late?” he demanded with a curled lip.
“I came to see Prema. I have something important to show her.” After a second, he added, “Um, sorry that it's so late, but I wanted to get it to her as soon as possible.”
The guard crossed his arms. “You have nothing she would be interested in.”
He had come ready to explain himself. He was rehearsing what to say in his head, and it was finally time to say it. “I can assure you otherwise, and that it is very important. I've uncovered some information that will help Prema, Lady Kannagi that is, on her mission to expunge the ghosts that haunt the old Magcargo Express warehouse. Your cooperation in alerting her to this would be greatly appreciated by both myself, and no doubt by her as well.”
“I highly doubt that,” came the dismissive reply, accompanied by a wave of the hand.
Did he try too hard with the speech? “You don't understand, guardsman Naito,” he said, speaking from the heart instead. “I found something that's really telling about the spirits' true nature. This could make the difference between Prema succeeding and failing! I know she's been in the news, and I know the Mitsutris are watching. As a faithful member of the Kannagi Shrine, isn't it on you to help her however you can?”
The guard scowled. He pointed towards the red arch and said one word, “Leave.”
Nori deflated. “Should I come back tomorrow?” he asked hesitantly. Maybe he did come too late after all.
“No, you should just leave and not return. Lady Kannagi does not need your help.” With a snort, he added, “I'm going to tell Acolyte Jirou not to let you near the shrine until this is done.”
Nori couldn't believe it! He'd done all this work, and it might've been for nothing! He was trying to help Prema out and this stupid moron was so arrogant and dismissive that he was going out of his way to stop him? The whole shrine didn't hate him, thank goodness. Nori almost thought about leaving and trying his luck tomorrow regardless. But no. He had to try harder. Plus, screw this guy! He wanted to see him crash and burn…
“Where's Priestess Satomi?” he demanded. He knew she would listen to him! And talking to her about it would be the next best thing.
Naito crossed his arms. “She is in a meeting with Master Haruto Kannagi.”
“Prema's dad?” So people were awake. That was perfect! “Well, tell him, then!”
The guard stumbled back a couple steps, sputtering all the while. He actually put his hands up. It gave way to a furious yet delighted grin. “Fine. Once I do, we'll be rid of you forever.”
Nori only let the smirk reach his lips once Naito had turned around. If Prema's dad wanted him out of his daughter's life, he would've acted on it a long time ago. But he hadn't. The worst he was going to do was tell him to come back tomorrow. And maybe, just maybe…
---
Monk Naito was in disbelief. No, utter shock!
He had been a devout member of the Kannagi Shrine for many years. He was willing to give up any semblance of a normal life by watching over the front gates at night, which earned him his present rank. Naito had no doubt that he would soon be bestowed the title of Priest for his service. To be so thoroughly disrespected by a brat for whom Lady Kannagi had a strange fascination with was nothing short of insulting. But no more. He had just dug his own grave. It was the end of the line for him.
Swiftly, he made his way to the office of the head of the shrine and knocked. “Master Haruto Kannagi!” he called respectfully. He spoke just loud enough to be heard.
“What is it, Monk Naito?” came his voice.
“I apologize for the intrusion this late at night, but we have a situation outside.”
“What kind of situation?” he pressed. “And why did it involve leaving your station?”
He clutched at his side. True, he was not at his post. But he had good reason to leave, and he was certain the head of the shrine would understand. “That Nori Carino character's at the gate,” he scoffed. “He's insisting to see Lady Kannagi and refusing to leave. What should we do?”
For several seconds, there was no answer. A part of him got worried. It was cut and dried, why was this taking any amount of thought?
To his surprise, it was Priestess Satomi who answered. “So why's he asking to see her?”
It took him a second to collect his thoughts. “He claimed,” he said in a mocking tone, “That it's important to what Lady Kannagi is doing. He demanded to see either of you if he couldn't see Lady Kannagi.”
Priestess Satomi spoke quietly to the head of the shrine. Naito could not hear their words, but he didn't need to. He rubbed his hands together, suppressing his snickering. This was it. This was when they would finally free themselves of Nori Carino forever.
“We will allow this.”
The words struck him like a charging Tauros. What did Master Haruto Kannagi just say?
“Satomi, go see if Prema is awake. If she is not, I will speak with him and see what it is about.”
“Consider it done.”
“And, thank you once more.”
“Anytime.”
Priestess Satomi opened the door. He bowed as she passed him by. While she held no special rank, her seniority placed her on a pedestal above all but the Kannagis themselves. She gave a friendly wave as she trotted down the hall to Lady Kannagi's quarters.
“But Master Haruto Kannagi…” Monk Naito began to say. Normally, he was not one to question his superiors, but he could not help but voice his concern. “This boy is–”
The head of the shrine raised a palm. “This is the decision I have made. Go tell him either myself or Prema will be out to join him shortly.” He lowered his gaze and gave a stern order. “And do so respectfully.”
The man could only bow. As deeply as he could. “Y-yes, Master Haruto Kannagi.”
It was a bitter pill to swallow. Naito was not the only one who despised Nori Carino. Some of it was because of his status as an outsider. Others, such as him, disliked the Demon Tamer in general. What Lady Kannagi – and evidently Master Haruto Kannagi – saw in him was beyond Naito's comprehension. But he supposed he had no choice but to trust their judgment. For now.
---
Slice 10 i
o n The P t of it All
The young official waited patiently for several minutes. The dejected sneer on Naito's face when he finally emerged revealed what had happened before he said it.
“I…apologize, Mr. Carino.” The man shuddered as he forced a bow. “Either Lady Kannagi or Master Haruto Kannagi will be out to see you shortly.”
The young official could not help but beam from ear to ear. “You sure changed your tune,” he couldn't help but tease a little. “Did they yell at you?”
Naito leered. “Don't push your luck,” he grumbled, reaching into his satchel and flashing a Poke Ball. The threat was clear. If he kept it up, he'd find himself in a battle. Not necessarily to remove him from the grounds, but out of spite.
“Sorry,” he apologized. It would be better if he didn't aggravate things anyway. “And thank you.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Only then did it strike Nori. He had never spoken to Mr. Kannagi before, or even met him. This could well be his first time doing both if Prema wasn't awake. What if he said something to screw things up? No, no, he wouldn't. He would just have to be on his best behavior. Her dad didn't hate him, right? That's why he agreed to his objectively insane late night request. It's why he let him be friends with Prema in the first place. He was more like Claris' parents and not Lux's. Right?
The door soon began to move, and Nori felt his limbs tighten. He could handle it if it were the shrine's head…but he would prefer it to be Prema!
A figure stepped out, no more than 20cm taller than him. It was Prema, much to his relief. She was in her formal robe. Nori pondered if she slept in the thing as she silently told Naito he could step away. The guard did so, eager to get away from him.
“Prema!” he blurted as she turned her attention to him. He didn't realize how fast his heart was beating until trying to speak. “Um, good…evening, I guess.”
“Good evening, Nori. What did you wish to speak to me about at this hour?” If she was tired or annoyed at him for coming by so late, she wasn't expressing it.
Well, now that he was here, he had no idea what to say. He fidgeted with his feet. “Well, I'll get right to it.” It was better if he was direct and didn't waste time. “This is about the thing you're doing at the warehouse.”
Nori had always known Prema to be patient and caring, so it was something of a shock when she frowned and spoke sternly. “Nori. If you wish to accompany me, I must refuse.”
“That's not what I came here for!” He gasped and recoiled at his tone, which was angrier than he intended. “No, no, Nori.” he turned away and whispered to himself. He shouldn't be like that to friends, especially her. “Um, I mean, sorry,” he apologized, lowering his head. He looked over his shoulder. Naito was over by the gates, ignoring them. “B-but if you want me to, I will!”
Prema remained still and unreadable. She soo shook her head vigorously. “Nori, I…” She suddenly paused and let out a huff. “I cannot.”
For a moment, there was hesitation in her voice. “Why not?” he decided to prod. He had only thought about it in passing, but he would if he could!
“You do not belong to our shrine. You cannot accompany us on business.” Despite her words, she sounded like she was going to choke up at any moment. For that matter, Nori actually was. This wasn't like her. Something was wrong.
“Forget your rules! Prema, I…I just…” He was hyperventilating so much he had to take a moment to get it together. He breathed in and out, quickly. “I'm worried you'll get hurt, okay?!”
There, he said it! He was worried about her, that's why he wanted to do all that he could! Sure, he'd done all that research, but if there was more he could do, he'd do it! She'd helped him more times than he could count! And if those spirits beat her once before and hurt Nariya badly…
“I will not.” She straightened her posture. “I myself do not want to risk another friend getting injured.”
A flood of emotions and feelings washed over Nori. He could tell. She was just saying that to make him feel better, while knowing it was something she couldn't promise. Yet she was concerned about him, too. He turned to start pacing, only to stop partway. What was he doing? What was he thinking just now? He covered his face and shook his head at himself. This had nothing to do with it.
“Never mind, never mind. It was just a thought.” She brought it up, he had to see if it could happen. What was he even thinking? He had to get back on subject. “I have something to show you that's related, that's really what I came here for.”
Prema blinked, pressing a hand to her heart. It took her several seconds and a bit of composing herself to reply. “Do you mean something related to the spirits at the warehouse?”
“Yeah.” He felt something in his left eye and involuntarily went to wipe it. Only when he felt the slight moisture did he realize it was the beginning of a tear. He took a deep breath before he continued speaking. “It took a while to dig up, but I think you need to see this.”
He put down his bag and took out his papers, as well as his mini flashlight from his pocket. He straightened the sheets out before approaching Prema to show her.
It was admittedly a bit slapdash. The focal point of his findings was a horrific accident at the warehouse. It happened last November, when another renovation company was in on behalf of another owner. The details were vague, but the short of it was a worker got crushed under some crates. He was killed instantly, and his Pokemon – in their Poke Balls – went with him. They were a Crobat, a Zoroark, and a Dusclops. The same kinds of Pokemon that were haunting the building!
That was the first breakthrough. But there was more to the story. A lawsuit followed, which was settled in mid-February. The owners sold to recoup their losses. Nori had included all he could, such as what little news about the story he could find, the worker's obituary, and his personal musings. Then there were the rumors. They were often comically exaggerated, like saying the company had killed him on purpose. Or, how it started to get around the place was haunted, and how it was a popular spot in town for tests of courage. A few of the documented attacks were indeed on teenagers trying to prove they were brave. It was only due to how high-profile the attack on the workers from Kim & Kim was that led to the city hiring the Kannagis to take action. It wasn't lost on Nori that his discovery might have triggered all these events.
