Pokémon Nori Carino: Demonic Origins

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The Demon of Veilstone: a Pokemon infamous for assaulting trainers' partners at random throughout the city. Little is known about this creature, but it is considered to be incredibly dangerous from its actions and Psychic analysis. A grim fate awaits her if she's ever caught.

Nori Carino is a 12-year-old boy who lives with his mom in a trailer park. He has no interest in Pokemon, until a chance encounter with the Demon. When he sticks up for it, he unwittingly winds up in a bet with Gym Leader Gasha Qian, with his future and the Demon's life on the line. What happens will shape not only their lives, but that of a certain priestess who aids them. Yet there's far more to this incident than meets the eye...

This is an enhanced version of the first fic in my metaseries, Training a Demon. It brings it up to my current quality standards, changes some things for consistency (mainly the directions I went in with certain characters), makes additions, and fixes some problems. Seriously, I added over 22000 words to the thing! Since it's the first in the series, you absolutely don't have to worry about reading anything else - including the two pieces that take place before this. I design it so you'll never be lost anyway, no matter where you jump in.

There's strong evidence that trigger warnings don't really work? There's been quite a few studies into this, actually. Important points: they can worsen things by increasing the anticipation, and don't have a significant effect on people avoiding content, either. It's actually a fascinating subject. So I'll hide them behind a cut, because just seeing the warning can be enough for some people:

Spoiler

Mild language, violence that mostly pushes cartoon over the top and not gritty, canonical capitalization, Nemona-level battle thirst from one character, and people eating ice cream on Sunday.

But basically? Nothing serious.

 

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Night had fallen, shrouding the land in darkness. It was a good time for a hunt. She was a beast who had covered herself in a dark bag of trash, a predator seeking her prey. She stuck whatever else she could find onto her spines and thick horn. It served to conceal her, and gave a little extra protection.

She lied in wait. There was bound to be a fool out at this hour. That was just their way. Indeed, it did not take long until she found a target. Prowling around with a big sparking cat. It stood tall on four legs, with a proud mane, a long tail that shined, and black and blue fur. She was about to beat it until it was red as well.

The enslaver was excitedly chattering about some nonsense she paid no heed to. The feline answered sharply and affirmatively. The stupid slave that it was. They passed by, ignorant to her hiding in the narrow recess. They got only a few steps further before she struck.

A shadowy power swelled in her claws as she unleashed a slash across the cat’s backside. It roared in pain before she drove her horn straight beneath its tail, knocking it prone.

Its owner scampered away and started shouting as she chomped down on its body. Words she didn’t care about, until the proverbial order: “{Thunderbolt!}”

The tail of her prey started glowing before it discharged electricity. She growled as it coursed through her, but the garbage shielded her from the brunt of it. She delivered an unempowered slash that the slave managed to only be nicked by.

“What do think you’re–” the hapless slave coughed from the poison circulating in its body, but she was in no mood to make conversation.

“Shut up and die!”

The darkness manifested in her claws once more. She lunged with the intent to hurt. Fur and more went flying as she struck hard and precise. The slave fell, roaring and writhing in agony. The deed was done and it only took seconds. She ran off victorious, having punished another.

The fool had another imprisonment sphere in hand, barely caring for their slave, but it was much too late to stop her. While making her escape, she heard them gag in horror. They shouted a horrid realization.

“{That was the Demon!} {Help!}”

##########​

Twelve-year-old Nori Carino was sitting across from his mom in their trailer, enjoying their dinner. Their resemblance to each other was very apparent in their complexion and their hair. It was more apparent when her black hair wasn’t done up in a ponytail; his was barely neck-length and chestnut, but they grew the same way. Her eyes were an earthy brown to his deep red, but they also had a similar softness in them.

“Just ramen tonight, huh?” the boy asked, stirring it with his fork. There weren’t even any crackers to eat the broth with or vegetables on the side.

“Sorry, Nori,” his mom said, lowering her head slightly. “Money is a little short right now.”

“Huh, that’s rare. Did you overspend by accident?” She didn’t answer this, and instead started to dig into her meal. Probably did, he figured, as he twirled his own and got into it.

They were low income, surviving only on the assistance they got from the government each month. They could only afford so much power in the trailer each day, which they reserved for cooking and heat during cold nights.

Their home was a compact but fully functional space: a master bed at the back end, a bunk above the vehicle’s seats, and a third near the middle right where they were sitting if you folded down the table and pulled a center segment out. Directly across was the sink, with the bathroom behind a door to the right. There was little room for anything except what was built into the vehicle, and whatever you could cram into the closets and drawers.

It was a life that shocked some of his peers, but they made everything work. It wasn’t like there was nothing they could do for fun. He liked getting out and exploring around town; he was pretty athletic, only held back from really making something of it by his short legs. Otherwise, they could find entertainment at the library and on the trailer’s radio.

“Turning to local news now,” the reporter said. The news was one of his favorite things to listen to, behind only radio dramas. “The Master of the Kannagi Shrine is in town! Haruto Kannagi was spotted heading to city hall yesterday afternoon. The purpose for his visit has not yet been revealed, but speculation is that they will be hosting a festival in Veilstone in the near future. We have not been able to get in contact with Master Haruto, but witnesses reported seeing notorious youth protester Louis Trussel speaking with the shrine’s heir in a supermarket earlier today.”

His mom snorted. “Go figure,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Damn religion trying to creep its way in here and ruin our festivals.”

“Maybe it’s just for a religious thing,” Nori remarked. If it was, they wouldn’t have to worry since they wouldn’t go anyway. He didn’t hate religion like his mom, but he didn’t care for it either. Though it’d be kind of annoying if they tried to push it on him like one would-be friend did. That aside, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “I wasn’t expecting to hear about Louis on the news like that.”

His mom arched an eyebrow, turning to the radio and back to him. “Isn’t he that one who runs that YAMS group or whatever it’s called?”

“Yeah, but they mean well,” he told her. “They actually started it as an anti-bullying group at school, a couple months before they graduated.” He took another bite of noodles. Louis and his friends probably continued helping others at their middle school.

They actually stuck up for him once when he was in third grade. He remembered it well, mostly for the look on the face of his former nemesis. Not that he needed the help to deal with him, but it was priceless seeing Louis and Mariko show up and tell off that rich idiot.

“If you say so.” His mom shrugged. “Doesn’t really affect us.”

“I guess not,” he agreed. Louis was three years older than him, so it wasn’t like they were going to see each other in middle or high school. Still, he spoke with the heir of a religious shrine? He was genuinely curious as to what Louis wanted to talk to them about. Or why the heir had even bothered. Wouldn’t they have had better things to be doing?

They continued to eat in silence for several minutes after that. Once his mom was finished, she sat back in contemplation. He could tell, because whenever she did, she always looked upward with a finger on her lips.

“Say, Nori?” she spoke up.

Nori finished the last bite of noodles. There was just the broth left. She was looking right at him with pursued lips and a serious gaze. “Yeah, ma?”

She leaned over the table slightly. “Have you thought about what you want to do yet? Any goal to work towards?”

“Not yet. But like I said, anything’s fine as long as I’m making a difference in the world.” He wished he could be going out and making a difference right now, like Louis was. But he supposed there were few ways someone as young as him could do that.

“Well, what about being a Pokemon Trainer?” she suddenly lobbed.

He blinked. Where was this coming from, all of a sudden?! “Ma, you know I don’t want to!” he said, his fists clenching involuntarily. “You know I already said no to that back then! You know…”

He shut his eyes as bad memories came flooding back. There was a time when he could have gone on a journey, but he said no. He stupidly said no. Nori wished he hadn’t. Even if it would’ve wasted months of his life that he’d have to make up in school.

He vigorously shook his head. “I don’t care. I can’t go back on that! It wouldn’t mean anything, anyway!”

“It’s fine, I was just asking,” his mom said, raising a hand. “It was just something I’d thought about.”

Nori crossed his arms and turned away. “Fine.”

“Anyway, I’m going to go finish this book,” she said, grabbing the romance novel from the sill. “It’s due in two days, and I only just started.”

He nodded at her. It was a good thing she was a quick reader. “Okay. Thanks for dinner, ma.”

As she left and closed the curtain on her bed area, the boy sat back with a heavy sigh. Talk about having your mood spoiled.

What a stupid idea. Sure, a bunch of kids his age, older ones, and even adults went out trying to make it big in training Pokemon or anything else like it. But few ever succeeded. You had to work at it, and probably fail anyway because of someone too strong who was at it for longer than you. He didn’t want to get into that competitive stupidness, and their budget made it hard to own one. After all, you had to care for them afterward.

He could do anything with his life if he put his mind to it. He could be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a news anchor, or even just help others like Louis was doing. But a Pokemon Trainer? No. He hoped that was the last time she ever brought that up, but a rising pit in his stomach warned him otherwise.

 

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Nori was sitting in the front seat of the trailer. It was funny being behind the wheel, since he didn’t know how to drive yet. Not that his mom drove it either, though they had a gas can and working tires if she needed to. He was listening to one of his favorite radio dramas: Crime By Starlight. They played new episodes every other Friday for the most part, and today was picking up from a big cliffhanger.

The forests outside Ecruteak City. A holy path forbidden for most men to tread foot. Yet on this dark night, a duo was stalking through these sacred golden woods. They were on the run from the law, hoping to receive sanctuary from the priests dwelling in the Suzu Tower. They walked quietly, so that the leaves beneath their feet did not crunch.

While the series focused on the characters and the conversations, the narration was great as well. The guy who did it spoke in a deep voice, perfectly dramatic without sounding too corny. Ambient noise accompanied the script; in this case, wind, crickets, and the cries of Hoothoots.

“Truman.”

“Yeah, Hideki?”

“Why do you trust me?”

“I know we never saw eye-to-eye, but I know you. And you never seemed the type.”

“I’m accused of the Goldenrod Mall Bombings. Those ain’t light charges. They’ll do anything to bring me to justice.”

“Are you admitting to it?”

“No. I just wanted to say, thank you.”

“Anytime. Just doing what’s right.”

Nori smiled. He liked crime dramas like these the most. And this was intense. A cop and his homeless friend on the run from the greater authorities. But Truman was taking a big risk here! There was his family and his job and his freedom on the line!

Our heroes remained silent as they continued their trek. Soon, Hideki spoke up to his savior, still in awe of his unwavering belief.

“How’s Cass doin’?”

“Pregnant with our first kid.”

“You rash jerk. Don’t go dying ‘till we get out of this mess. You gotta do good by getting back to her.”

“I know. Got a future to look forward to. But I’ll be helping you get yours.”

They were interrupted by seeing the glint of a flashlight. They heard a man’s voice and the bark of a Growlithe.

“I see two figures, that may be them. Get out your Pokemon.”

They had been spotted. The two glanced at each other. Hiding was impossible against a police Pokemon’s nose. The tower was fifty meters away, too far to make a clean break for. There was nothing to do but fight their way there. They reached for their own Pokemon.

“You ready?”

“Always.”

“Then let’s get rolling.”

Right as the battle was about to begin, an arm reached forward and switched the radio off. The boy whipped back and glared at his mom.

“I was listening to that, ma!” He always hated being interrupted in the middle of something by someone who wanted to talk to him. There were reruns, sure, but he always listened to the first broadcast! At least he had no one to really talk about them with, but still!

His mom stood behind him as a towering presence. Nori didn’t get it. There were no chores to be done, and he hadn’t done anything wrong recently. What was this about?

“Nori, we need to have a talk about your future,” she said, placing her hands on her hips.

He cocked his head. “Um, I’m only twelve? Isn’t it a bit soon to be thinking about that?”

“Nori,” she said, closing her eyes. She sighed heavily before continuing. “I know this is going to be asking a lot of you. But I want you to reconsider going on a journey, regardless of what happened with Claris in the past.”

He tensed up at the mention of her name. There was that stupid out-of-nowhere request again. “But I don’t want to!” he repeated, getting out of the seat. He gave a hard stare at the little nook near the table. “It’s not going to get me anywhere, and I don’t want to go back on it because of what happened with Claris!”

Claris Willins, a dear friend he met back in first grade. They were very close in spite of their class differences. She wanted him to travel with her. She had everything set up and ready to go, even some technical things. He refused and messed everything up! He got into fights over it! He wasn’t going back on that, never ever!

“Besides,” he said, a smile of realization creeping onto his lips. “Isn’t it a hassle to get set up?” As cheap as a Pokemon journey was due to all the free amenities, you still had to register and that did cost money. Not a lot of money, but their budget was that tight. And she said it was tighter than usual this month.

“That isn’t an issue.”

He recoiled as his mom pulled out a laminated thing and held it in front of him. He idly grabbed it. Nori had seen trainer cards a few times at school, and this appeared to be the skeleton of one. It had his name and birthday, though the ID number said it was provisional and there was a ‘Now Printing’ message where a photo was to go.