“This is very illuminating,” Prema finally said.
Nori nodded. “I had to get some help and really search for this. They sort of buried it.” It sounded like his instincts were right. The shrine really didn't know about this.
“I see…” She took several seconds to process it. “If this is true, it would explain many things.”
She still had some doubts. If it was just the background on the Pokemon, he might have waited. But he had a massive realization about it. He didn't know when or if Prema was going to try again. That's why he ran over in the middle of the night, just in case she left in the morning. Maybe it was too unlikely to assume, now that he thought about it, but here they were.
“Did you see the guy's name, too?” he asked. He checked the page she was on, and upon seeing it was there, pointed to it.
“Konrad Guhl,” she spoke, saying his last name as if it rhymed with skull. “What of it?”
He shook his head. “Not like gull. It's properly pronounced like ghoul.”
That was how Akari Schrader had pronounced it. The realization had only struck him when thinking back on Nariya and the delirious workers. In fact, it lined up so much that he had to rush over to his neighbor's place to check on his friend Rashid al-Bahar's phone. That actually was how you said the name.
“Guhl…” Prema repeated. Her eyes slowly widened as she came to the realization. “Is that what Nariya was saying?”
“Yeah, the construction guy said it too.” Nori still remembered when he ran in there. The guy looked up at him like a Slowpoke and spoke the word before passing out. “And Nariya told me she heard it shouted in her head. So that's what I'm thinking it is.”
After a second to process, she said, “So they are his Pokemon.”
His Pokemon? So she hadn't figured what he figured! “Not just them,” he said, taking a deep breath afterward.
Prema blinked slowly. “Nori, is there something else?”
Nori put his hands on his hips, posing proudly. It was something of a front, because while he was dead certain about the name connection, this was his speculation. “Well, I'm not sure if this is how ghosts and spirits and stuff really work. I don't even know if this will help you or make a difference. But I think given all these things, you might be dealing with a trainer's ghost.” It was just a guess, really. But why else would his Pokemon still be around trying to pick fights unless he was there with them?
And that took Prema completely aback. It wouldn't be a stretch to say she was in abject shock for a moment. She opened her mouth, but it just hung there. Was he really onto something?
His friend's surprise turned to gratitude. She actually bowed slightly to him. “This explains almost everything. I cannot thank you enough, Nori.” Her joy could not be contained in just her lips and radiant eyes. She was actually trembling a little trying to keep it modest. “You have provided the last piece of information I was missing. I feel more confident now that I know what I am dealing with.”
He flashed a grin. “It's like Volkner always told me, know your enemy! And you're welcome! I'm happy to help!” He'd done it! All those times Prema had helped him, and he finally really helped her back! He felt warmth and a fluttery feeling welling up in his chest. It was so much that he couldn't help but chuckle and ask, “But since I know your enemy too, maybe I can help you even more?”
“Nori.” Her mood shifted on the spot.
“Come on!” he argued, stepping forth with a light stamp. “I don't mind the risk! Besides, you can't invite me, but there's nothing stopping me from going there on my own, is there?” The thought had occurred to him. If Akari Schrader did it, so could he!
“You have done more than enough already.” She smiled at him. “And do not forget, you have your own duties. It would be unwise to be distracted from them.”
“I'm not getting distracted!” Okay, he actually kind of was. He'd spent a day and a half on this with no progress and barely thinking about Pawniard. But he had a real reason! “I'm just trying to take some time off to think!”
Prema's guise softened. She was silent for many seconds, before taking the tiniest step closer. “I understand if it is difficult,” she said softly. “Yet it is all the more reason to focus your efforts on it. A break is acceptable, but you should not put it off for much longer. As commendable as it is to help others, your immediate goals moving forward should be on your own responsibilities.”
He wanted to protest. But no. All he could do was lower his head and nod. She was right. He'd helped her, just as he wanted. Now, he had to get back to his own job. Just as she had something to do, so did he.
“I can promise to aid you however I can, after I have completed my task.”
He looked up at Prema. She lightly folded her hands as he met her earnest eyes. Knowing that helped a lot.
“Thanks,” he said, doing a fist pump. “But if I finish before you, I'm helping you no matter what you say!” He wasn't going to back down from that one.
Prema stared blankly. “Nori, do you believe you can reform another Pokemon in a matter of days?” she asked, unmasking her concern.
“I won't know unless I try!” he declared, with an irreverent shrug and smile. He doubted it and didn't intend to seriously push to do so, but you never know! “I guess it's a race?”
His friend, too, smiled at him. “I believe I will win.”
Nori stifled a giggle. Not only was it so out-of-character for Prema to say something like that, but her attempt to sound competitive came across flatly. It was adorable. “Just don't get hurt, okay?” he requested.
“I will not,” she repeated. This time, when she said it, Nori could believe it.
Both of them were suddenly quiet. Nori never had any problems talking to people, but he was unsure what to say next. He shuffled his feet, looking at her as she was looking at him. He was hoping she would speak first. But she didn't. Nori opened his mouth, and had to clear his dry throat before any words came out.
“Um, so how was the festival?” he casually asked. He spared a glance at the moon. “I know you guys hold some here.”
Prema relaxed. However, she also lowered her head. “I could not particularly enjoy it,” she whispered, just enough that he could hear.
“Sorry,” he said, letting out a huff. She didn't have to tell him why. She had no one to enjoy it with. “If I remembered and wasn't busy with research, I would've come by. Almost forgot about the day, actually.”
“I suppose both of us could not enjoy it, then,” came her almost mirthful reply.
“I guess,” he agreed, with a soft chuckle. “Maybe next time.”
It was just an impulsive thought, but maybe he could come by during the next major festival or holiday? What would that be, Halloween? No, it'd be taiiku no hi. He didn't have much interest in shrine-related stuff, but he could put up if it to hang out with a friend. Besides, he didn't mind trying new things. To a certain extent, anyway.
More silence fell between them, more awkward than before. He was swifter to dispel it this time. “Well, guess that's it. Good night, Prema.”
Prema nodded gently. “Sleep well, Nori. And be safe on your way back home.”
“I will be.” He took a few steps away before realizing he had forgotten something. He turned and added one more thing. “And…good luck.”
“Thank you, Nori.”
It was cool, probably cold outside, yet Nori felt heat radiating through his chest. His heart was pounding again, but it felt good! He couldn't help but grin wildly as he set off. Naito's look of apprehension as he passed him by barely registered.
Yes! Everything worked out for once! The fact that he had his own problems he was going to have to start dealing with again starting tomorrow meant nothing to him. For now, he was going to skate back home and sleep. He was sure it was going to be the best sleep he'd had in over a week.
Heck, it even gave him optimism for Pawniard's rehabilitation. Sure, he'd gotten off to probably the worst start imaginable, but all that mattered was how he finished. Maybe Arumi would find something that would help him. Prema had promised she would too; Nori didn't actually think he'd be done first anyway. He'd been in bleaker situations before, and they had worked out. And this would too, he was sure of it. Mistakes could be corrected, wrongdoings could be made up for, and people and Pokemon alike could change – while still being themselves, if need be.
Speaking of which, the thought reminded him. There was one thing he needed to do at school on Monday, as soon as possible. He was sure it was going to make at least one person happy.
Nori was ready for any sort of reception at school on Monday. He was no stranger to being disliked; there was even a point in June when it felt like he was despised by almost everyone. He didn't think it would end up like it did back in Sunyshore, between his standing and the lower stakes. But if it did, he figured what he had planned might turn things around a little.
The young official arrived as early as possible, deciding to wander the halls in search of someone. To his relief, he received no more attention than he normally would. No harsh leers, no hushed whispers, and certainly not the entire school walking away from him all at once. Maybe they didn't care or forgave him. But he hadn't forgiven himself for his part in the matter.
Eventually, he found who he was looking for. He hustled to catch up with Chad right as he was about to enter a classroom; thankfully, it was not too difficult because of how slowly the platinum blond was walking. “Um, hey!” Nori called out.
The president of the battling club stood rigid. He slowly turned around, his expression blank. “Nori,” he sounded. There was a faint sense of dread, but no other emotion.
No hostility. That was good. The young official shuffled his feet. He could hardly believe what he was about to say, but knew it was the right thing to do. And it was also what he wanted to do.
“I just wanted to let you know that…” He paused, catching his breath and going over what he wanted to say and how to say it one final time. “I changed my mind. I will join the battling team. I feel awful over what happened. You guys lost one of your best Pokemon because of me. Maybe even one of your best teammates, depending on how Anthony feels about continuing. I know it's going to be awkward having me there now, but I want to make it up to you guys.”
The platinum blond's jaw had gradually creaked open. He stood in silence for about ten seconds after Nori had finished speaking. “Well…” His voice briefly hit a high register. “I did not see this coming.” A mirthless laugh escaped his mouth.
“Yeah. I know.” There were probably going to be people criticizing him for going back on things, like Reiko for sure, but he was ready to accept that. “I won't be able to be a full-time member, mind you. I'm still dedicated to the school newsletter and my club. But there's no rule that says I can't be a member of one club and the battling team at the same time. It doesn't say I have to join the battling club to join the team.” He ruffled his hair. “Um, does it?”
“It does not.” Chad bit his lip, hard.
That was a relief. The whole idea hinged on that one thing. He wasn't going to give up the newsletter if he had to pick one or the other. It was going to be a lot of work for him, but it was just for the rest of the year. He was willing to ride it out that long.
“Then I'll join you.”
The battling team's leader emitted a heavyhearted sigh, holding and lowering his head. He muttered an f-bomb before saying, “Thankful as I am for the offer, I'm afraid it's not going to happen.”
Nori put his hands on his hips. “Why not?” he demanded, taking a half step forward. “You were trying to get me with you guys ever since I came to school here!”
“Yes, well…things have changed. I'd still be glad to have you, but most of the others don't want you around. They feel uncomfortable at best, considering what happened.”
“Oh,” he blurted. Come to think of it, that made too much sense. “I guess I should've saw that coming,” he echoed, internally shaking his head at himself for not doing so.
“Sorry.”
“I'm the one who should be saying that,” Nori said. “So, I'm sorry.”
“Point taken,” Chad said, a hard edge to his words. “Guess you got your wish to be left alone after all, though.”
The irony wasn't lost on Nori. Under any other circumstances, he'd be relieved. But not now. He couldn't be completely happy about it. Actually, he was almost expecting Chad to try to guilt-trip him, or express intent to. Maybe he was, but the others' opinions settled the matter, whether either of them liked it or not.