“What is this?” he asked, turning it over repeatedly. “How did you afford it?” Was that why they didn’t have a lot of money this month?

“It came from the Willins family, a long time ago,” she said, closing her eyes. “This was supposed to be yours.”

A trainer card, maybe Claris’ last gift to him. He felt his pulse heighten as he stared at it. How differently would things have gone had he said yes to her? It was too late for that. It was too late to think about Pokemon.

He let it fall from his hands and slowly shook his head. “But I don’t want to be a Pokemon trainer.” That was all he could think to say about it. “Besides, what if I fail? And I probably will. That’s a year of my life gone. Then we’ll have a bunch of Pokemon to look after.”

“Nori, I think you could really succeed if you put your mind to it.” It was encouragement, but her hands were on her hips. Her usual pose when being assertive. “You don’t have to like it, but it may be something you’ll need to do.”

It momentarily stunned him. “But… I can’t. No, I don’t get it.” He wasn’t just saying that to try to avoid this. “Where’s this coming from? Wouldn’t this be invalid? And what do you mean by I need to do it?”

She couldn’t make him. Going on a journey wasn’t something you had to do, and it was against the law to kick your kid out of the house before they turned a legal adult. That wasn’t the same as the journeying age. Which wasn’t even the same age as owning Pokemon for that matter.

She shook her head. “It’s still valid, I checked. I want you to head down to the local trainers’ office today to finish getting that filled out. Please, Nori. Are we clear?”

“Um, I…” If he got one of these, there’d be too many expectations. How was he supposed to get out of this?!

There was an abrupt pounding on the side door of the trailer. Nori very blatantly sighed in relief at the interruption. “I’ll get it,” he quickly offered, shoving past his mom to open it.

“Hiya, Nori!” greeted a young girl with pink hair tied into pigtails. She was wearing a simple blue v-shirt and jean shorts.

“Oh, hey Maylene.” It was good to see it was a friend and not some random stranger or neighbor. She may have been three grades behind him, but neither of them let that get in the way of their friendship.

“Guess what?” Before he could even open his mouth to try to guess, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a single bill of money. “I just got my allowance!”

“Whoa.” A 1000P note. He wasn’t sure what the average allowance was, but it made him marvel. If he were to be a trainer, that’d be five Poke Balls.

The girl beamed with pride as she stuffed the banknote back into her pocket. “Wanna go out and get food?”

“That’d be great!” he agreed in a heartbeat. He’d have done so even if he hadn’t had a situation he needed to get away from. He rarely got to do stuff like this these days. Nori swiftly grabbed his green coat off the back of the passenger seat, just in case it started raining. He always liked its leafy pattern. “Ma, I’m heading out with Maylene! I’ll be back later!”

“Take your trainer card with–” she started to say, but he was gone before she could finish.

---​

It was not a pleasant day outside. August would soon be giving way to September, and the weather was caught between two seasons. A sheet of clouds had painted the sky a silvery gray. They offered little respite from the heat, which was made worse by the only moisture being in the air. Staying indoors was preferable on days like these, even for someone like Nori who got out often. Still, he was not about to let it get in the way of spending time with a friend.

Moments after the boy stepped out, something assaulted his nostrils. With one glance, he instantly found the source of the horrid stench. His neighbor Rashid’s family had been letting their garbage pile up again, and it seemed a wild Pokemon got into it last night. But it wasn’t his mess to clean up, nor the time for him to volunteer.

“Well hello there, Nori.” He had taken only a couple steps when an old lady in a blue dress waved to him. The trailer park was a tight-knit community, always friendly to one another. Everyone knew everyone, and were willing to say hello to or help their neighbors if need be. “Heading out with your friend?” she asked as she idly swept the area around her home.

“Yup, Mrs. Ito.” Speaking of which, said friend was cheerfully bounding forth, oblivious to his momentary pause. Nori hustled to keep up with her. He only made it a short distance before another person addressed him.

“Howdy, Nori.” He turned and saw a boy his age dressed in overalls and a sun hat, sitting on the roof of his family’s trailer. “Lookit this here satellite dish Pops bought. Gets us more channels ‘en some of ‘em rich folk.” He ran his finger along the antenna.

Nori nodded. “Not bad, Waylon.” He’d have to check that out some time, but not now.

“Namaste, Norcar!” called a voice from behind. Nori kept on walking, but looked over his shoulder to see his neighbor Rashid jogging toward him. An older teenager with tan skin, dressed in simple jeans and a white tank top. “There is a new thing I have obtained. Do you want to come see?”

“No.” He was sure what it was, no need to ask or check. Rashid was a friend, but really weird when it came to girls in magazines. It was a good thing he came outside, though. He pointed at the mess. “And tell your parents to clean that trash up.”

Rashid turned and saw it. He cursed in his native language and ran back inside his home. Nori sighed in relief. Hopefully, it would be gone by the time he got back.

“Hey, hey! What’s taking you?” Maylene called out. She was peeking around the corner of the fence encircling the trailer park.

“Oh, just saying hi to some people.” He got too distracted there. So he ran to catch up.

Maylene first led them straight across the road. After two blocks, a flashy red and white sign he hadn’t seen before caught his attention. It read ‘EXCA-GIFT SHOP!’ with a stylized drill in place of the letter I. So that was what that new building near the archaeological research center was for!

He knew Veilstone City like the back of his hand, and seeing how it developed was one of the ways he entertained himself. It was one of the more isolated cities in Sinnoh: the closest major towns were hours away by vehicle. Yet because of how it compensated for that, it had ironically become a popular destination for intra-regional tourists. One of the biggest attractions was the large shopping center in the middle of town. Nori had never been in there except to look, but he knew that it had just about anything anyone could want, including imported goods you’d have trouble finding anywhere else in the region.

The other big attraction was the Game Corner at the southern end of town. It had a family-friendly image ever since the current owner and town’s Gym Leader took over. Even kids Maylene’s age were welcome there. Finally, the radio station he had been listening to earlier used to be based out of Veilstone. But because it was so popular, they moved broadcasting to Hearthome two months back to reach a wider audience. It subsequently left the building on the hills in the northwest vacant.

“Hey, what’s up?” Maylene turned around and started walking backwards, looking at him as she spoke. “Did something happen?”

“Oh, uh.” No surprise his friend noticed he was absorbed in thought. At least he could vent to Maylene about it. “She wants me to go on a journey.”

“I thought you didn’t want to go on one?” the girl asked, craning her neck.

“I don’t, and I thought she knew that.” What caused this sudden change of tune? “I even reminded her why.”

“Like how you said wanna do something that means something?”

“Even then!” he grumbled. Though it was hardly the only reason.

She put her hands on her cheeks and stretched out her fingers. “Oh, wow.”

“I just don’t get it.” He shook his head. “Why’s she bringing it up suddenly? And what’s the appeal of going on one?” Claris had a good reason. But she was the exception and not the rule. Most just had dreams of self-centered glory.

“Yeah, I don’t get it either!” Maylene’s face clouded over as she seemed to remember something. “Oh yeah…” she groaned. “I got made fun of again yesterday.”

“Ugh. Again?”

She solemnly nodded. “I ran into some classmates. They’ve been using summer break to get ready for when they can go on journeys. They called me weird and other mean stuff for not wanting to. One of them tried to push me into a tree.” The girl shuddered as she recalled this.

Nori wished he had words for that. It felt like most people wanted to go on a journey at some point in their life. A few as soon as they were allowed to, others eventually. But they didn’t want to, which made them outliers. The way he saw it, there were just too many negatives.

Their walk continued in silence for half a minute, until Maylene asked, “Did you have to put up with it, too? What did you do?”

“It was…complicated.” He really didn’t want to revisit that time. “But for what I did, it was the same way we became friends.”

The girl beamed wildly. “You mean you punched those bullies in the face too?!”

“Er, no.” Well, not that time. “But they knew I probably would if they talked smack to me.”

Nori had a reputation for fighting he was sometimes uncomfortable with. He rarely went picking fights, but he’d always hit back. The closest he came to starting one was when he punched a rich jerk for being classist, except that punch also ended it. The suspension was worth it. A week later, a sixth-year tried to push him around, the rumor around the playground being he was paid to do so. But Nori knew how to fight. He tripped the bigger kid and pummeled him. People generally left him alone after that incident, for better or worse.

“Can you do that to them for me too?” Maylene asked, flashing him baby Houndour eyes. “Again?”

“I’ll yell at them.” Just the threat would be enough, he hoped. He was willing to stick up for others – that was how he met Maylene, in fact – but you couldn’t always get physical with your problems.

It was enough for Maylene at least. She gave him a quick hug. “Yay! Thanks, Nori! You’re the best!”

At this point, he couldn’t help but snort. “Not everyone has to do something involving Pokemon. While they’re off doing that, we’ll be here learning and getting ahead of them!”

“Yeah! You’re right!” Maylene agreed with a spinning leap. She put her arms up in the air. “I don’t know what I wanna do when I grow up, but I’ll make sure it’s something really great!”

“Same here. I want to make a real difference, whatever it is I’m doing!”

The girl stopped. “Hey, we’re here!” she said, pointing up at the sign on the brown brick structure before them.

“Ten Berries Ice Cream?” Nori read aloud. There were a pair of tables with umbrellas in front of the store. A lone teenage boy was sitting at the one on the right. He could already smell the peculiar scent of those tree fruit. Nori suspected they had left a door or window open out back on purpose. “A dessert place?” It was nice, but he was expecting to have actual food!

“Yup, yup, yup!” the girl confirmed. “Let’s go eat ice cream together!” Before he could protest, she grabbed him by the hand and practically hauled him inside.

Nori took note of the minimalist design of the small store as they entered. There were a good ten or so people, so it must have been doing all right for itself. The only decor was a stock painting of a Ralts on the wall, and a big box television atop a drawer behind the counter. There were simple tables and chairs scattered across the dining area, and a line of elevated swivel seats with no backsides in front of the counter. Most importantly, the place was cleanly.

Maylene let go and skipped over to a set of free chairs near the counter. She put her hands on the disc-shaped seat, flailing as she tried to get atop it. As Nori got closer, he lifted her by the torso. He easily got his friend up there before sitting down to her right.

“Thanks! Wish I was big like you, Nori.”

“You should be soon. Everyone grows a bit differently.” He was short by his age’s standards, for example. “You’re probably close to hitting your first big growth spurt.”

The clerk approached them. He was a tall, slim man with graying orange hair and hazel eyes. He had on a simple white shirt and black dress pants, alongside a paneled cap and clear gloves. “Welcome! Now what can I get you kids here today?”

Maylene pulled out her allowance and placed it on the table. “What kinda ice cream can we get for this much?”

“For the two of you?” The man smiled warmly. “Just about whatever you want, little lady.”

“Then I’ll have a Nanab-Razz split with Nutpeas in it!” With how quickly she answered, Nori figured she must have had that in mind from the start.

As the clerk’s eyes fell on him, he answered instinctively. “I’ll have a cherry…sorry, no. I mean a Pecha sundae.” Good thing he remembered this place worked with berries, or he would’ve ended up with a Cheri sundae. Stupid homonyms made him end up with a stupidly spicy thing once.

The man punched it into the register. Nori frowned for a moment as the two desserts rang up. That was more than they had.

“Comes to 1040p with tax. But I’ll cover the extra.” He gave them a small wink as he slid the bill into his hands and stuffed it in the register.

That was nice of him. For a second there, he thought they weren’t going to be able to have what they wanted because of the extra cost. “Thank you,” he said, nudging Maylene after a moment to say so too.

“Thanks, mister, um?” She tilted her head.

The man saluted. “Douglas Eis, at your service. Owner of this establishment. I’ll go get your treats ready.” That explained why he could get away with it.

Maylene started fidgeting restlessly the moment the man stepped into the backroom. His friend always disliked any sort of waiting. He didn’t mind. It was just a matter of finding things to keep busy with.

Nori turned his attention to the television, which was showing the noon news. A bald news anchor in a black suit was on camera.

“The wild Pokemon known only as the Demon has struck again,” the man said darkly. “At around 10:30 last night, a trainer was practicing near the Veilstone docks in preparation for her upcoming Gym battle. The Demon attacked and injured the trainer’s Luxray before making its escape.”

Black and white footage appeared, showing a garbage-covered quadrupedal beast leaping onto its target from out of frame. Slashing and biting, it shrugged off an electrical attack and downed its target by inflicting a grisly wound. The whole thing was over in ten seconds, the creature retreating as suddenly as it came.

“The Pokemon, seen here in surveillance footage, goes into battle coated in material like a Burmy would. It has been challenging and assaulting trained and wild Pokemon without provocation in and around Veilstone City for the past year. It remains at large and its species unknown. We take you now to reporter Akari Schrader, who conducted an interview with the victim–”

“Bo-ring!” came the flippant shout of his friend. She nudged him with her elbow. “I wanna watch cartoons. Can you change the channel, Nori?”

“People would get mad if I did that.” Both the people who were watching the TV and the staff. Some were giving her odd looks just from the suggestion.

“Hey, hey, Nori.” She prodded his shoulder until he looked back over at her. “I just remembered something I wanted to ask you! Can I ask you?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Are you supposed to capitalize Pokemon names?”

“Yeah, you do. Pokemon names are proper nouns, just like the term. They’re written like that in books and official documents and stuff.” He was always willing to help his friend when she asked him about schoolwork. Yet school was out, so what brought this on?

“But that’s not what my cousin said. I showed her the story I got in Language class I got an A on, and she said I shouldn’t do that!”

That explained it. Nori almost instinctively leaned back before remembering the seats didn’t have backs. “Well, your cousin’s a stupid moron,” he spoke his mind up-front. “If you didn’t capitalize them, you wouldn’t have gotten an A.”

Maylene blinked in realization. “Oh yeah, school’s starting again soon.” She groaned, placing her hands on the counter. “Ugh, I wish summer vacation would last forever.”

He had to admit, “It’d be nice.” Whenever he was on break, that meant not having to deal with hostile classmates. But besides the implications of summer lasting forever, there was another issue. “If that happened though, we wouldn’t be able to learn for our futures.”

“I know, but I like to do whatever I want every day!”

“Yeah, true. I do too.”

The backroom door swung open. The owner emerged, carrying a tray with their ice cream. They were each in tin cups just big enough to contain them. “All right, here you kids go. Eat up and enjoy.”

“Yay!” Maylene wasted little time in shoveling several spoonfuls of the dessert into her mouth.

Nori had barely gotten his spoon in and scooped some of his own before she had gulped that down. “Don’t eat too fast,” he advised. “You’ll get an ice cream headache.”

“But this is so yummy!”

He shrugged and took a bite. Not bad. Pecha berries were nice and sweet, though not his first choice for a fruit. He preferred to eat slowly. He didn’t get a lot of chances to have things like this, so he always savored them when he did.

Suddenly, Maylene started hacking. It was no surprise to Nori given how fast she was eating. Good thing it was just ice cream and ground up berries. He smacked her on the back a few times, helping to dislodge the fluid from her windpipe. Eventually her coughing fit stopped. The boy smiled at her.

“That can also happen if you eat too fast,” he explained before scooping another modest spoonful of his own treat.

She lowered her head apologetically. “I’ll eat slower now.”

That settled that. Nori took another bite and glanced back over at the television. The report about the Demon of Veilstone had ended. It was fun to follow for a Pokemon story. He was just surprised she hadn’t been caught or killed yet.

“Turning to professional training news now,” the anchor spoke over an aerial shot of a huge ovular building. Instantly recognizable as one of the region’s landmarks, the Contest Hall in Hearthome City. “The Grandmaster Rank Contest showdown yesterday involving regional Gym Leaders Fantina Couture and Gasha Qian ended in an unprecedented draw.”

Clips of the Contest followed. “Gasha prevailed in the first set, with her Dustox edging out Fantina’s Jellicent. Fantina answered back in the second, her Mismagius cleanly outperforming Tentacruel. In the third set, after three rounds had passed, their signature Drifblim ‘Loony’ and Skuntank ‘D’Alembert’ both scored an equal amount of points. Judges have been deliberating how to handle this situation–”

“Hey!” Nori sharply turned to see the teenager from outside the store holding the door open and gesticulating wildly. “There’s something going on out here!”

He turned back and had a bit more of his sundae. Why should he care about whatever it was when the guy didn’t care to be specific about it? Though it was made clear anyway when the chanting of a group of young people became audible.

“This is all a fail! Send Eis back to jail!”

Nori perked up. There could only be one group that was doing that. Louis and the rest of his protest group, Youths Against Mistaken Society.

“Do they mean Mr. Eis?” Maylene asked with curiosity.

They looked at the man himself, whose expression had darkened. He was clenching his fists, but was otherwise still and silent.

“What do they want? I wanna go see!” The little girl shoveled what was left of her dessert into her mouth. Without waiting for Nori, she hopped out of her seat and ran out the door.

There was still about half of his dessert remaining. “Could I get that to go after this?” he asked. Eis nodded, taking it and placing it in a freezer as Nori went outside to join his friend. What was this about? Louis wouldn’t do something without a good reason, but this felt extreme. There was only one way to find out.

 

[System Error]

It was the evening before the latest protest of Youths Against Mistaken Society. Shades of orange, violet, and adjacent colors painted the sky. A gentle breeze was flowing in from the north. Yet sheets of darkness lay on the horizon, like a Gengar lurking in the shadows. Cloudy weather was coming, in more ways than one.

Louis Trussel enjoyed going on walks. They helped to clear his mind, allowing him to consider their arguments from new angles. It was always welcome when his friends joined him, so he could bounce ideas off them. Today, it was one of the co-founders of his group: Mariko Urusai.

“I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow,” he remarked to the redhead as he gestured to the clouds moving in. The weather channel had said it would only be overcast, but nothing in the world was reliable. Poor weather meant fewer people who went out, so he scheduled protests around it. The more eyes on them, the better.

“That’s what raincoats and umbrellas were invented for,” she quipped with a smirk. Louis had to smile back. He supposed that they would have to wear theirs, just in case. “This is big enough that whoever’s there will spread it around.”

Louis hummed. “You never know.”

It was one thing to raise awareness about an issue. It was another for people to pay attention, and further still for something to be done about it. Louis was well aware that they were controversial figures around town. Taking a stand tended to make certain people angry. Others refused to upset the status quo out of convenience or apathy. Not them.

“This has to be the most serious protest we’ve ever had,” he remarked.

“No kidding, right?” Mariko snorted, looking up at the sky. With a sigh, she reflected, “Remember when it was just you, me, and Nariya stopping bullies at school?”

“After which, we moved on to problems around the city, chiefly the plans to build more warehouses by cutting into parkland.” Louis still looked back fondly on that. They kicked the Vespiquen’s nest enough to keep that from happening. Every time he passed by Asweil Park and saw people or their Pokemon playing there, he was reminded of what the difference they had made. “We’ve come a long way since then.”

His friend nodded firmly. “For sure. We helped stop that, and we’ll stop this, too!” She pounded a fist into a palm.

Her bold declaration reminded him of a question on his mind. “By the way, I was wondering something, Mariko. How did you find out about this?”

“It was out in the open, believe it or not,” she explained. “I read a news article about a new ice cream shop in town getting rave reviews. I thought the guy’s name sounded familiar, so I looked it up. Same guy as before. I saw the pictures, and it’s the same face.”

Louis crossed his arms, drumming a finger on his elbow. “If it was that easy, then I’m surprised no one else has made the connection until now. It has been what, two or three months since the place opened?”

A shrug. “Yeah. Maybe no one bothered to say anything, but that ends tomorrow. People deserve to be aware of his past.”

That they did. When someone dangerous was in your city, the public needed to be aware of them. There was no telling if they would lapse back into old habits.

Mariko yawned and stretched her arms over her head. “Well, we better go home and get some rest. Going to be a big day tomorrow.”

More than usual, yes. He glanced at the green and white sign down the road. “Mom told me to pick up some groceries from the supermarket while I was out. I might grab some snacks as well.” Louis was thankful that his parents supported his endeavors.

“Already spent all my allowance this month,” his friend grumbled. “Otherwise I’d come with you.”

It couldn’t be helped. “Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at ten.”

“Ten sharp, right.” They would do last-minute planning and head over when they were ready.

With that, they went their separate ways. Tomorrow wasn’t going to be difficult. He was sure that people would listen when they heard what they had to say. In fact, he was certain that someone was going to bring it up eventually. But if they had to be the ones to do it first, then he would gladly bear the burden that came with it.

The automatic doors of the Inageya Supermarket slid open as he approached them. Louis grabbed a basket and set about his business.

As he passed the vegetable aisle, he spotted a young woman in a violet robe with golden trim. He stopped in place and examined the green-haired individual further. A floral pattern was on the outfit. His eyes were indeed not playing tricks. Improper as it might have been, he hurried over to chat with her.

##########​

“This is all a fail! Send Eis back to jail! This is all a fail! Send Eis back to jail!”

Maylene waved at Nori as he emerged. He returned the gesture and stood beside her. A number of other guests and bystanders had also come to see what the commotion was.

“We are Youths Against Mistaken Society!” announced Mariko Urusai. She had distinctive short red hair, a slender figure, and tomboyish clothing – presently jean shorts and a white shirt over a brown leather jacket. Nori also knew her, and not just as Louis’ friend. Sixth-years ran the PA during lunch hour, and Mariko was among those that did. She often got in trouble for her more personal complaints and announcements. She was never banned from the mic, oddly.

Louis Trussel himself stepped out in front. He was dressed finely in a yellow polo shirt with black slacks, and a light gray raincoat over top. He had slicked back his turquoise hair. Louis was his class president when he was in sixth grade, and also represented the graduates. It was always kind of strange to Nori how two people so opposite would associate with each other. Strange bedfellows, as they said.

There was someone else he vaguely remembered. A tall girl with messy black hair, wearing a loose-fitting orange shirt and plaided khakis. He had seen her hanging out with Louis and Mariko in the past. She was trying to hide in the back, but she towered over everyone else, so it was ineffective. Nori guessed that the remaining two were siblings because they had the same light brown hair and dark brown eyes. Their clothes were pretty different, though: he wore a sky-blue shirt and bell-bottom jeans, she had a frilly bright pink shirt with a white skirt.

“Good afternoon. We apologize for the interruption, but there is something we wish to inform you of.” Louis spoke calmly and clearly, as if he were making a speech. “Douglas Eis, the person who owns this establishment, is a former member of Team Rocket. He used to be one of their top street operatives in Celadon City.”

Gasps rang through the crowd, and all heads turned to the man who had emerged. He showed no fear in the face of the accusation, staring daggers at the quintet of YAMS.

Their leader continued. “Two years ago, when the organization went down, he was arrested and charged. He was paroled five months ago, and is now working here in our city.”

Nori tapped his lips. Team Rocket was an infamous gang that operated primarily out of Kanto. They were all over the news back then for finally being shut down by the Officials after their leader had gone missing. They apparently had an idea who it was, but didn’t have enough evidence to charge them.

“We don’t want him here!” shouted the male sibling.

“Yeah!” agreed the female. “He’s a criminal!”

Eis cut in. “That’s all in my past. I admit it’s not the cleanest.” He sighed with regret before looking up. “But I served my time, and I’m trying to make good, honest work now.”

The onlookers chattered, a mixture of uncertainty and mild acceptance. Nori smiled. So what if he was in that gang before? He was good now and trying to put it behind him!

“That isn’t what this is about!” shouted the brown-haired girl. Evidently, it wasn’t enough to satisfy the protest group.

“You were hiding it from everyone, weren’t you?!” Mariko demanded.

Eis again shook his head. “I’m under no obligation to tell it to everyone I meet,” he affirmed.

“Regardless,” Louis spoke on. “You were convicted of four counts of battery and six counts of issuing threats against humans and Pokemon, with multiple other crimes unproven in court. You were also named as having used a Pokemon that underwent an experimental conversion to corrupt their mind.”

That got people’s attention, making them start to turn their leers on Eis. Nori remained unbothered. There had to be another side to this.

The man remained silent for several seconds. He clutched at himself and lowered his head. “I was given that one,” he lamented. “I was uncomfortable with it, but the higher-ups made me. Glad the boss decided to stop using them.”

Murmurs. Nori vaguely remembered hearing about that from the news a while back, but he couldn’t recall the exact details.

“Given your history and how soon you were released, there are those of us who find it hard to believe you have truly atoned.” The turquoise-haired teenager stood tall and addressed the crowd. “Studies have shown that people who have committed violent offenses once are likely to fall back into criminal life at some point.”

“What’s more, there’s been reports of Rocket sightings in the southern regions, like Sevii and Johto!” Mariko added with a sneer and accusatory point. “How do we know you’re not going to bring them here too?!”

“Hey! Stop this!” Maylene suddenly stepped forward and got in their faces. She balled her hands into fists, looking ready to swing them at a moment’s notice. “Mr. Eis is very nice! He makes lots of yummy ice cream! Why are you being so mean to him?”

They fell silent. Nori had to stifle a laugh. Others were not as merciful. Here was this group of teenagers looking to make a big fuss, and they were being talked down by a third-grade girl. Mariko and Louis exchanged glances. They were awkwardly silent.

“You’ll…understand when you get older.” It was the tall girl in the back who meekly spoke up. These words were enough for Mariko to start up again.

“Yeah, so keep quiet if you don’t know.” She glanced over at Nori and attacked them out of nowhere. “Eight-year-olds like you shouldn’t be hanging out with twelve-year-olds like him.”

“I’m NOT eight!” she yelled, stamping a foot. “I’m nine!”

They now looked at Nori. He shrugged. “She’s like a little sister to me.” At least, he assumed it’s what having a little sister was like.