Chad turned around. A thought abruptly occurred. While he couldn't join the team, he could still help.
“One thing.”
He looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“Eddie is a very strong trainer. He doesn't rely on any particular strategy, besides several Electric-types, but his Pokemon are tough. His strongest is his Magnezone, but watch for that Octillery. Both can do things you might not expect, like the last can use its tentacles to grab from anywhere. He's good like that.”
Nori would need to think and reflect to give him more specifics than that. And it would only do him good to help prepare for one person. Whether it would be enough was up to them.
Chad nodded. “I appreciate the help.”
“It's all I can give. Right now, at least.”
With an understanding nod, Chad stepped through the door. Nori checked the time on the wall. 8:21. Better get to his homeroom too, he thought.
He'd made the offer, and it seemed the bridge had been burned. The two questions now were, what else could he do? And the club hated him, but what about everyone else? Just because they weren't saying or doing anything didn't mean they didn't hate him.
[center##########[/center]
Chad was doing all he could to contain his bitter laughter. He reckoned he would have cracked into hysterics had he not been self-aware enough not to cause a scene.
He was right! Nori Carino felt bad enough to want to join the team in penance! He had even approached and made the offer of his own volition! But it meant nothing. He doubted that anyone would be swayed by this fact. He was going to try, but only to tell his family that he had tried.
The battling club was one of the few that had a specialized space at the school instead of using a classroom. It had large tables, a television, school computers, and even supplies like Potions. The only thing that it lacked was a full-sized battlefield; they had to go elsewhere to do anything more than practice and sparring. But it was close to the battling cages, so they could easily go to them if needed.
When afternoon break rolled around, Chad got to the clubroom as soon as he could. He wanted to wait until the whole team was present before making his pitch about accepting Nori onto the team. These plans blew up like an Electrode upon Anthony's arrival.
While Anthony's favorite trainer was Kallisto Keravnos, he wanted to be more like the Wallaces and the Gashas of the world: a powerful trainer with a character. He conducted himself appropriately when it came to publicity. His boisterous demeanor was an exaggeration of his real personality as a suave, confident person who knew his own talent. He was always a light that shone on them and brightened their days. That was why seeing him walk into the room, clothes rumpled and hair disheveled with dark bags under his eyes, was perturbing enough to bring everyone to silence.
He stood in the doorway for several long, agonizing seconds. Kiara, a cobalt blue-haired girl with a deep respect for him and an even deeper crush on him, leapt to her feet.
“Tony, are you okay?!”
He didn't answer or even acknowledge her. Instead, he gazed in Chad's general direction. There was nothing in his eyes.
Soon he started moving toward him with a hunch and heavy gait. They all knew what was weighing him down. He came to a stop a meter before the team's leader, lowering his head.
“This is all my fault…” he whispered. His legs quivered; Chad got ready to catch him if necessary.
Blaming himself went over as well as expected. All around them, their clubmates protested otherwise.
“It's not your fault!”
“It's that damn Demon Tamer who did this!”
“He was the stupid moron, as he likes to say!” Emi quipped loudly. “Not you.”
“Please!” Anthony shouted as he held up a palm in the air. The others fell silent as he covered his face. “I'm at least partially culpable. I knew the risks, I never should have agreed to battle that thing.”
None of them said anything in response, except Kiara, who said his name and trailed off. Nobody knew what to say. A few of them had been aghast he had signed the waiver, but they weren't going to tell him that, let alone rub it in. Most of them had also expected better from Nori Carino. As for Chad, he felt that no one could have predicted that things would turn out so badly. But there was no sense in blaming anyone.
“I need some time away from the team,” he finally said what Chad was dreading. “I don't know if I'll be back or not.”
“I…” Chad choked on his words. “I get it. It's fine, Anthony.”
“Thanks.” Anthony stuck out his hand, and Chad rose to accept it. He bowed lightly before turning to leave, each step heavier than the last. Some followed him worriedly, but Chad paid them little heed.
After the rain, the earth becomes firm. Chad would leave the door open, and Anthony did not rule it out entirely. But Chad wasn't betting on his return anytime soon. It was as much of a hypothetical as this having never happened, and thus, not something to think about too much.
The captain of the battling team started to walk back to the tables, as his own feet started to falter. It felt like he was marching through deep snow. Somehow, he made it to where Emi was and took a seat next to the auburn-haired female.
“I'm gonna end him,” seethed Emi, her hands gripping the table.
Chad sprang to attention. “Emi, don't.”
“He deserves it,” she snapped. She was always the first person to stick up for her friends, perhaps to a fault. “Someone needs to make him pay, since the Officials clearly aren't going to.”
“Emi…” Chad gasped from the sudden pain in his throat. He leaned in close, giving a woeful stare. “He offered to join us,” he explained, hushed. “He even offered advice on the side when I told him. You can't…”
She covered her mouth with a clenched fist. Her eyebrows lowered as quickly as they had shot up. “Go figure.” She rolled her shoulders.
As he leaned back, he noticed everyone else. They were all despondent, shaken, irate, or some combination thereof. Chad suddenly wanted to throw up. “Can we not talk about him?” he asked.
Emi conceded. “Fine. I don't want to either.” She crossed her arms. Whenever she dropped her usual attitude, it was a sign that she was really ticked off. “So Pete Stephens is coming to Japan.”
Her sudden change of subject barely registered. “Uh-huh,” he sniffed.
“Yeah, he's going on a filming tour across the four big regions. Some of it's going to be shown live.” She sat a little taller, even managing a faint laugh. “Can't wait.”
Chad forced a smile. He was glad she had something to look forward to. Something besides battling, even if it was something as simple as the Krookodile Tracker. Chad wished he could do that. But Pokemon were his entire life. His family expected it of him. At this point, he was not sure what to do or where the team would go.
Suddenly, an arm was on him. Chad froze as Emi gave him a half-hug.
“Don't worry, we'll make it through this.” She patted him. “We owe it to Quade and Anthony.”
Chad leaned into it slightly. He needed that. “I hope so.”
##########
“You son of a bitch!”
The moment Nori walked into the small computer lab of the newsletter club, Reiko was up in his face. The fiery orange-haired girl flew into a tirade.
“How could you do something so damn stupid?! Do you have any idea what you've done?! You really call yourself a Pokemon Rehabilitator? You aren't even–”
“Reiko, stop it.”
Adelle interposed between them. She stood in front of Nori like a vanguard, arms lightly outstretched and feet planted firm.
“Get out of my way, Richards!”
“Reiko, calm down. You're acting immature.”
For a few seconds, Nori thought a fight might break out. He gave Reiko a sad frown. The young official was expecting her to be the one to yell at him about it, but not right as he walked through the door and not so aggressively. Actually, he was more worried about what the others would think. He didn't want to be kicked out of another news club.
Reiko leered for a second before letting out a single violent sob. “Damn it!”
She stormed over to the corner of the room. She slumped into a chair and pulled out her mobile phone, still glowering as she started using it. Terrance kept glancing between her and the rest of them. It looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he only squinted and sniveled.
“Should ask you, prez,” said Mitsu, still engrossed in typing. “Do you want us to write an article about what happened?”
His casual tone put Nori's concerns to rest. As for his question, Nori had thought about it. He almost thought about asking Arumi what to do, but he was confident what the right choice was. “Yeah,” he said. “It's still school news, even if it involves me. If we don't, it'll look bad, like we're trying to avoid the subject. So just make sure it's unbiased and make clear I had no part in the article. That way, there's no conflict of interest.”
“Will do!”
“You know what the funny thing is?” Yasmin said. “Most people are blaming Anthony.”
The young official felt strange, like a nagging sensation was poking at his mind. “Really?”
Adelle confirmed. “He knew the risks when he signed that waiver. He shouldn't have done it.”
“And I shouldn't have offered in the first place!”
Adelle frowned. “I don't know what else to tell you. If you feel bad, do something to make up for it.”
“I tried, they wouldn't let me in the team. So all I could do was give Chad some advice.”
The duo nodded. “Well, we will get to working,” Yasmin said as they went to help Mitsu with the article. “Just take it easy.”
Reiko was still leering from the corner, and Terrance was shrinking away from the whole situation. He decided to sit alone at the smaller table and think.
Nori was very unsure what to feel about the revelation. No one would have let him get away with it if he wasn't Nori Carino, the Demon Tamer. It didn't sit well with him. What made it worse was that in the past, people had gotten away with doing malicious things to him because they were popular. Well, maybe there was a difference in how he didn't mean it, but still! He didn't hate this outcome, since it was better than the alternative. But it still bothered him. Maybe all he could do at this point was to rehabilitate that Pawniard.
The door to the room slowly opened. “Nori?” came a soft voice.
“Oh, hey Yumi,” he greeted the light brown-haired teenager as she entered. He looked around at the others. They probably weren't going to say anything about what had happened just before, so he wasn't going to either.
Yumi sat across from him. “So how did your studying go?”
“It went fine. Thanks again for the help.” She grinned, wildly. “I found out a few things about Pawniard behavior and the Blackout Killer that might be useful. Prema, Prema Kannagi offered to help when she gets done with her own business. But I don't know how long that will take, so it's up to me before that.”
“Right, her. That's good to know.” She lightly tugged at her pink shirt. “What are you going to do next?”
Nori paused before speaking. “I don't think I'm going to be able to avoid battling with Pawniard. I could, but I don't think he'd like it. I might just unwind and try to bond with him over the next couple days and try more training on Wednesday. Preferably with wild Pokemon, just in case.”
That was the plan he came up with. Suddenly realizing every one of his clubmates was staring at him, he hastily added, “Um, does that make sense?”
“You're the so-called expert around here!” Reiko shouted. “You tell us!”
“What's your problem?” he fired back, beginning to get annoyed by the almost irrational behavior of the slightly overweight girl. “What did I ever do to you?”
“You…” she started, before pausing to think about it. “You're not a good trainer if you let them get out of control like that! Seeing that just pisses me off, hydrophobic attack or not!”
He eyed Yumi, who had opened her mouth. But she said nothing. Neither did anyone else. Maybe they didn't know what to say. Nori could admit, she had a reasonable point. It was what was expected of most trainers. But he wasn't like most trainers. That was part of how he got his position. Also, it was aquaphobic, because people used hydrophobia for rabies, but no point in bringing either of those points up.
So he just chuckled. “Well, thank you.”
That only set her off more, probably more than he would have by arguing with her, though that wasn't his intent. “Why the hell are you thanking me for being pissed and insulting you?”
“It makes me feel a little better that some people are,” he earnestly said. “If everyone uninvolved was just glad and willing to forgive me just because I'm Nori Carino, that wouldn't sit well with me.” Sure, there were probably others who weren't saying anything besides the battling team, but she was doing it to his face.
That caught everyone off guard, Reiko herself being the most unsure how to interpret it. It was weird to say, for sure. But Nori had been called weird before. Everyone was weird in their own little way.
“It is fine if you are upset at him, Reiko,” said Yasmin. “Just do not keep hating him. It would not do well for our club.”
She grumbled and went to sit down next to Terrance. She did not otherwise give an answer.
He flashed her a thumbs-up. “It's all right, Reiko. And I know, I won't say you're completely wrong. I'm working on Pawniard in my own way though, that's what a Pokemon Rehabilitator does.”
Yumi agreed. “You'll find few others who could get as far as Nori did, Reiko. Just leave it to him.” The young official had to admit, while he didn't like people defending him to the point of being able to get away with things, it always felt nice having people stick up for him.
“Fine, but I still don't like this.” He smiled at her and breathed a sigh of relief in the same lip motion. Situation diffused.
“So…what now?” Terrance was the next to speak. “Will you…be fine?”
“Me?” asked Reiko. “Or him?”
“You…”
She grumbled, but uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her knees. “I guess I'll get over it,” she admitted, far more gently than before. This pleased Terrance to no end, although his smile was very restrained and barely noticeable. It also relieved Nori. He appreciated the criticism, but he'd prefer her not to hold a grudge.
“Well, getting back to it. I think your plan makes sense, Nori,” Adelle said. “Just be careful not to rush things.”
“Yeah,” Reiko chimed in. “Case in point. You shouldn't have even let it fight that guy.”
The other girls glared at her, yet Nori laughed it off. “Believe me, I know. But let's get off this subject and get to working. And eating.”
Everyone agreed on that. He was finally able to bring out his lunch. It was only some rice balls with an apple and a bottle of water, but that would change near the end of the month when he'd have more money on hand than what he'd saved from Volkner.
He turned his attention to Yumi, who had taken out a vacuum flask. She noticed his gaze and smiled. “Miso soup,” she said.
“Delicious.” Simple, but still delicious.
Yumi pulled out a spoon. She started to unscrew the lid of her flask, only to pause. She set it down on the table and looked right at Nori. “Um, hey?” she said, gripping the spoon tightly.
“Yes?”
She hesitated a moment before whispering, “Be careful.”
He nodded gently, closing his eyes. “I will. Thanks.”
#########
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So this is how I handle the issue of Anthony signing a waiver. Differing opinions in-universe, but ultimately, not to the detriment of Nori's reputation...although he doesn't feel completely good about it.
Style on the chapter title might not line up depending on your theme, just know it's intended to be three lines in a row.
After school on Monday, Nori set out with purpose. He was ready to start dealing with Pawniard again and had figured out a way to make progress.
He paused to let out Pachi after leaving the school grounds. For obvious reasons, the faculty didn't allow non-guide Pokemon to be outside their balls except in designated areas, namely outdoors or in classrooms built for them. Pachi generally liked being out, and Nori hadn't given him much of a chance to do so over the weekend. He was no doubt itching for fresh air and exercise.
The little white squirrel emerged with a scintillating flash of light. He stretched out his stubby little arms and legs, giving each a roll. It was followed by a flex, with stray sparks coming out of his cheeks.
“Sorry about the weekend, I was at a lot of places that didn't let you have Pokemon out,” he said to his fluffy companion.
Even though most humans could hardly understand Pokemon, Pokemon were able to understand humans well for the most part. He wasn't sure how. Pachi squeaked a reply. Nori had no idea what it meant, but the squirrel's continuing grin and wagging tail indicated it wasn't a sticking point.
“So!” He clapped his hands and did a small hop. “Want to go for a run?”
Pachi mimed his actions and dashed a circle around him. Yup, that said everything without needing to say anything. The young official giggled as he took his skateboard out of his bag and snapped the two pieces together.
“Then let's get rolling!” he said, quoting one of his favorite characters from a radio drama. He kicked off, Pachi following by his side.
Nori knew Veilstone City well. He explored it all the time as a kid, and that was just on foot. Now that he had a skateboard, he didn't have to walk or take buses (that he'd now have to pay for) to get around. There was something he needed to do, and the question was, where to go? It couldn't be anywhere too public, since it involved Pawniard. Nor could it be anywhere that was too secluded or far away, like the docks. With those criteria, Nori knew the perfect spot.
Veilstone was home to all sorts of rocks and minerals. Near the east side of the city was the Geological Research Facility and Museum. Its crown jewel was a meteorite they had dug up within their property line. But the stones weren't what interested Nori. He wanted to go into the quarry.
Nori wasn't sure why they decided to dig a big ugly pit in their backyard. Sure, they found the meteorite, but people said that was just dumb luck. The museum turned the pit itself into a tourist attraction, but they didn't get any business. No one wanted to pay to see an empty hole in the ground. So they eventually opened it up to the public and put light security on watch, since they didn't want to fill it back in.
It was just as vacant as he was hoping it'd be. Barely anyone came by, and most who thought of using it for questionable purposes thought twice upon seeing the camera keeping a watchful eye over the place. The worst that happened was unsanctioned battling and teenagers engaging in intimacy. Some of them were smart about it and went behind rocks, but others didn't know they were being caught on video or didn't care. Then again, the museum didn't care much either. Their rules went unenforced except for the most egregious acts.
Nori dismounted his skateboard and started down the slope with it under his arms. His eyes flicked to the side, then behind him. Pachi was warily trailing behind. Was it anxiousness over going somewhere new? Nori wasn't worried about it. If this place was dangerous, they wouldn't keep it open.
There was nothing to see at the bottom. It was just dirt, dust, and rocks the museum had considered unimportant. Nori thought there might be trash at least, but evidently someone (or something?) was keeping the pit clean.
Pachi crept out in front. He leaned forward and looked at his trainer with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth. Nori understood enough about body language to know that it was nervousness and curiosity.
“Just having a little meeting,” he told his companion while disassembling the board.
After he had done so and put it back in his bag, he took a deep breath. It was time to do this. He'd come to a nice quiet place that his assignment had no hope of fleeing from. Help was nearby if it was needed. He reached into his pocket.
The mere sight of the black and red ball made Pachi screech. Before the squirrel could protest further, Nori had flicked the capsule to the ground.
The bladed monster's eyes quickly fell upon Pachi, who hurried to hide behind Nori's leg. What ensued from there was a rapid-fire exchange between the two Pokemon that Nori could barely follow. Pachi angrily chittered, Pawniard snorted and replied coolly, Pachi cried out, Pawniard clanged his blades and cackled, Pachi screeched again, which only made Pawniard advance mockingly.
Then Pachi shook off and squeaked. Two familiar syllables. Most Pokemon couldn't speak the human language, but they sometimes tried – especially when it came to names. And Pachi was saying his name while pulling at his left leg.
He looked at Pawniard, who only raised his blades irreverently. With a sigh, Nori knelt and gave Pachi a hug.
“It's all right,” he comforted. “Er, I'm guessing you want back in?” The left leg was where he kept his Poke Balls.
His name again, and more words with a look of desperation. The same sort of look Yumi had given him before. He liked having an easy-to-read Pokemon in that regard; others weren't so simple to understand. Though he knew Pachi wasn't going to like what he said next.
“I have to, sorry.”
Pachi continued to protest in anguish, begging him to reconsider. He closed his eyes momentarily, forcing himself to tune it out as he recalled his friend.
Pawniard fell over laughing at the display. Nori pocketed the ball stood tall in reply, hands on his hips. Not the start he wanted. But that didn't mean it couldn't go the way he wanted.
“Guess he's afraid of you,” Nori stated the obvious. He couldn't blame Pachi, either. That was going to be awkward to deal with, but it would have to come later.
His assignment agreed, getting to his feet with a grin. He looked at Nori, a mocking smile on his face, as if waiting for whatever he was going to do.
Nori sighed heavily. “Well, I have something to give you.”
The Pawniard laughed and assumed a fighting pose as Nori took off his backpack. The young official kept one eye on him, just in case, and pulled out his lunchbox. His assignment's sick grin faded to a blank stare as he saw the leaves of spinach.
Iron is an important part of the diet, especially for Steel-type Pokemon. It's necessary to promote healthy growth and a hardy body. Those unable to eat earth or metals directly were left with plants, prey, or supplements in the case of captured ones. In wild Pawniard colonies, the leafy greens are a luxury reserved for the pack leader and their favored soldiers. The rest of them needed to get it from meat, which wasn't as good a source.
The red-and-black Pokemon didn't know what to make of the gesture, eventually giving Nori an inquisitive, maybe even suspicious leer.
“It's for you,” Nori encouraged, placing them on the ground and taking a couple steps back.
The Pawniard leaned in daintily to sniff the spinach. He looked up at Nori for a moment, back down at the vegetables and back up. He flashed all of his fangs, a twisted and deranged expression. Then he lunged. He pierced the spinach with his claws and began to tear into it, greedily shoveling the greens into his maw.
The young official put his hands on his hips, watching the spectacle with approval. He supposed it might be seen as a bribe, but it was intended as a friendly gesture.
As he was close to polishing it off, Pawniard scooped up the rest and swallowed it in one last massive bite. He belched and turned to Nori, a sick grin etched into his face. The bladed creature stood deliberately, perfect posture, arms slack, but his claws pointed forward.
Nori recognized that pose. He saw it after the disastrous battle with Anthony, and it was described in one of the books. He took out his notepad and flipped through it, trying to figure out what it meant. Specific body language was something he had researched; it was part of how Pokemon communicated with each other and with humans. Most of it was obvious, but some had more meaning to it.
He had written it down. Though he had summarized it in two sentence fragments, the greater description of the book returned to him.
When a Pawniard shows its claws in a relaxed manner, it is a sign of respect for someone worthy. By doing this, the Pawniard shows off its sharpness without being aggressive. It means something to the effect of ‘my blades are yours.’
“Well, thank you?” he said. He had suspected as much, and that confirmed it. But respect wasn't what this was about.
Nori considered what to do next. Prema's words echoed in his mind. Connecting with a Pokemon can be a difficult issue. It is not as simple as showing compassion. On the other hand, it could still help. Pawniard respected him, sure, but he could easily lose that respect by being too demanding. Nori hoped that his small act of kindness would make Pawniard more receptive to what he was about to say.
It hit him at that moment, he had no idea how to word it! Not in a way that Pawniard would like, anyway.