“Whatever, it’s not the point here,” the redhead grumbled. She turned back to Eis. “The point is your criminal past! You need to–”

Eis cut off her rant. “Enough, you brats. Get on out of here before I call the police.”

“We should be calling the police on you, you scumbag! You’re giving this little girl the wrong kinds of impressions!”

She was held back from physically marching up by Louis, who turned her around and looked her in the eye. “Mariko, calm down,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder and patting it. “We got it out in the open, that’s all we needed to do. We made a difference here today.”

“Damn it.” Mariko looked away with resigned irritation.

“Let’s head back to our meeting place.”

The brown-haired boy and girl looked at each other, the latter speaking up for both of them. “Sorry, Louis. Mom said she wants us home right after the protest.” So they were siblings.

“And I have to go, um. Work on…a thing for school.” The tall girl looked away as she said this, fidgeting with her hands. “I put it off and break’s almost over.”

Mariko arched an eyebrow. “Really, Nariya?”

“I know, sorry!” Nariya shook her hands. “But I should be able to get it done fast!”

Louis nodded at them. He looked at Mariko. “In that case, it will be better to hold off until tomorrow. I’ll see you all at the usual time if that’s all right.” He eyed the siblings.

“It should be, yes,” the boy replied.

The girl nodded. “We’ll let you know if it isn’t.”

With that, they started heading away in different directions. The onlookers dispersed or went back into the store as they did so, as did the man himself.

That was an unpleasant distraction, Nori thought as he put a hand on his hip. Made even more unpleasant by how he somehow ended up getting involved. At least it was nothing compared to some of the things he’d put up with before.

“Well, there is one other thing. Nori Carino.”

“Wha…?” Louis was talking to him? He almost lost his breath for a second. That was something he hadn’t expected! He knew Louis, but didn’t think Louis knew him beyond almost being Claris Willins’ boyfriend. He especially wasn’t expecting him to want to talk cordially. Nori wasn’t an unknown himself in Veilstone, but still! He stood tall and smiled at him.

“It’s good to see you,” Louis said with a nod. So he really did remember! “Have things been going well?”

“In general, yeah. Lately, sort of?” No sense talking about what his mom was suddenly asking him to do. “How about you? Um, do you want something?” He held his breath.

“Things have been all right. We have been making a difference where we can. I know that is important to you as well, as you justified after that incident.” He extended a hand. “So I wanted to ask if you wanted to join YAMS.”

Nori blinked. He thought that might be coming. Yet he found himself making no motion to accept. If Louis had asked him that this morning, he would’ve agreed in a heartbeat. But this is what YAMS did?

“I’m flattered, but…” He rubbed the nape of his neck. He had to look Louis in the eyes. “I don’t like what I saw from your group just now.”

The teenager sighed. “I apologize for what she said to you two. Mariko can be a bit headstrong.” Yeah, that was accurate. She always spoke her mind. “As for today, this was her discovery and idea, not that I blame her.”

Nori frowned a little. “This felt like screwing someone over just because.”

Louis crossed his arms. “We felt his past was severe enough to take action. That said, YAMS doesn’t simply tackle issues like these. We aim to raise awareness of all sorts of problems in society. I am sure you remember how we saved Asweil Park.” He shrugged. “You seem to be a good person willing to fight for what’s right, so I thought I’d extend the offer.”

“Well…”

That was true. And from everything he saw back then, Nori knew that Louis was a decent guy. He wanted to think of a reason to say no, but besides today, he couldn’t. Maybe this was just an isolated incident.

He felt a prodding at his backside. “You really thinking of this, Nori?” Maylene looked up at him with curious eyes.

“I don’t know,” he answered with an honest shrug. “Maybe, maybe not.”

“Well, if you do, I wanna join’em too!” The pigtailed-girl pounded her fists togteher.

Nori laughed a little. Typical Maylene. She’d change her tune in a second if he dissented from her. She was the type who’d follow him around doing just about anything he did.

Louis swiftly shot this notion down. “You’re too young to be getting involved with this stuff.” Ignoring her pouting, he turned back to Nori. “Anyway. You know the old Magcargo Express building?”

“You mean that abandoned warehouse on the southeast side?” There, of all places?

“We’re meeting there at eleven tomorrow. If you’re interested, come by. I have to get going now. I hope to see you then.” With these words, Louis turned on his heels and walked away.

Eis reemerged from the building shortly thereafter, carrying what was left of Nori’s sundae, now in a plastic cup with an accompanying spoon. “Couldn’t help but overhear that,” the owner said, passing him the dessert. “You should stay away from those types. They only stir up trouble because they don’t have anything better to do.”

“I can make my own decisions, thanks,” he said, grabbing it from the man. Eis didn’t know Louis like he did. Sure, YAMS was kind of forceful today, but Nori was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Let’s go, Maylene.”

“Okay!” she chirruped, giving the owner a huge, enthusiastic wave. “Thanks again for the ice cream, Mr. Eis!”

“Come back anytime.”

He would, if he had any money. And if nothing bad came to Mr. Eis out of what YAMS had said today. Nori was never one to focus on the past. It was set, and people could change for the better, right? What was the harm in going to that meeting tomorrow? The worst that could happen was seeing they weren’t worth his time after all. The only way to know for sure was to try.

 

[System Error]

The past decade and a half of Ayume Carino’s life had been an ordeal.

She had been living discreetly in the basement of a friend’s home for four years. It was tense, but stable. Shortly after her son was born, the landlord discovered the illegal suite. Without sympathy, he ordered them out within the week.

While Ayume was not unfamiliar with homelessness, it was out of the question with an infant son. With nowhere else to turn, she reluctantly moved in with her parents. Those were a dreadful two years. Fights over how to raise Nori led them to threaten to kick them out, even if they had nowhere else to go. She strongly suspected they were going to do just that, followed by ripping her son away through the courts and filling his head with all sorts of twisted ideas.

Salvation came from her great-uncle, one of the few members of her family she could tolerate. He gave her the motorhome as a gift to cleverly elude any tax laws. They had been living in the vehicle for the past ten years. These were not ideal circumstances, but they were all she could manage.

Their financial situation had been unstable since she lost her part-time office job six years ago. Since then, Ayume hadn’t been able to find a new one with dignity to it. Monetary aid from the government kept them afloat, but it only went so far, no matter how well she managed their budget.

Their lunches and dinners consisted mostly of rice, ramen, and canned goods. Their breakfasts were either oatmeal or cereal without milk, the former of which her son was currently making. Snacks were chips or cookies, and occasionally fresh fruit and vegetables. Maybe once every three months or so, she would treat herself to some fast food. It reminded her of earlier, simpler times.

Nori walked over with a bowl in each hand. “I tried something new. I hope it works out.” He placed her oatmeal on her side of the table before sitting opposite with his.

It smelled fragrant. Could he have mixed in a bit of cinnamon? A few bites verified it. Her son’s skills were improving. Ayume knew that many parents could only dream of having a child as dedicated to things like cooking and cleaning as he was. Still, a future as a housekeeper wasn’t something either of them wanted. If only Claris Willins hadn’t…

Nori’s future had always weighed on her mind. He understood that it was important. He was a hard worker, getting As or Bs in all his subjects. In an ideal world, in an ideal household, he would have no problem being whatever he wanted. But things were turning dire. All she could think of was this drastic plan.

As they were eating, Ayume reached into her pocket. She took out the provisional trainer card and held it up in front of him.

“Nori, we need to have a serious talk about this.”

Her son groaned at the sight of it. She knew that he wasn’t going to like what she had to say. She hardly liked it herself. But it needed to be said.

“I want you to give this some thought, Nori,” she said to her son. She slid the provisional trainer card across the table to him. “I’m not going to ask you to start today. But at the very least, I want you to take this to a trainer registration place and get it filled out.”

Nori stared down at it, the spoon falling from his left hand. His normally vibrant red eyes went dull as he frowned and looked down.

“Sorry, ma,” he eventually said with a firm shake of his head. “I can’t do it today. I made plans.” He quickly picked his utensil back up and scooped two big spoonfuls into his mouth.

Her left eyebrow raised. Him making plans? Her son who lived to his whimsy the last three years of his life? That sounded like a fake excuse. “Really?” she queried, tapping a finger on the table. “What exactly do you have planned?”

Ayume waited patiently. She couldn’t chastise her son for not wanting to talk with his mouth full. He would have to finish chewing eventually.

He ruffled his hair when he eventually swallowed his bite. “I ended up making some, um, friends of sorts, yesterday.”

Of sorts? That settled it, this was a ridiculous lie. She crossed her arms and leaned back. “Really? Who are these friends?”

He had another spoonful in his mouth. He promptly swallowed it and looked up with sparkling retinas. “Actually, it was Louis Trussel. I was at the ice cream shop yesterday, and he invited me to join YAMS.”

Her throat clenched and her chest tightened. “That protest group?” she said loudly, trying to restrain herself from outright shouting.

“It’s like activism,” he said, wagging a finger. “And they’re holding a meeting outside the old Magcargo Express a few blocks to the south at eleven.” He laughed nervously, pressing his index fingers together. “I kind of sort of said I’d be there.”

With that, he got right back to his oatmeal, and started shoveling it down.

“Nori,” she said, resting her chin on the back of her hands to level with him. “Activism isn’t something you want to get into.”

“Maybe not,” he admitted with a shrug and a laugh. “I mean, I know it won’t pay much, but I would be making a difference, right? And I’d be making friends!” He almost went for another bite, but instead looked up with a grin. “I’ve thought about the news before! I like it, so why not work in something like it?”

That was enough beating around the bush. She got up, stood over him, and put her hands on her hips. “Nori, I’ll tell you my thoughts on this. Going to see that group is a waste of your time. Nothing good will come from it. They cause trouble because they have nothing better to do with their lives.”

“That’s what the ice cream guy said,” he remarked. Good, so it wasn’t just her who had that impression. Yet Nori firmly shook his head and glared up at her. “But you don’t know Louis like I do, mom. I know he’s a good guy.”

She had to roll her eyes. “When was the last time you saw Louis?”

Nori froze up for a second. “Okay,” he sheepishly admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. “It was back in third grade. But he was always looking out for others even back then. Even yesterday, his heart was in the right place, I think.” He punctuated his belief with a nod.

“People can change, Nori.”

Ayume herself was proof of that. She was not the same person she was all those years ago. Even if this Louis was a good person back then, Ayume was unimpressed by what he was doing now. Nori didn’t even have to look very far to see how people could change. Maybe he was ignoring it, or maybe he thought it only happened in extreme circumstances like hers. None other than Claris Willins had changed immensely since the time they were friends.

“But YAMS has done some good around the city!” he argued. Before she could say anything else, he assured, “Don’t worry, ma. If I’m wrong about them, I’ll just walk away. But there’s no harm in trying, right? Nothing to do but do it!”

So at least he was giving this proper thought. The tension in her neck and shoulders lifted at his words. She sat back down and urged, “Please do.”

He finished up the last of what was in the bowl and gave a glance at the clock over the stove. It was just a battery-powered analog one she found for cheap. It currently read 10:21. “I’d better get going soon.”

“I’m going to be out for a while myself,” she told him. She had library books to return and a lunch date, specifically. Perhaps a man would be their ticket out of this pit. “But I still want to talk more about this when we get back tonight.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved it off as he stood. “I’m just going to use the bathroom before I go.”

Ayume sighed as he entered the tiny side-room. She knew all of his quirks, and it seemed he wasn’t making up an excuse this time. Just conveniently finding one. If nothing else, making connections would help him no matter what they were. So long as they were as loyal to him in return.

He eventually emerged with a smile. Her son moved to the door, turned, and waved. “Okay ma, see you later!”

“Good luck, Nori,” she said. She did not say that he was going to need it if she was reading that protest group right.

The woman took both of their bowls to the sink. Then she poured herself a cup of hot water from the kettle, grabbed a bag of tea from the cupboard, and dunked it in. She sat down and sighed heavily.

Ayume was fully aware how bad their financial situation was. The price of goods was going up. Her cheque, on the other hand, remained for the same amount. If only she had applied herself more in school. It was a good thing that Nori was doing so, but time was running short. They had a savings drawer for emergencies, built up over the course of their time here. She had to cut into it many times over the past year just to keep going, and she was balancing their budget perfectly.

She had only met the father of her child once, a tourist who happened to be attending the same party as her. It was an accident, but not an unpleasant one. It was one of her vices back then. She had resigned herself to the fact that claiming money from child maintenance would be impossible, all factors considered. Furthermore, she had never met a man who was both decent and willing to take on her and Nori, and not for lack of trying.

That was why it was so important that Nori found success, and soon. She knew he was the type of person who could succeed at just about anything if he put his mind to it. If only she could explain it better to him.

“I’ll just have to keep at it,” she supposed aloud. She could be just as much of a Tauros-head. She had to, for his sake.