“Um.” He flinched, then stiffened, knowing he had to look strong. What to say? Maybe he should just speak from the heart. “Well, let's start with something positive. Good job with the battle the other day. I can see why your old trainer chose you. When I freaked out because of the water, you did something on your own. Even if that something was…very, very bad.”
The bladed monster cackled maniacally, even gleefully. His eyes seemed to gleam as he held his head high.
“It's not funny!” he snapped at the Pawniard. Taking initiative was good, but not what he did! “You almost killed that guy's Quagsire! If you keep going like that, it's going to be you taken away and killed!”
Pawniard halted in place. He tilted his head and snarled, flashing fang and blade at him. He trembled vigorously. Nori wondered, did he strike a nerve? Mentioning the consequences–
“Wait!” he blurted. To his credit, Pawniard waited.
Wait, wait, wait. Something clicked. The young official shuddered at the thought. It was never proven, people just speculated based on how the Blackout Killer operated and how few Pokemon he owned at the time of his death. But could it be true? There was one who might know, and he was standing before Nori.
He gulped, firmly gripping the Pawniard's Poke Ball just in case. “Did your old trainer…kill your teammates?”
His Pokemon burst into hard laughter. It was tough to tell where it came from. He could've said something stupid or assumptive, but he also could've figured it out. Pawniard gave no further indication, and Nori felt he wasn't going to get a definite answer. If only understanding Pokemon was easy! Why weren't there, like, Pokemon translators or something?
“Okay, fine. Whatever.” Better get off the subject.
The two things made clear from that were Pawniard respected him as a leader, and he didn't want to die. Could he potentially use the threat of execution to get Pawniard to stay in line? No, that would be…well, it was an option. But neither of them would enjoy that.
Was he wrong? Prema said she sensed some kind of malice in Pawniard. Was he just an evil Pokemon on his own, not because he was corrupted by his trainer? If so, could he really do anything about it? Or was he – and everyone else – making assumptions and approaching from the wrong angle?
Still, he had to keep moving forward. “Well, that's it for today. I just wanted to talk.” It was simple, small progress. There was all there was to it. One step at a time. “Just try to rein it in from now on, okay?”
The half turn and flippant wave of the claws said more than any words could. Even if Pawniard saw him as a worthy trainer, he was going to fight how he pleased. But Nori knew he had to try. He had ideas, at least. It remained to be seen whether any of them would work.
“Let's head home.” He gestured for his assignment to walk alongside. Pawniard squinted, although there was something in his eyes. He snorted and snickered lowly as he followed nonetheless.
Activity had picked up since they had gone into the quarry. A group of five high school students were loitering around. A young boy was playing with his Shinx. Two adults, likely employees, were having a smoke nearby. A security guard who hadn't been there earlier sat on a lawn chair.
All of them stilled when Nori came walking out with Pawniard at his side.
They parted, giving the pair a wide berth. Nori kept a firm grip on the painted Poke Ball as they passed by. Pawniard only gave them a glare of challenge. One of the teenagers looked as if she was about to accept, but was swiftly talked out of it by her friends.
Nori wanted to see if Pawniard could do something simple like a walk, and it appeared he could. He gave some threatening looks, mostly at gawkers, but nothing more. That was progress from last week at the park. He was going to take any bit of it at this point.
##########
Monday passed without further incident and Tuesday was quiet. In the end, it was true that his reputation hadn't taken too much of a hit. There was enough to notice, especially with anyone involved with the battling team shooting him dirty looks in the halls, but nothing that majorly affected him. He decided to reluctantly accept it for what it was, for now. His focus had to be on Pawniard. If there was anything he could do to break him out of his habits, then he had to do it.
After school on Wednesday, he went to an alley near the school. He once again had some leafy greens for Pawniard to have.
“It's time,” said Nori as his assignment finished eating.
Pawniard glanced up and tapped his foot. He just looked, without any emotion.
“We're going to train for real today.”
The bladed creature grinned at his declaration. He sharpened his blades on the pavement and started out without waiting for Nori to do so. The young official reacted swiftly, running ahead to take the lead. He stayed close enough to keep Pawniard in his peripheral vision.
He led Pawniard in the general direction of their destination. It would be a half-hour walk at most without his skateboard. Heads turned as they walked down the street. No wonder, given they were both a presence in their own right. Word had to have spread even if most people didn't seem to hold it against him. Everyone knew who he was, and most had heard of the Blackout Killer by now, if not his Pawniard.
Along the way, Nori found a surprise. A pink-haired girl with pigtails walking down the sidewalk, probably taking a different path back from school to explore more of the city. He was planning on going to see her sometime, so fancy running into her before that. What's more, she perked up immediately when they locked eyes.
She hurried over, but stopped when she spotted Pawniard. “Um. Hi, Nori…” she meekly greeted.
“Hey, Maylene!” he greeted her. He kept an eye on the Pokemon, but Pawniard just eyed her impatiently. “How are you?”
“Um, pretty good. But it's been boring. How are you?” She was talking to him, but her focus was elsewhere. “How's…that going?” She shakily pointed.
“Well, I've been worse. And things are okay with him. Better than I expected.” The fact that Pawniard was able to walk down the street with him without causing problems twice now was already a sign of improvement.
She nodded cautiously. Her eyes kept going to his assignment. “Hey!” She suddenly perked up, clasping her hands together. “Wanna come over and watch cartoons?”
The young official could only laugh slightly at her sudden suggestion. “Maybe Thursday or Friday. We were just about to head out and train.” Any other day, he'd have said yes in a heartbeat, especially since he hadn't seen Maylene in over a week.
“Oh, okay.” She gave a wild wave. “See ya then, then!” With that, she merrily skipped away.
That was unexpected. But it was one less thing Nori had to worry about, and it made him feel a lot better. Maylene's dad had forbidden them from being friends when he was training the Demon. He changed his tune later, but not hearing anything from Maylene in over a week made Nori worry that the same thing had happened. Or if not that, she was avoiding him. It was a relief to know he hadn't lost another friend. Not like Lux or Claris.
He was snapped away from his thoughts by a growl. Pawniard motioned to get moving, by pointing and walking in place. After a moment of hesitation, Nori thought better of part of his plan.
“It's a bit far,” he said, glancing in the direction of the city limits. “We'll get there faster if I skateboard there, and you sit tight until then.”
He was expecting Pawniard to protest or otherwise react with annoyance, but the Pokemon only nodded. He stood still and allowed Nori to recall him. The young official pocketed the ball and started to retrieve his transportation.
He planned to head back out to Route 214. This time, it was going to be a formal training session for Pawniard alone. The plan was to keep it simple, no challenging passing trainers and certainly no going to the deep wilds. He wasn't expecting another miracle that bonded them like what happened with the Demon, but hoped he would at least make some positive progress.
Nori led his assignment out of Veilstone and onto Route 214. It was a place that Nori was quickly growing familiar with. He had done a lot of training on this stretch of wilderness ever since getting the Demon. He would have to cross the length of the city to reach Route 215, whereas the rugged path was around seven blocks south from his home.
After passing by the rest stop at the edge of town, he headed into the hills. There were all kinds of Pokemon up there, with grassy, rocky, and even some wooded areas to prowl around in. It was simply a very good and very quiet spot to train, although a part of him worried that given his fame and followers, many more people were going to discover it.
Today, however, it was relatively empty. There was only one adult male who seemed to be so engrossed in studying rocks that he wasn't aware of his surroundings. Thankfully, he was sensible and had a Girafarig by his side to keep watch. It locked eyes with Pawniard, rear tail twitching. His assignment seemed to take this as a challenge and took a few steps forward, cackling. Their would-be opponent stood its ground.
Nori interposed and shook his head. “Not that one,” he urged. “Wild ones.”
Pawniard waved a claw and pointed. A gesture that preceded a hunt. The young official huffed and pressed a finger to the bridge of his nose.
“I'm sure it wouldn't be much of a challenge. It's Dark against Psychic, trained killer against…research assistant?” It seemed like one. Even if it had a Fighting-type move or pulled a miraculous evolution out of nowhere, it wouldn't be too tough for them to beat. “And I don't think they'd want to be interrupted.”
The bladed Pokemon growled, yet did not press the issue further. Nori led him to the grassy area above.
---
S l i c e 1 3:C u t O u t F o r I t
Pawniard towered menacingly over their opponent. He made mocking gestures while mouthing off, delivering a Torment for no good reason. Despite having a type advantage, the Ponyta was no match for Pawniard. It was struggling to stand after suffering a foot injury courtesy of a Slash. His assignment was going too far.
“Just…” Nori gritted his teeth. Better be specific here. “Back of the blade, Feint Attack.”
His assignment begrudgingly grumbled, gathering shadows around his body. The Ponyta scrambled to its feet and turned around. The thing gained a burst of speed as it darted from the scene, jumping over the cliff face and making a clean break in spite of the cut to the tendon.
“Was that the Run Away ability?” Nori guessed aloud. He could hardly blame the fire horse. Pawniard spat some venomous words, followed by a sinister chuckle.
That was their fifth battle. Nori had been experimenting with different ways of acting as a leader for his assignment. He'd quickly found that just being normal with a little leeway worked fine. He tried exact orders again the first time, and the bladed monster behaved as defiantly as before.
Pawniard was listening and had good initiative. He was talented and gritty enough that little healing was necessary between fights. Yet he remained utterly ruthless, and not one of his opponents escaped unscathed. The worst part was he was inconsistent. Sometimes a Slash would be as expected, other times Pawniard would sink his claws in. One time he even seemed about to gouge out a Stunky's eye — if not worse — necessitating a quick recall.
His assignment clanged his claws against each other. He stood before Nori with a devilish smirk, waiting for the next battle. He wasn't restless at all, simply waiting patiently like a predator for its prey.
Nori took out his Official's radio and checked the time on the display. Just after five. “Maybe just one more before we head back,” he suggested. His mom usually had dinner ready around six.
Pawniard stood stoically, awaiting his orders. If he had any thoughts on the matter, he didn't voice them.
“All right, let's go.” Nori set out further south, the bladed monster dutifully following.
The young official had to admit that the former Blackout Killer's Pokemon was doing better than expected. Yet he had a long way to go. Injuries sometimes happened in Pokemon battles. It was even permissible to do so intentionally to a certain extent, like targeting a quick Pokemon's legs to slow it down. But Pawniard was injuring opponents for the sake of it, and far more than would be considered acceptable. It was almost as if he enjoyed–
“Help me!”
A female's scream cut through the air, cried out in Japanese. Tasukete. Someone was in trouble!