##########​

Daytime was normally a period of safety. It was easier to see, and there was less threat of predators lurking in the shadows. But she was a predator. And this was their territory, not hers. She had to move more carefully in the light of the sun. A monochrome bird or a purple rat might be able to blend into a place like this, maybe even herself at a younger age, but not now.

She rolled in the dirt patch, getting as much mud stuck to her body as possible. One thing her nannies had said to her from an early age was that this was not their world. They were not the dominant species, so said the progenitor. The same progenitor who gave her a role that she refused to follow. Now she was out on her own, with no place to call home. She didn’t miss life in her colony.

She paused as she heard movement, falling back behind a wall. Some giggling females passed by, along with what sounded like two different rabbits content with their servitude. If she could have gone out there and shut them up, she would have. Instead, she held her breath to contain her growling.

What gave their species the right to come in and decide someone should belong to them? If she was ever enslaved, she would make whoever did it regret doing so. She knew it would likely mean her death. A small price to pay for her freedom.

But she would not die. Not until this was over. She had a purpose, and she would see it through.

She looked down at herself. Mostly coated in brown, with only a few teal spots. Sufficient. Now camouflaged, she stalked away to find some food. Anything would do.

 

[System Error]

She was used to stalking through the city. Where to hide, places to run, and how to act natural. She rarely went too far in. This was one of those times she did.

The path was narrow between buildings. Few went back here, where enslavers often put waste. She had smelled something. Seeing monochrome birds and even a gray wolf gathered around a metal box confirmed it.

She had a suspicion and approached the box. The others backed away and fussed. She ignored them. They were trying to figure it out. It took no effort to get on her back legs and push the top open. She jumped up.

It was that food. A lot of it. Her species didn’t have a word for it. The enslavers called it bread. Not even stale. They made it only to throw it away. Absurd. More for them. She turned and nodded to the others.

The gray wolf sniffed her. His yellow eyes went wide. “It’s her, that unwelcome one!” he roared. Sounded young.

She was recognized by her own. It happened. Most were smart enough to stay away or be nice. These were not. The monochrome birds swooped in, squawking insults and threats they had no hope of following up on. She made them regret it with a claw swipe. They scattered to the ground.

“There’s enough for–”

“Go away, Ak–” The wolf paused. Either too mad or didn’t know the word. He abruptly snapped his teeth at her. “Leave!”

She jumped and crushed him with her entire body. Like usual for his kind, he went scurrying after a bit of pain. He tripped as his muscles tightened up. The birds glanced to each other, then fled.

More for her. She jumped back up on the metal box. That was when two appeared from a previously sealed alcove.

A slave and its master, dressed in white. Attracted by their screaming. The response from the slave was instant: a blast of water.

“Stop biting trash!” was roughly what the duck yelled at her.

“I see trash worth biting.” She charged and was briefly halted by an invisible force. With a snort, she pushed through with ease and chomped down.

The slave squirmed. She wrenched back and tossed it. Then she whirled and struck head-first, mashing him against the box and herself.

“Peking!” the enslaver cried. She only got the gist of his next words, “{Anger at whoever forgot to lock something} {Horrible realization}” before he cried, “THE DEMON!”

She looked at her body. The mud washed off. It was time to leave. The sight of two enslavers in navy blue attire and head coverings emerging at one end of the path told her it was not going to be simple. She rushed for the other. Her instincts warned her this was not the end of it.

##########​

Nori arrived at the old red-brown building. The protest group had commandeered the space outside for their use, turning the benches inward to face an old tree stump that Louis presently stood on. This was the first time he’d seen anyone using the space, besides passersby looking to take a break.

There were signs about picking up after your Pokemon and prohibiting camping. It was mostly dirt, and the few patches of grass were yellow. Ill-maintained wooden barricades stood before a hill to the side. Nori momentarily shuddered when he caught sight of the ocean below. Those had to be some sheer cliffs. He quickly looked away and went to find a seat.

One bench was stuffed full, but the siblings scooted aside to make room on theirs. They were dressed nearly identically today, in white shirts and pastel blue lower body wear: the guy in shorts and the girl in a skirt. He nodded and smiled at the gesture. Peering at the other bench, he became aware he was easily the youngest person here. Mariko was in the middle, with the quiet girl on the far side. Nariya, that was her name, right.

Nearest was someone he hadn’t seen yesterday, a girl who looked two or three years older than him. She had aqua-blue eyes, forest green hair, and was clad in a frilly shirt colored a light violet, as well as a knee-encompassing skirt that was a slightly darker tone.

“Excellent, you made it,” Louis said, giving him a warm smile and a nod. Dressed impeccably as always. “With that, I now call the latest meeting of Youths Against Mistaken Society to order. We have two new people joining us today. I’m sure you are familiar with both of them already, so there is no need for formal introductions. Let’s get down to business right away.”

Nori took another glance at the green-haired girl. He wasn’t familiar with her.

“Now, before we get into our recap of yesterday, a point that has been coming up is how disorganized we have been. We have been doing all these little one-off protests with no consistency. It’s hardly good for our image. I want to change that, starting next month.” He didn’t move or motion much, save for periodically swaying his gaze to and between the benches. “We need to find a clear goal to work towards, and stick to it.”

The female sibling raised her hand. “Yes, Yumi?” Louis asked. A name, that made things easier.

“What sort of goal did you have in mind?” she asked, pressing her fingers together. “Are we going to become more specific in what we do?”

“Well, here is what I was thinking,” Louis said. The others, save the other newcomer, all leaned in. “We focus on one thing in general for a period of time, maybe one to three months. For example, dangerous Pokemon owners. Simply look at those, nothing else. We’re bound to find something big if we do.”

There was chatter of general agreement. It sounded fine to Nori, too. He admitted he had a tendency to play things by ear, but that didn’t mean he liked to be strung along by someone else doing that, or do that to someone himself.

“As for whether we become specific long-term, that depends. We might end up establishing ourselves that way, even if we don’t intend to.” A hand went up beside Nori. Louis turned and asked, “Yes, Touya?”

He stood. “Sis and I have got an idea that could work.” Yumi leaned back with wide eyes, but followed her brother’s lead.

Louis nodded his approval and sat down. “By all means, the floor’s yours.”

Yumi momentarily glanced at Nori. “When I saw…” She paused and stared at him for a second. Then two more, before she continued. “When I saw Nori with his friend yesterday, and saw how she was defending that ex-Rocket, I was really…” She looked away from the group. “Disturbed, for lack of a better word.”

Her brother nodded. “We talked when we got back home. Both of us thought it might just be someone setting a bad example, like Mariko said. Like that guy making her think that sort of thing’s right. That’s why I think we should go after people doing just that!”

They sat back down. Nori smiled at them as they did so, which made Yumi gently nod and Touya grin at him. They considered him one of them already.

Louis put a hand on his chin. He scratched at the beginnings of a beard as he rose. “Pursuing those who would set a bad example for others,” he mused aloud. “That could work. All in favor?”

“Aye.”

Nori noted two things. First, everyone but that girl he hadn’t seen before verbally agreed to that. Second, both he and Mariko had done so with fervor. They exchanged glances. She flashed a strange leer. He did what he always did in those situations: return the look.

“So it is settled,” Louis announced. “The theme of our protests for September will be people who set a bad example for others.” The brash redhead rose up. Unabated, Louis asked, “Yes, Mariko?”

“I have our first idea!” she yelled.

Louis seemed to sigh. “Well, let’s hear it,” he said neutrally.

Mariko marched out in front of everyone and started pacing restlessly. “There’s this old creep who lives on the east side.” She looked directly at Nori for a moment. “I know you’ve probably seen him a few times.” He had. “He got in trouble for exposing himself to a high schooler a couple decades ago, but for some stupid reason, they let him go! Now he’s living out there and still exposing himself!”

“Now wait just a minute!” Nori shouted, but didn’t stand despite his urge to. “What’s picking on him gonna do?”

She stormed over to him with a fire in her eyes that matched her hair. He didn’t flinch, even as Touya scooted away from the angry girl. “He’s doing it even now! The stupid geezer sits out there on his porch in a…” She stepped back in disbelief. “A thong, even when it’s winter! It’s indecency that’s setting a bad example for anyone who sees him and thinks that’s okay!”

He rested an arm on the side of the bench and huffed. “You’re exaggerating.”

“This is clear-cut!”

“It was before any of us were born. There might be more context,” he put a hand on his hip and said. That was his instinct. Stories got twisted or boiled down to their worst all the time. “And I still think it’s not the best idea.”

“Oh, and I don’t suppose you have any better ones?” she fired back.

Exactly the answer he was hoping for. He snickered in a way that made Touya even scoot further away, practically squishing himself against his sister. “You bet I do.”

He stood and took up a position on the side to look at everyone. He calmly said the words, “The Champion of Sinnoh herself.”

Everyone’s eyes widened. Just as he’d hoped they would. If they wanted to do something like this, why not think big?

“She dresses just as bad as that guy at times, and she’s supposed to be like this big, respected public figure who represents our region. But then she goes out there, wearing these skintight robes–”

A light shove interrupted him. “You’re being sexist!”

He wanted to shove her right back, preferably straight to the ground, but restrained himself. For now, at least. “How?”

“She should be allowed to show off her body however she wants!”

“Hold up.” He held out a hand briefly, then placed it on his hip. “You just said you wanted to protest indecency that sets a bad example, didn’t you?”

“That’s right!” Mariko snapped a finger.

“First, what could be more indecent than someone in a high position who dresses skimpy? And second, if that’s okay, what’s wrong with a guy being able to show off his body?”

For once, Mariko looked stunned. “That’s… It’s because… This is totally different!”

“There is no difference! She’s actually even worse because–”

“Calm down, you two!” Louis finally cut in, standing up and getting between them. Mariko snarled at the interruption. Nori glared. It took him long enough to mediate. The protest group’s leader looked at him. “Now, Nori. I think our little group publicly protesting her isn’t going to go over very well.”

“Aww.” He never got why Rashid liked the Champion, and him always talking about her was annoying. He was hoping YAMS would have the guts to stand up, but it seemed they wanted to play it safe.

“Ha, told you so!” Mariko sharply mocked. Nori almost did shove her over for that.

“And Mariko,” Louis turned to her. “Nori has raised a point. Your idea is simply thinking too small. It was all right the last time due to the gravity of the situation, but this is not worth our time.” He glanced. “And I have to agree. There may be some context we are missing. I suspect that is why his punishment was lenient.”

Nori smirked. He taunted, “Ha ha ha,” as he went to sit back down. The redhead seethed, but went and took her seat as well, crossing her arms and looking away. Well, he wasn’t expecting it anyway. And seeing Mariko get shut down was worth it.

“Do the rest of you know of any people in our community setting a bad example?” asked Louis.

Nori heard someone say something, but couldn’t tell who it was. Louis did not hear.

“Well, we have time to think about it.” He reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a small red notepad. “For now, let’s move on to our recap of yesterday’s protest.”

“I said, I think I have something,” the tall and quiet girl spoke up. Her voice strained, and there was the faintest hint of hesitation in it.

Louis’ eyes stretched wide. “You, Nariya?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. The other three primary members were equally astonished.

Nariya was as motionless as a Metapod for a few moments. She rose unsteadily and shuffled over to Louis, fumbling in her black jacket’s pockets along the way. “H-here…” She handed him two rectangular sheets. Photographs?

Louis looked them over. His expression darkened. “Nariya, where did you get these?”

“Accidentally, yesterday. When doing that school report…”

The teal-haired teenager swept his gaze over the rest of the group. “All of you. Come take a look at this.” On cue, they gathered around him to see what it was.

The first was a picture of a lavish medium-sized building. Inspired by Galarian architecture of the 1800s, as Nori remembered from social studies class. However, there was somebody in one of the windows.

The second was more zoomed in. That same person was visible, and far more clearly. It was a man who was in a black bodysuit of some kind. Next to him was a brown-haired woman holding a riding crop.

For the first time, the girl with green hair spoke up. “That is the mayor of Veilstone,” she remarked. Her voice was soft yet even.

“Y-Yes,” confirmed Nariya. “His wife too…”

This didn’t sit right with Nori. “How and where did you get these?” he asked.

“Ah!” she yelped. Nariya took a deep breath to compose herself, but didn’t make eye contact. “Um, this was last night. I was just photographing the mayor’s house when I saw…this. Well, I mean, I saw this after my dad developed them overnight. I didn’t…get it on purpose. And the second is enhanced. But I took them with me, just in case. I just felt I should bring it up, because it could help, and…” She trailed off.

So was her school report on buildings or the city or something? Yeah, that made sense. “It’s okay, I was just wondering.” He gave Nariya an assuring expression of acceptance before taking another look at the photos.

That was the mayor and his wife all right. He knew about this sort of thing, no thanks to Rashid (and his mom, who explained it better). It had to be sheer coincidence that she caught this.

“But this is…”

“This is a scandal in the making, is what it is!” Mariko shouted, making Nariya jump. “Good job, Nariya. We have to expose this disgusting bastard for who he really is!”

“Right!” agreed Yumi.

“Let’s get him!” Touya rallied.

“It’s settled, then.” Louis patted the quiet girl on the back. While she smiled faintly, she also turned away. “We’ll hold off on the report of yesterday’s protest. We have important work to do. Let’s head inside to discuss this further.”

Louis took out a key and unlocked the side door of the building. Nori’s eyebrows went up. Where did he get that from? The five marched in, though Nariya did so with a measure of reluctance. She even looked back at Nori and the other girl before entering.

That left him and the other newcomer. There was a brief silence between them. Nori scowled and scrunched up. Maybe he had a problem with shameless filthy people who promoted being shameless and filthy, but the mayor was doing it in his own home. And as far as he knew, he was a good guy. This wasn’t exposing a jerk. This was invading someone’s privacy. How could any of these people find this even remotely acceptable?

At least he had someone to vent to. “Are they serious?” he said to her. “I can’t believe this! What’s complaining about that going to do to help anyone? It’s like they just want to trash someone for the sake of trashing them.”

The girl sighed with disappointment. “It would appear that is the case.” She spoke with a borderline monotonous calm.

Nori grumbled vigorously. This was dumb. “Mom and Mr. Eis were both right. I shouldn’t have bothered with this.” He thought Louis and his group wanted to help people. But this was just the opposite! What happened to him?

The other newcomer appeared as lost in thought as he had been, staring at the ground with a mournful expression. Her hands were folded in her lap.

“So why’d you come here, anyway?” he asked as she looked up.

She straightened her posture and blinked, as if not expecting that question. “My motivations? I was asked if I was interested in attending on Thursday. I agreed as I believed they might have an interest in doing charitable work.” Well, looks like he wasn’t the only person who thought that. The girl sighed. “However, it appears that my impressions of them were off.”

“Yeah, definitely,” he concurred. “I feel better knowing I’m not the only one who got pulled into this.”

“And what of your reasons for attending?” the girl inquired.

“Well, I thought I could make a difference by joining these guys, but, well.” He let out a growl and swung a fist out. “What those stupid morons are doing isn’t going to make any difference at all!”

The girl lightly giggled at his outburst.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, it is just…” Her words initially came slightly more naturally, before retaking her formal tone. “I found the term you used to describe them amusing. I apologize.”

“All right.” The boy let out a silent sigh of relief. If she was laughing at what he said and not him, that was fine. He was worried for a moment, because people usually did the latter in his experience.

They again became silent. More awkwardly. Nori was unsure what to say. But he realized: this girl was actually okay! He thought about asking who she was, but she asked first.

“You seem like a genuine person. May I ask for your name?”

“I’m Nori,” he declared with a point to himself. “Nori Carino! How about you?”

She blinked before answering. “My name is Prema.” After a brief and sudden pause, she punctuated her introduction with a small and swift bow.

“Nice to meet you, Prema!”

At that moment, the door to the old warehouse swung open. Louis was standing in the doorway. “You can come in, it’s all right,” he assured, motioning for them to enter.

Nori was on his feet. “Louis, do you really think this is right?” He wanted to believe in him. He wanted to know that person who had helped him once back then really was still a good person.

Louis crossed his arms. “Nori, this could only be the tip of the iceberg. Who knows what else is going on behind those closed doors?” He again waved them in. “We have a lot of work to do, so–”

“NO!” he fired back without even thinking. And when he thought about it, he had no regrets! “We don’t want any part of this mud throwing!” He peered at the green-haired girl, plastering a grin on his face. “Come on, Prema. Let’s make like a banana and split!”

The girl tilted her head. “Separate?”

“I mean, let’s leave!”

“Oh!” she realized. “I had not heard that expression before. Yes, let us depart.” She briefly turned to Louis, although said nothing.

The teal-haired teenager simply nodded silently at her. Then he looked at him with a massive full-faced frown. “So that is your decision, Nori?” He ignored it and whirled to leave, not once looking back. The protest group’s leader sighed heavily. “I must admit that I’m disappointed.”

“Same here!” Nori got the last word in before they left.

##########​

This was not the first time she was discovered and attacked. She easily escaped all those times. This was worse than ever before.

A tall green bird materialized a few meters in front of her. Teleportation. Its eyes began to glow. She was too quick and strong. Before it could act, she leaped and rammed her horn into it. It toppled like a tree. She paused for just a second to still it with a shadowy swipe.

She had never lost a fight in her life. Not as a youngling, not when being imposed upon, and not now. Even those rare times her victims had put up a fight, she had beaten them and retreated before more slaves could emerge. But those were one on one, two at most. An army was after her. The scumbags. Their intent was clear: lethal force.

There were too many. So she kept running, ready to wreck all in her way. That was not the first obstacle. Or the worst one. A hatted bird tracked her above, a green-winged moth behind. There was no cover. If she could shoot them down or climb up, she would.

Their pursuit would not cease. She was in the middle of their territory. The thought of leaping into the ocean was tempting. End it on her own terms.

As she rounded the bend, she saw them. Wailing flashing lights in the distance, but in her path. Enemies were in front of and behind her. She looked to the side. They were closing in on the right. To the left stood many little elevated white houses. Places to hide beneath. She turned and went inside the walled area.

 

[System Error]

Louis reentered the warehouse with a heavyhearted sigh. There was little within the building except an old table and some chairs they had grabbed off the street and brought over. It was otherwise a wide open empty space.

Yumi looked at him as he approached. “So, is Nori coming?” she slowly asked.

He crossed his arms. “Neither of them are.”

She hung her head. Touya sighed. Nariya was already turned away, still having second thoughts. Mariko gave a typical response.

“Whatever, we don’t need them,” she grumbled. He agreed. They had made their decision, and that was the end of their interactions. “Let’s get into this. What are we doing first?”

That was a good question. This was far too perfect of an opportunity to pass up. They had all the time in the world to reveal it, though. In fact, they had to proceed in exactly the right fashion, so there was no way out of it. There was a sick pervert in public office, and the public deserved to know.

“Earth to Louis!” Mariko shouted.

He snapped to attention. “Sorry, I’m just a little excited about this,” he confessed with a chuckle. His thoughts were racing; it was all he could do to remain cool. He always wanted to reveal something big, and this was their chance. He actually forgot to give credit. “Thanks for bringing it up, Nariya.”

“A-ah. Yes, y-you’re welcome!” The tall girl turned to him with a grin.

Still, he wished there could be six of them working on this. He expected better from Nori Carino. That said, he did not expect that their very special guest would want to join them. It would be a bit much for someone of her status to get involved. He was grateful that she even stopped by, and for that matter, listened to him that evening.

##########​

“Good evening to you, Lady Kannagi,” a young male greeted her. Prema turned to find a well-dressed teenager around her age, if not older. He bowed formally.

She waved a hand. “Good evening,” she replied politely. It was common to be recognized when traveling, especially when wearing her formal attire. People said hello to her, and sometimes struck up conversation. She would listen respectfully, and they would respectfully keep it brief.

“I have always wanted to visit the Kannagi Shrine. I’m surprised to see the heir to the shrine here.” He bowed once more. “My name is Louis Trussel. If I may ask, what brings you to Veilstone?”

Prema closed her eyes. After a moment to think on the matter, she shook her head. “I apologize. It is not something that I am able to discuss at the moment.”

“I suppose I will find out in time,” Louis chuckled, sheepishly rubbing his teal hair. “I’m sure whatever it is will be for the benefit of people and Pokemon everywhere.” He spoke with reverence, and a tinge of envy. A positive sort, the kind that inspires one to greater heights.

“Do you happen to have an interest in Pokemon rights?” she asked him.

His eyes widened. “We have an interest in human and Pokemon rights, yes,” he quickly answered. He was grinning in a subtle fashion. The teenager then stammered incoherently before clarifying what he meant. “By we, I mean my friends and myself. We happen to be an activist group. We aim to improve society through our actions.”

Activism. It was an admirable thing. She smiled and bowed slightly to him. “There are few your age who have an interest in that. You are accomplishing good things.”

Louis stood taller and smiled more openly. “Thank you, Lady Kannagi. Your approval means a lot to me.” He tapped his chin and opened his mouth. It took a second longer for him to speak. “Actually, we will be raising awareness about an issue affecting Veilstone tomorrow. And on Saturday, we’ll be meeting at the old Magcargo Express building on the west side.” He remained silent for many seconds before blurting out an offer. “If you wish, you can come by and see us.”

Prema folded her hands. This was the first time someone had ever invited her to an event. It was impetuous of him. “I cannot promise that I will be able to do that. For one, I would need Father to approve.”

Still, if they were activists, they might have an interest in the shrine. Even if they did not, it would be ideal to establish some connections in Veilstone.

“Understandable. I’m sure you two are busy.” He smiled faintly at the implied possibility. “Well, I will let you get back to your shopping. I need to get started on my own.”

The activist departed, leaving Prema with something to consider. A red-haired woman peeked out from the other side of the aisle. With a nod, Prema went to consult her on the matter.

##########​

She had only brought it up to Father matter-of-factly. He permitted going to see them on Saturday without prompting. While it had not turned out how she had hoped, it was not a total loss.

Prema glanced at the person walking beside her. Her mentor told her that you can tell a lot about a person from their appearance. She personally believed it was improper to judge based on those criteria alone, yet took in the information anyway. Nori had soft red eyes and dark brown hair that reached to his neck. It was brushed, but likely only by his fingers. He wore pants with a small hole in the left knee and – beneath his open green and black jacket – a plain white shirt which was worn thin.

“Glad we got out of there when we did,” the boy said, accompanied by an irritated sigh that told her he was frustrated with himself. “I can’t believe how far Louis fell. He felt fine at first, but he really did change!”

It appeared he had decided to take a chance on them as well, though his prior experiences excused him. She was ashamed of not seeing what was beneath the surface of Louis Trussel. It made sense in hindsight.

She spoke her thoughts. “Their stated goal of improving matters in society is admirable, although how they achieve it is…”

“Dumb?”

Prema paused in her tracks when he chimed in. “That is an impolite, yet not incorrect, way of putting it,” she replied. She wanted to find a more proper and accurate word. “I would use the term misguided.”

He stopped and shrugged. “I guess so.” After a beat, he clapped his hands and said, “Well, why should this stop us? We don’t need them to do good, help others, or make a difference! We can do that all by ourselves, just us and any friends of ours who want to help!”

“Our friends?”

“Sure!” He pumped his fists. “All the people we know and like, and aren’t family! Like, I think of you as one already!”

He thought of her as what? Her mouth opened slightly, but she had no words.

The boy hesitated. “I mean, if you want to be my friend…”

Prema never had anyone consider her a friend. She was surrounded by those who treated her with esteem. But Nori was seeing beyond and treating her as an equal. No one had ever done that. It filled her with warmth. A friend.

She nodded. “I would like that.”

“Great! Maybe going there wasn’t a waste after all.” Nori grinned at her. His mood had completely picked up. He glanced away for just a moment before asking, “Want to come over to my place for a bit?”

Prema was unsure how to respond. This was new, sudden, almost overwhelming. In fact, she looked behind herself to try to find her bodyguard, who was keeping watch from the shadows. She peeked out from behind a tree. When the woman raised a thumb, Prema nodded her approval.

“That is acceptable.”

With a small hop, he started walking again. “Okay, it’s close by.” He motioned with a huge arm gesture. “Follow me.”

She followed. Her father always said that things have a way of working themselves out. There was even the possibility that this would turn out better than anticipated. It was the sense she was getting.

---​

With a pep in his step, Nori led his new friend to the Veilstone City trailer park. He didn’t expect to make a real friend at that meeting! He thought it’d take a while to be fully accepted. Not that he wanted or cared for their acceptance at this point.

It probably took about ten minutes to get home, the same as it took to get there plus the five or ten minutes they’d been walking. But he was feeling so jubilant that it felt like a fraction of the time.

Trailers were scattered about within the six quadrants, often in groups of two to four, due to the electrical plugs. These were in the four corners, the back center, and central sections. There was more than enough space between to drive in and out if need be, with emergency exits in the back corners. People typically used the front part near the entrance as a commons area in lieu of anything proper. No one was there at the moment.

His place was near the front of the center area. He stood in front of it and presented it with a palm. “Yeah, I know,” he preempted before she could comment. “Sorry it’s not like a real house or anything.”

Prema just smiled. “It is a comfortable little place,” she replied with sincerity.

That hit him like a rush of uplifting wind. “You’re the first person who’s said that and meant it. Most can’t even imagine living like this.” Even Claris found it too compact, and Maylene never hid her opinion.

“I live rather modestly myself,” she elaborated. “This is not unlike what I am used to.”