Nori glanced at Pawniard. “Let's go!” He bolted off, not bothering to look if his assignment was following.
Nori knew Route 214 well. He ran over hills, past trees, and through grass. She repeated her plea twice, each more distressed than the last. He followed the sound of her voice, and gasped as he finally caught sight of her below.
She was a pretty young girl around his age, with her leg pinned under a heavy stone. Her cream-colored hair was disheveled and tears were in her ruby eyes. She wore a green, form-fitting yukata with a sunflower pattern. A black canine — her Poochyena? — lay unconscious several meters away.
The young official rushed to the edge of the cliff overlooking the scene, a two-meter drop. “Are you okay?!” he shouted in Japanese, knowing better than to rush in right away. He had to help, but what did this to her?! It could still be lurking nearby, so he knew he had to be careful.
“No. It hurts. Help me…” she replied. Yeah, stupid question.
He heard a low growl. Nori looked around, but the only Pokemon in sight was the Pawniard at his legs – the one snarling. The sight of the sadistic Pokemon made the girl gasp and recoil in horror.
“Pawniard!” he scolded with a stomp of his foot. “What's wrong with you?!” Attacking Pokemon was one thing, but scaring injured people?!
She put on a brave face for a second, sneering at the vicious Pokemon. It quickly gave way to a terrified expression. She opened her mouth, but couldn't find any words.
Nori gave the girl a reassuring smile, then glared at his assignment. The Pokemon did not falter, still leering over the cliff. He was about to grab his Poke Ball and throw Pawniard back inside when something clicked. Was there a reason for his attitude?
My blades are yours. Pawniard trusted him as a leader. So he decided to trust Pawniard. “What's wrong?” he repeated, more inquisitively. Was whatever attacked this girl really lying in wait for them?
The Dark and Steel type suddenly jumped down, claws raised and ready to strike. Before he landed, a jet of flame consumed him.
Nori immediately reached into his pocket and felt around for the Great Ball. He found it and had the Demon out in two seconds. A pale blur sped past him as he did so. He glanced back at the girl, only to find that she had vanished. A look in front of him and he immediately realized what was going on.
Before him stood an elegant fox Pokemon. Cream-colored fur, ruby eyes, and many flowing caudal appendages. That was a Ninetales! Since when can they make illusions?!
She barked a three-syllable word. Maybe she was trying to say “Kisama,” but was unable to do so with her canine mouth. Whatever what was going on, he needed to fight back.
“Don't hold back,” he told his Pokemon. She glanced back, grinning with anticipation. It had been a while since she'd been able to rampage. “We need to stop her, fast.”
The Demon understood at once, charging forward. The Ninetales' eyes turned an eerie pink, and the surrounding air started to distort violently. An Extrasensory! But it wasn't enough to stop his Pokemon from slamming into her. Nori clenched a fist and grinned, only to stop when the angry fox's eyes shined blue and fired a sphere of light.
“Confuse Ray?!” Nori complained.
Normally he'd have had the Demon close her eyes to get around it, but that came out too fast. The Demon was fighting through it by sheer force of will, but it was by not an ideal situation.
So he just recalled her. This wasn't an official battle, so he could do things like that. “Calm down, please!” he tried to beg the Ninetales. But she turned up her nose and opened her mouth.
As she reared back, Nori jumped off the cliff while sending the Demon back out. He landed in a crouch as a Flamethrower blasted above his head. The first thing he did was look around. That Poochyena had made tracks, but Pawniard was nearby. Burnt, but standing.
“You all right?!” he asked, as he heard the sound of a Shadow Claw followed by a roar of pain from above. When his assignment hummed lowly, Nori took off his bag and searched the front pocket. He found it easily, a tiny bottle of green fluid. “Hold still.”
Pawniard complied. A quick spray over the affected area and the effects started to fade at once. The bladed monster nodded, ready to continue.
A swirling pillar of flame rising into the sky drew their attention. Nori ran to the rockface, jumping and grabbing the ledge to pull himself halfway up. No Demon in sight, which meant she was in the Fire Spin. The Ninetales looked like she'd taken some bad hits herself, however. In particular, the Demon had gotten her right in the muzzle with that Shadow Claw.
“Demon! Earth Power!” Nori shouted as loudly as he could. He wasn't sure if she heard him or not.
Whatever the case, the fox roared and spat a white ball of flame directly at the vortex. The Inferno struck true, and she turned to Nori. As soon as he saw her crouching, he let go.
Quick Attack. She overshot. Thoughts raced through his mind. Wild Pokemon were never this aggressive! Why would a Ninetales…wait! Was this about last week? He didn't have much time to process further as the Pokemon turned around and started to rear back.
Nori dove aside while reaching into his pocket for Pachi, only for the flames not to come. The Ninetales screamed in pain and rage. Pawniard had sliced into her heel.
She roared and scurried five meters away. She turned to hurl venomous words at him. He was the one who had hurt that Vulpix in the deep wilds. More than Nori, he was undoubtedly the greatest object of her hatred. Pawniard gave a cold, terse reply that got her to start forming another Inferno.
“Pawniard, look out! Slash!” he shouted.
His words of warning were not necessary as the flames launched wide anyway, making Pawniard's approach even easier. The bladed monster showed her no mercy; bits of fur went flying as he swung his claws. She answered by throwing her entire body at him, another Quick Attack which managed to send him stumbling away.
“Don't look at her!” Nori warned, thinking he knew what was coming next. “Just Night Slash!”
He looked anyway. The Ninetales' eyes indeed started to shine, ready for a Confuse Ray. But Pawniard was much too quick. He slashed right across the eyes, stopping the attack cold. He leaned back, maybe ready to follow up with an Iron Head.
That's when the Ninetales whirled around and whipped Pawniard with all of her tails before dashing off. She was hurt badly – she was running with a limp and breathing heavily. For the briefest of moments, Nori thought she was fleeing and it was over.
Then she halted and looked directly at Nori, barking lowly while all of her tails started to take on an eerie purple aura. That wasn't an attack, not a formal one at least. The young official tensed up. He wanted to run from this, but he knew that escape was impossible at this point.
It happened a second later. Pawniard wasn't as deterred by the tail strike as expected. Still in hot pursuit, he briefly glanced between him and the Ninetales. The bladed Pokemon cartwheeled and leaped over their attacker, hovering menacingly at the apex of his jump. Then he ran his right claw directly through the Ninetales' backside, just as she was about to speak.
For three horrible seconds, the world stood still. The glow around the fox's tails had dissipated instantly. Nori could tell something vital had been pierced inside her. The Ninetales' legs quivered, what little life she had left fading fast. She somehow managed to look back and open her maw, but nothing came out of it – no flame, not even sound. Pawniard shook his head and muttered something as they locked eyes. With an evil beam at Nori, he started to retract.
Nori shut his eyes and turned away for good measure. Unfortunately, he still heard the Ninetales fall to the ground with a wet thud. It was a sound far more haunting than he anticipated, yet it was nothing compared to the deafening silence that followed. Even the wind seemed to momentarily halt out of respect for the fallen Pokemon.
When he opened his eyes, the carnage was laid bare before him. A dead Ninetales in a heap, mouth open in a silent scream. A rapidly growing crimson pool beneath her. Pawniard standing over the body, posture devoid of emotion. The Demon, watching from the edge of the cliff in utter shock. Himself, just standing there, alone amidst Pokemon.
If there was any doubt about what was going on, it was erased with a glance over to the tree line. There stood the Poochyena from before beside a Vulpix, tears streaming from the latter's eyes. The red fox let out a primal scream. Nori braced himself, only for the Poochyena to step in and block the Vulpix's advance. The two roared and shouted, pushing against each other. Even the Demon was shouting things. Nori, meanwhile, found himself at a rare loss for words. He was just as silent as his Pawniard, who was simply standing ready while beckoning to the Vulpix.
“I'm sorry!” he eventually let out an anguished shout. “I didn't mean–” He wasn't sure what to say. That its parent attacking him in revenge wasn't right? That he was just defending himself? That he didn't mean for her to die? This was…
With a final push, the Poochyena shoved the orphaned Vulpix back into the forest, where it was dragged away by some unseen Pokemon. The black canine looked back at him. It gave him a frown that could have meant any number of things before heading back into the deep wilds.
The young official fell to his hands and knees, slamming a fist into the dirt. What the hell had gone wrong?!
He looked up to see Pawniard standing over him. He was puffing out his chest, holding his chin high and smiling toothily. There was no regret or remorse about slaying their attacker.
“Did you really have to kill her?!” he cried out, clenching his hands. He crumpled into a sitting position and stole another glance at the Ninetales' broken body. He regretted it almost instantly, turning back and trying to contain the bile threatening to rise from his stomach. Even if she was trying to kill them, even if she was trying to curse him, even if it was self-defense, it still felt wrong!
His assignment–no. His Pokemon crossed his blades. Pawniard's posture stiffened, and he turned his head to the side. For a second, it seemed like he was about to walk off in disgust. Instead, he only belittled him with a snort. Nori peered at the Demon, whose frown and lip biting indicated she was as conflicted as he was.
“But…” Nori trailed off, his throat aching. He squinted for a moment, wiping the tears from both eyes. He breathed in and out, his exhalation coming in many rapid spurts. The adrenaline was wearing off, and it felt like he was going to choke. “But thank you,” he managed to whisper. His Pokemon had saved him. Maybe even stopped that curse. That was a fact, no matter what had happened.
Pawniard relaxed and silently nodded. Once more, he stood with his claws slack and pointed at him. My blades are yours. His bloodstained blades. He couldn't bear to look at them any longer.
Breathe in, breathe out. He was still trembling. Those weren't tears of joy in his eyes. “I'm going home, home now. Just rest,” he said as he stood and brought Pawniard back to his capsule. He nodded at the exhausted Demon before doing the same for her. With a heavy sigh, he started to limp back to the city.
Nori had so, so many mixed feelings about what had just happened. He was glad to be alive. He was happy to know Pawniard had protected him. But did that Ninetales have to die? Why did she have to try to kill him? There had to have been another way to resolve things. What would people think if they knew?
But it was too late now. All he could do was try to move forward and hope he could get over it. And hope, maybe even pray that nothing bad came of today.
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If you want to read Memory of a Ghoul, get up through Chapter 10 before the next chapter of this fic. Bigtime spoilers will be had. If you don't care or think it'll give you a different perspective though, go nuts.
Nori decided to walk, rather than skateboard to school on Thursday as September gave way to October. He did so for no particular reason other than to have more time to collect his thoughts. He had a lot of mixed emotions about what had happened.