That was a surprise to hear. He wouldn’t have guessed by the way she was dressed. “Well, let’s head inside where it’s not as smelly.” The air was usually stale. He never could get used to it. Why did people refuse to look after themselves or their home?

Nori went to turn the side door’s handle, but it wouldn’t turn. “Oh, uh. Yeah. That’s right. Ma must not be back yet. And she doesn’t give me a key.” He grumbled. “Says I’m not mature enough.”

The green-haired girl hummed. “So we will be unable to enter your home.” She looked to the horizon for several seconds before continuing, “Mine is further away than is reasonable.”

“I mean, we can walk or take a bus there! But if you say so.” She didn’t seem to want to go there, so no need to press the issue. They could still hang out regardless. “Why don’t we go to a park instead? There’s one nearby that’s real good, Gabbron Park.”

“That may–” Something caught her attention and she turned her head. “Hm?”

“Sounds what?”

Prema gestured with a palm. “Look.”

He looked, just in time to see a four-legged blur dart beneath the vehicle. “Hey!” he shouted. Was that a Pokemon?! “What do you think you’re doing running under my house like that?!”

The two exchanged glances and crouched down at roughly the same time. Sharp claws, sharp teeth. Spikes all over its teal body, including on its big ears. A horn, also sharp. Harsh red eyes. Traits of numerous animals. Nori didn’t recognize it at all. “What is that thing?”

Prema leaned in closer, looking at it intently. She let out a soft gasp. Slowly, she withdrew while shaking her head. “She is terrified,” she stated somberly.

Now that she mentioned it, yes. Nori could see that. It wasn’t cowering, but it had a peculiar desperation in its eyes. The Pokemon’s legs were shaking as it tried to get as close to the ground as possible. “Is it hiding from something? If so, what?” What would be hunting a big Pokemon in a city? No, no. Why was a Pokemon this size even in the city?

That was when he heard them getting closer. “Sirens?”

A platoon of cops came swarming in. It wasn’t a rarity to see them at the trailer park, but he’d never seen so many at once. There were three bikes, two cars, and a number of people on foot. That was before getting to the Pokemon; there was even a Murkrow and a Dustox in the sky.

A tall man with frizzy, graying blond hair, beard, and mustache emerged from one of the vehicles. A weird white-pink Pokemon that Nori had never seen before limped behind him, with its tongue hanging out. It looked like a walking dessert, complete with a cherry on top!

“Get a perimeter around the trailer!” he barked. His men were already on it, surrounding his home with lightning precision, guns drawn and Pokemon primed to attack.

Nori held his breath. What was going on? Did his mom do something? Did he do something? He could barely move. This was happening too fast for him to process. He glanced at Prema. She was calm yet unnaturally still. The chief shifted his gaze, finally spotting them.

“You two, get back! It’s unsafe!” he warned while charging over, gesticulating wildly. “We’ve got that Demon cornered under there, and it could take erratic action. Sending one of our Pokemon in could be dangerous… We’ll need to move the trailer to get at it. Get to safety for now!” The chief grabbed them both by the wrists right after finishing speaking.

“No way!” he reacted, yanking his arm away and stepping back towards his home. It was enough to make him release Prema.

“What are you doing, kid?” he marched over, but Nori put a hand out. His mom said something about stuff like this!

“National law number,” he boomed, before awkwardly trailing off. “…that I don’t remember.” Stupid! He was hoping to look awesome there and blew it. No matter, he knew what it meant and that was the important thing. He shouted with power. “You can’t disrupt our property like this without a warrant! My ma’s not even home, and she has the keys!”

The chief put both of his hands on his forehead and sighed heavily. He revealed a stern glare as he lowered them. He was no-nonsense. “Listen. Things are too serious.”

Nori glowered. He wasn’t going to let himself be intimidated. He put his hands on his hips and stood firm.

“This Demon has repeatedly committed acts of violence against trainers and Pokemon. It’s eluded capture and shown no signs of slowing down. Just ask my partner.” The man glanced at his Pokemon and patted it on the cherry. He curled his lips. “It won’t change, it won’t reform. We have to deal with it now, while we have this chance.”

Eliminating it? Calling it a demon? Saying it won’t change? He might not have cared much for Pokemon, but all that sounded ridiculous to Nori. With a quick glance at a frowning Prema, the boy took a step forward and pointed at the police officer. “Well, I bet that it can be reformed!” he declared.

“You bet, you say?”

Everyone went silent. Nori sort of blurted that claim out. After all, you don’t know if you don’t try. But someone had responded to it, and he knew who.

The cops’ heads turned as a woman in her 30s began strutting toward them. The Dustox swooped down and approached with her. She tickled it under the thorax without missing a step. Nori heard her all the time on radio commercials for the Game Corner, and had seen her on TV and in books. Her layered silver hair with purple highlights was unmistakable. She presently wore a sparkly smoky gray jacket with violet highlights around the collar, bottom, pockets, and sleeves. She also had on shiny slick black trousers that screamed how expensive they were. He wasn’t into Pokemon or gambling, so he never imagined he would ever meet her.

The city’s resident Gym Leader tilted her head at the chief. “This seems to be quite the high-stakes situation you have on your hands. Let me take this one up alone.” The police chief saluted nervously and stepped back. Gasha Qian turned and smiled, an unnerving whimsical glint in her pale green eyes.

Nori felt something in his chest and throat. It was like a crushing pressure. What did he just bring on himself?

 

[System Error]

An eerie silence had descended upon the Veilstone City trailer park. Nori had to take a deep breath. The cops coming here was old hat, so why was this so unnerving? Was it because it was about a Pokemon? Maybe it was all in his head because he instigated it? Or was it because of the presence of the Gym Leader?

Gasha Qian casually strolled over to peek under the trailer as her Dustox rested on top of it. The woman straightened up with a smirk when she was growled at. “So the true identity of the Demon is a Nidorina. Those are as common as a straight flush up here. And I see she’s quite the exceptional one at that!”

Wait, the Demon? Nori thought that was just the chief being rude, but they were talking about THE Demon. What was he getting himself into? He glanced over at Prema again, and had to pause. Her frown was gone, replaced by a mask of uncertainty.

Gasha playfully peered at him. She retrieved a coin from her jacket and started rolling it between her fingers. “Now. You wish to place a wager on the fate of this Pokemon, do you?”

He raised his palms. “I didn’t mean it like, uh, literally.” The boy swiftly rubbed the back of his neck.

“You said bet,” she reminded, flipping the coin and snatching it out of the air with her other hand. “That means to risk or take a chance.”

“She’s right,” the chief said.

Prema nodded. “Yes, and you based it on the possibility of her rehabilitation.”

“Hey,” he winced and stammered at his friend. “Don’t take her side.”

“I believe you are making the correct decision, Nori. I was only attempting to inspirit you. I apologize if you took offense.” She folded her hands and bowed. The boy sighed and pressed a hand to his head. The vote of confidence was a relief.

Gasha stuffed the coin in her coat pocket. “In any event, you seem to be the only one willing to roll the dice on this Pokemon.” She chuckled and tilted her head back. “That is, of course, if you’re not having second thoughts.”

Was he? Nori stole another look at the Demon. She silently glared back at him. It was utter defiance, it had to be. He was sure from what he and Prema saw, it didn’t want to die. Who would? Was it right to leave it, regardless of what it was accused of doing or had done? Could he live with himself having done nothing when he could have done something?

He felt the answer in his heart right away. The boy took a step towards Gasha, leering up at her toughly. He put his hands on his hips. “I meant what I said.”

Prema smiled vaguely. The Gym Leader full on grinned, even as just about everyone else around them sputtered or shouted at him. “Quite the bold play. Is this from confidence or ignorance? Or maybe it’s all just an act and bluff.” Nori turned away slightly. It wasn’t entirely an act! “In any case, it’s on you to do this.”

Exactly what he saw coming. “Sure. I mean, I have a provisional trainer card. Just need to make it official.”

“I suppose then, what you’d be wagering would be obvious. If you can prove this Pokemon can be tamed, she will go into your care. I’ll see to it that everything works out and you get your due payout! If you cannot, however, well.” She chuckled again, more ominously. She let the words hang in the air.

“Well, what?” He tapped a foot, hating when people were vague.

It was his friend who spoke up to clarify. “I believe you would go on the blacklist…”

“The blacklist?” He tilted his head.

Gasha confirmed. “Indeed, a list of individuals who are not allowed to legally own Pokemon. Training or supporting a violent Pokemon certainly qualifies you to be on it. It’s only natural for people to take responsibility for their Pokemon. And, of course, said Pokemon is to be dealt with accordingly.”

That struck Nori aware. This was a huge chance he was taking. If he succeeded, he’d be giving this Pokemon another shot at life. That would mean something, even if it was just one Pokemon. If he lost, it would be gone. And so would his chances of ever having Pokemon.

The Gym Leader put her hands in the pockets of her coat. “So, care to try your luck? Would you bet it all on this? Of course, if you wish to fold right now, that’d be perfectly understandable.”

One final chance to back out. He closed his eyes. Well, what did he really have to lose? He had no interest in being a trainer. His mom would have to shut up about making him! He’d win either way!

His mind settled, he took a confident step forward and pumped his arm. “I would.”

The cops and bystanders gasped simultaneously in a chorus of shock. Prema nodded her approval. Gasha smiled broadly, but there was something darker in her eyes. “Well, well!” the woman said. “I certainly like your style, at least.”

She took out her left hand and extended it. A sphere was resting in her palm, a blue top half with red segments and a white bottom half. “Make your capture, then.”

Capture? Right. He was going to be this Pokemon’s trainer, so it only made sense. But first, he’d have to get it to come out from under there.

“Happy to,” he said as he snatched it from her, feigning confidence. It took one whole second for him to drop the facade. “Uh, you heard that just now, right?” he asked the Pokemon.

No response. A stupid question. Maybe he should ask a better one.

“Are you okay with this?”

Again, no response. Prema came and stood beside him. He looked underneath his home. The Nidorina was still lying there. He showed it what Gasha had given him.

“I need you to get in this Poke Ball, please.”

That got a response, but not a good one. The Demon narrowed its eyes. But it had to listen.

“Come on. It’s for your sake too. Just come out here and let me capture you.”

It let out a low growl. Was that supposed to be intimidating? Enough of this.

“I am your trainer now, and I say get in the ball!”

Laughter broke out. Many of the police officers, a number of onlookers, Gasha, and even some of the Pokemon were all laughing at him. Prema frowned. At least someone was on his side.

“Stop that!” he whirled around and yelled, punctuating it with a stomp. “Okay, sure. I looked like an idiot, but you’re not helping! I’m trying my best!”

“Nidorina.” Prema abruptly spoke up. She knelt down to address it face to face. Nori turned back and watched. “If you do not go through with this, there will be no chance for you. I know it may be difficult for you to accept a trainer after your life of seeking battle in the wild. But accepting it for now is the only way you can continue with that life.”

“She’s right,” he added, hoping it would listen. “So please, Nidorina! I promise I’ll help you fight whatever you want while you’re with me! I know it’s not ideal, but it’s the only way!”

Once again, no response. He crouched and looked at it again. Its expression had changed a bit. Did that mean something good? This was probably their last chance. Did their pleas work, or did they fall flat?

The Demon began to advance, slowly. Nori cautiously observed, hoping it wasn’t a feint. As it neared, he and Prema backed up a few steps to give it some room. This was it. As a foot became visible, the officers readied their weapons and nodded to their Pokemon. But there was no need. The Nidorina half-emerged from beneath the trailer. It remained there, glaring menacingly at Nori.

The boy shuddered. He wasn’t afraid. But he was nervous. “Just…”

Nori’s wrist was shaking so hard, he thought it might pop right out of the socket. He wondered, do all trainers go through this when making a capture? The boy had to steady it with his other hand to lob the ball accurately. Underhanded. It softly landed on the creature’s head, causing its form to turn white and be sucked within.

The Great Ball wobbled. He knew from school this meant a Pokemon was resisting capture. Nori shut his eyes. Was this really going to work? Was the Demon having second thoughts? No, no. It had to be. He was just some no-name nobody with only a primary level education. Why would it let itself be captured by him? It probably wouldn’t. Why bother with someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing?

There was a sudden ping.

Nori opened his eyes. The ball had stopped.

His chest tingled. He stared with rapid blinks as he waited for around ten seconds longer to see if it would start shaking again. It did not. He picked up the capsule and stared at it, breathing deeply to steady himself. His first Pokemon. He never imagined he would ever own one, let alone like this. There was going to be fallout from going back on not wanting them.

Well, he’d have to worry about that later! Right now, there were more important things! Like a person he couldn’t have done this without. He turned to her. “Thank you, Prema.”

The green-haired girl nodded gently. “I have done what I could. I can only wish you two the best from here.”

Gasha clapped rapidly, although Nori couldn’t tell if it was a genuine gesture. “Well now! You were dealt a poor hand, but with a little help from the house, you made it through.” She flipped her hair. “The real game starts here, however. A week from now, you will battle me at my Gym. If you can show that you have tamed the Demon sufficiently, you win. If you cannot, or she escapes during your training, you lose.”