Several of the young official's favorite radio dramas had death in them. Cops shooting criminals, criminals killing cops or other criminals, innocents getting caught up in violence, Pokemon killing and being killed. But this was the first time he'd seen something die with his own eyes. He knew it was different in real life compared to fiction. It was always awful to hear about it on the news, and besides the brush yesterday, he had nearly drowned three times. Despite knowing all that, he still wasn't prepared for just how horrible it would be to see in person.
He listened to the morning news, and it had nothing on the brutal slaying of a wild Ninetales. But that didn't mean much, since it hadn't even been a full day since it had happened. Maybe they hadn't found the body yet. If they did, he hoped they blamed a Scyther or something for her death.
When the young official arrived at school, he spotted a vaguely familiar blue sedan pulling up beside the curb. Touya Takao got out of the passenger side. He wore a pastel-blue duffle coat, bell bottom jeans, and raised platform shoes. Just as fashionable as his twin sister.
“Hi, man,” Nori greeted him with a wave. “How's things?”
“Been pretty good,” he passively replied with a shrug. “Know how you've been, so.” The beige-haired teenage male didn't say more, just nodding at him before heading in the building. They were only acquaintances. Besides, his presence meant…
“Oh, hey.” It meant that Yumi would be with him. Unless she caught a cold or something, but she hadn't. She adjusted her bag, ensuring it was snug on her back. She waved to her dad as he drove off.
“And how are you?” he asked.
“Good, I guess,” she said, although the way she briefly avoided eye contact and her light sigh made it somewhat unconvincing.
She dragged slightly as they walked into the school together, with elbows tight at her side. Nori slowed his pace to stay alongside. He expected what was on her mind. He wasn't sure if she was going to speak up, or if he'd have to bring it up himself.
“So…” She swallowed some air, trying to compose herself. “Did the training go fine?” There was unhidden dread in her tone.
“It went okay,” he replied. He had prepared for that question and was ready to answer it, even if it was only with a half-truth. “Pawniard still wants to hurt other Pokemon. I'm not sure what I can do about that. But he's showing promising improvement, so I'm keeping at it.”
It was what he told his mom and what he planned to tell Agent Studd on Sunday. He knew trainer law, it wasn't illegal to kill a wild Pokemon in self-defense. Yet he didn't want to take the chance something might go awry, and they'd go after him for killing again anyway. Especially since Pawniard did that to protect him. He couldn't betray that!
His friend gave him a listless, almost empty gaze. For a second, Nori was concerned that Yumi sensed there was something that he wasn't telling her. But finally, she slumped and let out something like a whimper. “Thank goodness…” she remarked while she pressed a hand over her heart.
Nori felt a faint warmth in his chest. He had to admit that it felt pleasant to have someone who was so concerned about him. Even his mom had mainly shown confidence in him when he told her where Pawniard came from. Come to think of it, Yumi was arguably the biggest help in all of this. Even Prema hadn't done much, although he still wanted to speak to her about it once she finished her work.
“Thanks for being here for me through this, Yumi,” he made his feelings clear.
“Oh!” She snapped up, tucking her bangs behind her ears. “Um, you're welcome. I just…” She chuckled nervously. “I don't think I did much, and I was trying to talk you out of it.”
“You still helped anyway, but point taken,” he conceded. An irony occurred. “Guess it was just like before, in a different way.” When she was with YAMS, she tried to convince him to abandon the Demon to her fate. He even remembered she was nicer about it than most of the others.
She sighed longingly, as if reminiscing on their past. “I guess so,” she agreed.
They had been walking through the school halls to their respective homerooms at that point. She was an eighth year, one grade above him. Right as they were about to part ways, Nori impulsively spoke up.
“Hey!” he said. “Want to hang out after school?”
Yumi blinked. A sad smile appeared on her lips. “I'd love to,” she started. Nori could already tell there was a ‘but’ in there before she said so. “But I have a science project due on Monday, and I really need to work on it. Plus, mom and dad don't like us having friends over without plans.”
Nori could imagine several reasons why they wouldn't. “Ah. Maybe some other time.”
“Yeah.” She took two preliminary steps down the hall. “So I'll see you at lunch, Nori.”
“See you then, Yumi.”
Once he was sure she couldn't hear him anymore – looking over his shoulder for good measure – he relaxed and sighed. He didn't want to worry her by telling the whole story. There were a lot of people he didn't want to worry. Yet…part of him was screaming to tell someone, just to get their take. Really, there was only one person he felt he might be able to talk about it with. And she could help if…
##########
The rest of Thursday passed smoothly, and Nori hung out with Maylene on Friday as they planned. On Saturday, Nori went to the Kannagi Shrine. To his relief, there was no issue with seeing Prema. She seemed a little relieved to see him, actually. She suggested a walk behind the shrine. He added that it should be the two of them without their Pokemon. It was a good day to be outdoors, the sun shining and the temperature being just right.
“I never knew there was a path back here,” he remarked as they traversed the leaf-covered trail. Well, he never actually looked. He didn't want to loiter around the old radio station or go somewhere he shouldn't have. The young official glanced around for any side paths, but there didn't seem to be anything reasonable to explore. Not that he'd go running off without her.
“Most are unaware of its presence,” Prema elaborated. “It does not lead anywhere in particular, simply from one end of the shrine to another.” So just a place for a walk, in other words.
“That's so cool!” he gushed, unable to resist jumping slightly. “It's like your own private trail! You can get peace and quiet whenever you want!” He would love to have a place like this! It seemed a good hiding spot from the public, actually.
Prema shook her head. “There are rooms in the shrine better suited for that purpose. Moreover, it is untrue I can come here whenever I wish.”
Maybe on the first part, though she was taking things too literally on the second. He imagined there were still soundproofed rooms in the building given its former purpose. “But it's still nice to get fresh air and exercise.” If it was between indoors and outdoors, he'd take the outdoors every time.
“Yes.”
Prema continued to lead the way until they reached a clearing. Its biggest feature was a log to sit on, but there were rocks and even grass and weeds poking out from the ground. The sounds from the shrine were inaudible this far away from it.
“I come sit in this grove on occasion,” Prema remarked.
“How often do you?”
She lightly turned away. “Admittedly, only thrice,” she said while looking at the log. She fixated on it for a second.
Was she here recently? Nori supposed she had to have been. Maybe it was something she only recently learned about. He did wonder how she found it, it wasn't like her to go exploring. Maybe he didn't know her as well as he thought!
“We should continue,” she eventually said before he could ask about it, moving to the other end of the clearing.
He didn't follow her right away. When he did, he ran out in front of her and turned around. “Wait, Prema,” he said, putting his palms out. “Can I ask you something while we're out here?” It was now or never. Probably.
She gave a calm and serene nod. “Of course, Nori.”
Okay, good. She didn't mind talking about it here. Here seemed perfect, away from anyone else. Just in case. He paced around in front of her. How was he going to say this?
“I, um.” He simply started talking, hoping just doing it would help. “Am I cursed? You can tell if I am and break it, right?”
Prema's expression faded. After a few seconds, she folded her hands. “Nori, I understand that there are times when life is frustrating. You have had to deal with far more adversity in yours than anyone should have to at your age. But I do not believe that it would be as a result of a curse.”
Where did she get that idea? Wait, no. “No, no, no!” He shuffled his feet. This was hard to explain! “I mean, I think a Pokemon might have cursed me recently. Or um, maybe it didn't. But I want to be sure! Can you check?”
That wasn't weird, was it? No, that definitely was. He slapped his forehead. But it was a peace of mind thing. He wanted to know for sure if that Ninetales did so before Pawniard…
Prema thought about it and eventually nodded. “I understand. Stand there.” She gestured near the center of the clearing, right in front of the log, and began to walk there herself.
He moved to where she indicated. “Okay. Now what?”
“Hold as still as you can.”
Prema stood in front of him. She reached out, fully outstretching her arms. Nori nearly jumped to the canopy as Prema put her hands on his shoulders. After that and as she moved her thumbs off, he froze up entirely. He wasn't expecting physical contact! Well…she said to hold still…so it sort of worked?! It was easy to hold himself steady with how tense he was.
When she released him, it was both a relief and a strange disappointment. “I do not sense one upon you,” she said simply.
He let out a heavy sigh. His legs felt like jelly. He stumbled over to sit on the log to avoid collapsing. “That's good,” he said, more to himself than to her.
Okay, so he wasn't cursed. But he could've been, if Pawniard hadn't acted fast. But if he was, Prema should've been able to break it no problem. That was good to know.
“Nori.” Prema saying his name made him look up. She was leaning in slightly, her eyes locked upon him. “Is this the only reason you wanted to visit?”
For a moment, he thought she was about to ask him what happened. But where did that come from? Whatever, he gave her a smile in response. “No, no. I wanted to see you, since you have time for me now. Plus it's the weekend, too. That was just…” He hesitated. What would she think of this? Probably nothing good, right? “Something I was wondering and figured to ask, since I'm here.”
She exhaled and simpered slowly. Her own relief did not escape him. With a gentle bow, she said, “Forgive me if you are uncomfortable with sharing. I am intrigued as to why you would worry about having been cursed.”
He should've known. He bit his lip and looked away, but kept eyeing her. Prema patiently waited, folding her hands. She gave him an out, but was it one he should take? No, she was going to wonder if he didn't tell her, so he might as well.
He rubbed his neck. “Well. I…” He huffed, scratching an itch on his neck. There was no getting around this. “Pawniard…” That was wrong, too. He forcefully shook his head, saying the last words through squinted eyes and clenched teeth. “No, we killed a Ninetales.”
Prema recoiled. Her hands flew to her mouth in a failed attempt to suppress a gasp. “What…?”
Nori leapt to his feet and started explaining as fast as he could. “We were out training on Wednesday when I heard a girl calling for help.” He started pacing aimlessly. “She was pinned under a rock. But when Pawniard saw something was wrong, she changed form and tried to kill us. I think it was because we fought her young in the woods the week before. She was angry enough to fight off the Demon. But Pawniard killed her, right as her tails were glowing.”
He only stopped when he ran out of breath. He took looked at Prema at that moment. She didn't seem to be judging him, but she usually wore a stoic mask. So who knew what was going through her mind?!
“I don't know,” he continued after a deep breath. “I don't know what to think or how I should feel about what happened. Like, I just feel like I'm going to fail my Pokemon, even though I know I'm making progress. There's good signs. But he's still…” He hurt Anthony's Pokemon, but that paled in comparision to what happened on Wednesday.
Nori didn't know what to say. He stared at Prema, non-verbally pleading with her. The longer she remained silent, the more Nori began to regret telling her what happened. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he screwed up yet another friendship! It wouldn't surprise him at all.
“I empathize,” was what she eventually said. “I have also felt that way as of late.”
She changed the subject?! Or was she simply avoiding it? Nori gulped before asking, “What do you mean by that? That you'll fail?”
Prema raised her shoulders, a faint groan escaping her. She wandered over to the log and sat upon it. Nori followed and plopped down next to her.
The future head priestess of the Kannagi Shrine turned her head to look at him. “Where should I begin?” she pondered aloud.
“Well, it's about Wednesday, isn't it?” Something evidently happened during the exorcism.
It took her a bit to verify. “Your research was correct. The spirit in the warehouse was that of Konrad Guhl.” She made a long blink.
Huh, that was a surprise. It was just an educated guess, but it was right. He couldn't help but sit up taller and smile a little.
“He wanted to battle a strong trainer before truly passing on.” She squinted and lowered her head, trembling lightly. “I could not oblige him that.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“I could not defeat him. My training, both as a priestess and a trainer, was insufficient. Moreover, he attacked me after the battle. Priestess Satomi had to save me and help me send him to the afterlife.”
He sneered. “He attacked you for losing to him?!” he yelled. “What's wrong with him? He's no better than Lochlyn Nuzzo! Well, besides killing, but still!”
“Nori…” Prema gave a helpless look. Her eyes darted around, and she even looked behind them.
He got to his feet. “Screw him!” he made his thoughts perfectly clear, waving a fist for emphasis. “He got what was coming to him! I'm glad you're okay, Prema. If I was there, I would've done the same thing!”
He sat down again and crossed his arms. Good thing she got rid of Guhl, because if she didn't, he would've let Pawniard and the Demon loose on him and his Pokemon.
“You do not understand,” Prema said, a little more forcefully. “In spite of having sympathy for him, I am under no illusions that Konrad Guhl had to be dealt with. But I feel as if I should not have needed aid at the end.” She sighed. “I am ashamed of myself.”
Oh. “I don't get why you think that. I mean, I helped you! Nariya and the others helped you! Why do you feel bad about Mrs. Kurusu helping you?”
“Because…” She paused. After about ten seconds, she chuckled quietly. “I suppose I do not really have an adequate answer.”
Nori wasn't sure what to say to that. Instead, he decided to just listen.
She looked up at the skies above. “I suppose it feels like the logical conclusion. I am the future Master of the Kannagi Shrine. I have been training for that role for a decade. I should have been able to do better.”
He shook his head in utter disgust. He put his hands on the log and leaned back. “Yeah, well, that guy was training Pokemon for even longer. No wonder you couldn't keep up.” That stuff was why he had no desire to be a serious trainer.
“But that aside,” he assured, “You have a bunch of people willing to help you and throw themselves into danger and protect you! I'd be glad to have people like that, especially if I'm leading something! And besides, there's always room to grow!”
“I suppose so,” she admitted before going quiet. She mulled over his words for over a minute.
He decided to change the subject and chance asking a question. “Well. What do you think about my situation? And Pawniard, now?” He felt his skin prickle after speaking.
She turned to him, but did not answer immediately. Eventually, she stood. For a moment, Nori was afraid she was going to walk off without answering, but instead she turned and faced him.
“Without being able to observe his behavior on a long-term basis, I cannot say for certain. Yet it is evident that he has some degree of honor and respect for you. It would have been easy for him to abandon you in the chaos of the attack. Instead, he stood and fought. He did neutralize that Ninetales, but I find it likely that he did so to stop her.”
That was…not what he was expecting out of her. Pretty to the point. It made sense, but still. Pawniard had killed again. If he'd told this to anyone else, that would be it, no matter his reasons. What was he supposed to feel about this? How should he have felt? And…
“I believe his saving you is proof that you are making progress on his rehabilitation,” Prema added.
After some more seconds to think about it, he leaned forward and stretched his limbs over his head. “I feel like her death could've been avoided. Maybe if you were there…”
Prema's expression suddenly changed to that of realization, followed by determination. “Nori, there is no sense in dwelling upon a hypothetical. There was no guarantee that my presence would have helped, or vice versa. With that said, going back to your Pokemon, I feel as though his protecting you – even if he chose to subdue your attacker lethally – is a sign that he can yet find redemption under your care.”
He blinked. Actually, it was something he had been thinking. It was something of a relief to know someone else had reached the same conclusion.
Something randomly occurred to Nori at that moment. He pressed a finger to his nose while considering it. Both him and Prema had their task go astray. Also, just like how Priestess Satomi had to step in to help, Pawniard's hand may have been forced. Maybe he was using it as an excuse to kill, but he didn't want his trainer – him – to be cursed. He respected him enough to protect him. That really was proof his rehabilitation was coming along.
“Thanks,” he said, putting his hands on the log for support. “I was thinking that, but I didn't know if it made sense.”
“It does,” she assured him with a soft nod.
“Well, for that matter,” he encouraged, getting to his feet and walking toward her. “I think you're going to make a great head priestess some day. Who cares if you needed help to send some dumb dead trainer to wherever he's going? Even if it means anything, not like you'll be head of the shrine tomorrow.”
He was just talking from the heart, but it seemed to help. Prema even had to stifle a laugh. She put a hand on her chest. “Tomorrow's wind will blow tomorrow,” she quoted a proverb.
“Right. You still have plenty of time to be worthy of taking over, and I still have time to rehabilitate Pawniard.”
“We will simply need to keep working towards our goals, little by little.”
One step at a time, one day at a time. He remembered what Priestess Satomi had told him, that Prema would be there to support him if he needed it. It seemed that he would be able to support her as well!
Then they were quiet. Again, neither of them had any idea what to say to the other from there. Nori wanted to laugh. He almost did, before Prema – who was eyeing the trail – spoke.
“We should return soon.”
“Yeah.”
They continued on. Before they left the clearing, however, Prema went “ah!” and paused in her tracks.
“One further thing,” she said, staring vacantly down the path. “Father said I should not tell anyone that I needed Priestess Satomi's help.”
He blinked. She went against her dad's wishes? Wasn't that, like, dangerous? “Really? Why did you tell me?”
The priestess inhaled and exhaled. “Because I needed to tell someone.”
In sync, the two of them turned to face each other. Their eyes met. There was a brief but long pause before Prema spoke once more.
“And, I trust you.”
He beamed. “I trust you too, Prema.”
Silence fell between the two of them once more. Yet this was more of a happy quiet. It wasn't an awkward one where neither of them had any idea what to say. It was comfortable, just being with his friend. If only he could spend more time with her.
“Let's go back,” he declared, stepping lightly.
“Of course.” She was right beside him.
Nori felt like he might just float away. Prema had opened up and looked to him for moral support. Part of him wondered if she was only friends with him to be polite, but this was proof otherwise. And he was glad to be wrong about it.
##########
Later that evening, Nori went to Gabbron Park to relax, reflect, and let his Pokemon get some exercise. Each of them was an irreplaceable companion, and Pawniard now counted among them.
There was good and bad news to come from it. The good news was that Pawniard was just sitting beside him. He wasn't picking fights or looking to cause trouble, finally seeming to realize there were more ways to enjoy life than hurting or killing. The bad news was that he was there because Pachi and the Demon didn't want to be anywhere near him. On top of that, there was still no guarantee he was going to be different in battle.
It was a strange sight to see the Demon actually playing with Pachi. A step forward for her, too. Even if it was play fighting to the point of being sparring, that was still a form of play. Nori couldn't fault them for excluding Pawniard; he had terrified and tried to attack Pachi before, and despite how violent and aggressive she had been, the Demon had never intentionally killed another Pokemon.
Pawniard, for his part, had taken it in stride. He even seemed to get a little arrogant about it before coming to sit on the bench. Maybe it was because he knew Nori wouldn't give up on him, not even for his other Pokemon. Still, Nori couldn't shake the concern from that. What was he going to do if they kept hating Pawniard? Or future assignments? It was going to be awkward at the very least.
Nori glanced at his assignment, his Pokemon. Prema had given him a lot to think about, and confirmed a lot of what he'd been thinking. Rehabilitating the Demon was a stroke of luck; this was going to take a lot more time and effort. But when he boiled it down, it was all about teaching Pawniard what was and wasn't acceptable in battle. You could bend those rules sometimes, just not cross the line completely.
Instinctively and impulsively, he reached a hand out. Pawniard's head snapped at him. Nori halted briefly, but kept moving. His Pokemon did not stop him as he gave a gentle pat on the forehead.
“We'll keep at it, a little bit at a time.”
Pawniard barely responded, but he did. Just a slow blink and a low hum. The bladed Pokemon peered upward as Nori let go.
The young official wasn't sure what he'd do from here or where the road to Pawniard's rehabilitation would take him. It was not going to be easy to tone down his Pokemon's worst habits. And he already knew he could forget about breaking them entirely. It was certainly going to take longer than it did with the Demon. But even if it was a long and arduous path, he would go wherever it led.
Continuing Slice: Blade of the Demon Tamer
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=====
######
And so this story comes to a close! If you've made it this far, thanks for sticking through it. Pawniard's rehabilitation will continue across future fics, since it's not always going to be realistic for Nori to be able to fix a Pokemon in the span of just one. Like he even realized, it was fortune with the Demon.
The idea of two concurrent fics came about as a desire to try an experimental style. Not everyone likes omniscient third person, especially if sudden. So I figured, how about the same scenes from different perspectives with different info/thoughts in each? Yes, it would have been easy to blend them: just have Prema accept and have Pawniard play a role in stopping Guhl. Besides the above, there were a couple other reasons that I didn't. The first is the plots were unrelated. Prema's contributions to Nori's plot are almost nil. Nori does step into Prema's plot, but it's as much about developing their bond and he does other things in the meantime - a big part of it was he was distracting himself from Pawniard. If they were in the same fic, I'd effectively have an A plot and B plot. It'd be possible to have merged them as brought up in the fic itself, but the second reason I didn't was because I felt I could get more development out of NOT doing so, particularly on Prema's side.
The next fic is already like 37k words done encompassing prologue to chapter 11 plus parts of chapters 12 and 14 (and some beyond), not sure how long it'll end up being in the end. It will be called Nori Carino: Abyssal Despair. What happens when a beloved celebrity dies in an accident, and the Pokemon responsible gets given to the Pokemon Rehabilitator? Not good things for anyone, really. I'll probably start posting it once it's closer to two-thirds done, depending on my pace.