That would be the 30th. Nori saluted and posed. “Got it. By this time next week, you’ll see a brand-new Demon!”

Gasha chuckled. “Then may Lady Luck be with you! You’ll certainly need a little love from her. See you soon!” She turned to her Dustox. “Time to clear out, Labouchere.”

With these words, the Gym Leader spun around and strutted away from the trailer park, the moth fluttering overhead. The chief, slightly shaken, signaled to his men. Not long after, the cops left too. Eventually, only Nori and Prema remained, along with some residents who were still staring. No surprise given what just happened. Nori ignored them and focused on his friend.

Helping a Pokemon become better behaved. That’s what he said he was going to do. This week, he’d have to learn everything he could about Pokemon training, starting immediately. No, he was getting ahead of himself. First things first. “Never imagined I’d have to actually sign up to have Pokemon and mean it. I think my card’s still on the table.”

As he moved to get inside, Prema spoke up to remind him. “The door is locked.”

Nori almost turned the handle, forgetting that fact with all that had happened. “Oh, that’s right.” He shook his head at himself. For a second he thought he’d have to wait for his mom. Then an alternative came to mind. “Wait, the sunroof!” They usually opened it to let in a bit of air, and only locked it at night! He’d always thought about it, but never needed to get in like that. “Hang on.”

He just had to get atop the trailer. Nori walked to the front of the vehicle and stepped onto the bumper. He enjoyed climbing and sitting on things like crates and those outdoor power boxes to get a different view of the world. Then he leaned forward and reached out to grasp the roof. He moved his feet onto the hood, being careful not to step onto the windshield. With a jump, he got halfway to the top. From there, it was easy to pull himself up the rest of the way.

Prema was watching patiently with her hands folded. He waved before sticking his fingernails under the hatch. With a bit of effort, he was able to lift it. He squeezed in and climbed down, quickly spotting the provisional trainer card. He stuffed it into his pocket, pulled down the sunroof, unlocked and opened the door, and clicked the lock shut before closing it again.

“Got it!” He took out the ID and showed it off to Prema. A funny realization hit him at that moment. “Guess we could’ve gone inside after all? Too late for that now with what just happened though.”

Prema softly laughed. “I suppose so.”

Nori glanced at the people who were still looking. Gawking, at this point. “Let’s get out of here. This is getting uncomfortable.” Prema seemed to agree. The two walked south to leave the trailer park.

“Well, I should get down to the trainer registration office.” He knew where it was. He knew where just about everything was in Veilstone thanks to all the walking around and exploring he'd done; it helped that bus rides were free for kids if he needed them. “Want to come with me?”

“I should be heading back,” Prema said with a shake of her head. Nori swore he heard a sorrowful sigh escape her lips as well. “My father is likely waiting for my return.”

Nori shrugged. A question suddenly sprang to mind. “We will get to see each other again, right?”

She smiled weakly. “Of course,” she said with sincerity. “I am uncertain of when that might happen, yet I will try my best to visit when I can.”

“Thanks!” For a moment Nori was worried, but it seemed she really wanted to be friends after all. He gave her a huge arm wave. “All right. Later, Prema!”

She returned it modestly. “Until next we meet, Nori.”

This was not at all how he had expected today to go. He thought he was going to join a protest group, but he’d ended up making a friend and getting a Pokemon. Nori couldn’t wait to get registered as a trainer. He never imagined he would feel excited about that. Maybe it’d only be for a while, but he intended to see this through.

---​

Prema parted from Nori with serenity and a measure of reluctance. As poorly as the day had started, things had indeed worked out. The time had come to return, however.

After she had made it a block away, a woman with ruby-colored hair tied into a frizzy ponytail came hurrying up. She was dressed in a reflective jacket and thick work pants. Prema acknowledged her presence.

“Oh jeez,” her bodyguard groaned as she got close. She tugged at her disguise. “First time out solo with you and you wind up dragged into this mess. Praying to the gods that the Master doesn’t ream me for this one.”

“Acolyte Kaede,” she addressed the modern-day ninja with a warm smile. “I willingly chose to involve myself in this incident. I will accept any and all responsibility for having done so.”

The woman looked up to the heavens. She was lost in them for several seconds before she shook her head at herself. “Lady Kannagi,” she addressed her by her formal title. “Got a question for you.”

“Yes?”

She twirled a finger in midair. “You know there’s some real bad Pokemon out there. Irredeemable ones, even. You sure that Demon’s not one of them?”

Prema thought about how to phrase her answer. She had heard of the Nidorina known as the Demon long before her visit to Veilstone. The shrine felt it would be unproductive to try to investigate her, nor had they been asked to do so. Yet the chance had arisen, and it fell to her. It had taken her only one look to get an idea of what was going through the Pokemon’s mind. Fear not of death, but something else.

“Had I been certain of that, I would not have spoken up in her defense,” she put her thoughts simply.

“Hope you’re right,” Acolyte Kaede remarked, before correcting herself. “Nah, sorry. I trust your word. I hope that kid can handle it, I should say.”

Yes, she thought to herself. This was now up to Nori Carino and the Nidorina called the Demon. It was going to be difficult. Yet something at the back of her mind said to believe in him.

Perhaps their meeting was fate. Her being in Veilstone, Father allowing her to attend that gathering, befriending Nori, and heading home with him to encounter this Pokemon. Even if Prema Kannagi somehow never saw Nori Carino again, she would leave satisfied that she had made a difference today.

 

[System Error]

Ayume Carino was resting her head in her hand while sitting slouched across from her date. While she enjoyed the scent of a man, it was too much. The guy smelled like he walked straight out of a sparring session at the derelict Fighting Dojo. On top of that, he brought her to Mick D’s. She never asked for fine dining – anything was an improvement over her usual diet – but this was ridiculously lazy.

“So! Ayano!” the guy boomed as he leaned over the table.

“Ayume,” she said as she glared up at him. What would Nori call this guy? A stupid moron?

“Right! Forgive me!” He placed his hands together and bowed. “But a delicate flower like you is beautiful no matter her name!”

She snorted. Well, he was trying. In another time, she would have spent exactly one night with him. Not now.

“Nothing?” he pouted.

“Right,” she said. “So what do you do besides karate, Colby?”

“Please, call me Ichiro,” he said with a sheepish chuckle. “Actually, I work here. I know! It’s not much of a job. But I get discounts! And once I win some martial arts tournaments, I can coast off the sponsorships!”

“And?” she followed up, tapping a finger on her tray. “How close have you come to winning?” She somehow doubted she was sitting across from the next Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, or Xavier Top.

“Top 8 last regional megabrawl!” He pointed a thumb inward and flashed a smile. There were holes in his teeth. “I do have a real black belt in karate.”

She nodded. Maybe she should have given him a little more credit. Only a little. Not that much.

“Impressed?” he asked.

“It’s not half bad.” Not half good, either. For one thing, he didn’t say which degree of black belt he had. Second, there was the question of what the competition was like. Third, he did not win.

“Ugh! But I wish there was a better sensei at the dojo! Ever since Kenichi left us–”

She sort of tuned out his rambling. Ayume was thinking she had landed a guppy, or maybe a plastic bottle. Not the kind of person that could help them, and certainly no one that Nori would accept. That was important, and she trusted her son’s judgment besides.

“We have breaking news,” the anchorman on the television announced. Tuned to the local station. It was the same old, yet it was still more interesting than this man. The only difference was that she might have something to do with whatever it was after today.

“Residents at the Veilstone trailer park had their afternoon disrupted when a platoon of police entered the grounds in pursuit of a dangerous Pokemon.”

“Hey! You listening?” Colby fussed.

“To this report,” she said, gesturing to it with a palm. “It’s on where I live.” It was worth paying attention to for that reason. As she turned back, her eyes bulged and her mouth fell slack. Her chest tightened at the sight of her own home. “What the hell?”

“–until a young boy who lives in the motorhome stopped them. He claimed to be able to tame the Demon, a request that Veilstone Gym Leader Gasha Qian permitted. We are currently investigating his identity–”

Her body was moving even as her brain was in the middle of processing what she had just heard. That was Nori. And they said he had the Demon?!

“I have to go,” she said, grabbing her book bag. “That’s my son there!”

“Oh. You’ll call me, right?!” she heard the man shouting behind her.

“I don’t have a phone, and no.”

A fire burned in her mind. She had to stop this right now before it went any further.

---​

Ayume couldn’t find him, and her better judgment made her quickly realize that any sort of chase was going to be fruitless. So she went home to wait, ignoring the neighbors when they knocked at the door or even tried to look inside. There was only one person she wanted to talk to. He would have to be back soon.

It was just after 4pm when the door finally opened. Under literally any other circumstances, the sight of him smiling and holding a trainer card high over his head would have been uplifting. Not today.

“Hey, ma! I–”

“What is the matter with you?” Nori defiantly refused to make eye contact. “I heard what happened on the news. I want you to go down to the Gym and give up that Pokemon, right now!”

He turned with a stomp. “No!”

“This is not an argument, Nori Carino.”

“I’m not going to let this Nidorina die, ma! I’m going to train her and–!”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am! It’s my first Pokemon–”

“I’ll arrange you another one.” She wasn’t sure how; she only said so to placate him. She opened the door and pointed. “Leave. I don’t want to see you back here until you surrender that Pokemon.”

Nori left.

##########​

The hours passed. By the time the sun was starting to set, Nori had yet to return. She went to the neighbors’ to make sure he wasn’t hiding somewhere else. But he was nowhere in the trailer park. She borrowed a phone to call the Gavali residence and even the Willins mansion, just in case, but he wasn’t with them either.

Conundrum. She would rather not deal with the police. But she had to find him, even if it was on her own. So she threw on her coat and went out into the evening. Ayume knew where he was most likely to be. There was a small hope in the back of her mind: what if he was doing what she asked at a Pokemon Center or Veilstone Gym? That would be ideal.

But her initial hunch proved correct. He was at the nearby Gabbron Park, lying down on the grass beneath a tree.

“Nori Carino, what are you doing out here?” She stood over him with her hands on her hips.

Her son sat up against the trunk. “You said not to come back until I released that Pokemon.” He shook his head. “Well, I’m not going to release her until I’ve finished helping her!”

“Nori–”

“No!” He cut her off. “I don’t want to hear it, ma! I’m doing this and that’s final! The Gym Leader said it’s okay, so why won’t you?”

Ayume flinched back. What was going on here? Nori had never acted out like this before. When she asked him to do something he didn’t want to, he’d often be evasive. If she absolutely needed him to, all it took was a hard push from her end to make him relent. This time, he was standing his ground. The only thing she could think of was that YAMS group. Had they done something to warp his mind?

She put a finger on her lip and ran a hand through her hair. How to approach this? She tried to speak, but couldn’t find an answer. Her head spinning made it hard to find any words.

Nori eventually laid back down after she had been quiet for several seconds. “So if I can’t come back home,” he said. “I guess I’ll just stay and sleep out here. There’s some other people here too, so I’m not worried.” He gestured in the direction of a duo of homeless men.

Her son had no subtlety when it came to making up a fake excuse. This was not one of those times. He really intended to stay outside in the middle of the city with who knows what kind of shady people lurking around. No matter how well Nori thought he knew the city, he didn’t know everything there was to know about it.

She grabbed him by the arm and yanked him up. “Come on.”

He pulled free and took several steps back, turning away defensively. “You’re not taking me to get rid of Nidorina, ma!”

“No,” she clarified with an empty look. “I’m taking you back home.”

He stood rigid, stunned for a moment. But when she started walking back, he followed.

---​

Ayume had some time to think about matters during his absence. If whatever happened was enough to make Nori accept Pokemon, then that was one good thing to have come from this. Yet the situation was not as simple as he thought. She had to make that clear to him.

As her son sat at the table, she went to grab a black binder from under her bed. She sat across, opened it to where she had marked, and turned it to him.

“Nori, I want you to take a look at this,” she said, giving it a gentle push.

“Our budget?” he recognized the page at once. She had shown him a few times to help teach him. “What about it?”

She moved her finger down the expenses column. “That isn’t me buying more. The price of things is going up, but we’re still getting the same amount of money.” She gave him a hard look. “I’d like to say we’re going to be able to keep things going, but I don’t know.”

Nori slowly blinked before leaning in and poring over the data. He was much smarter than a lot of people gave him credit for. There were times when you had to explain things to him, but he would understand whenever you did.

“But you know how many free amenities they give to traveling trainers. You can walk into any Pokemon Center and get free lodging. They also provide one free meal per day.” The governments across the world did a lot to facilitate trainers and their Pokemon. They got more benefits than people without jobs in some areas. “That’s why I was asking you to go on a journey. And that’s the reason I want you to not go through with helping this Pokemon. If you get put on the blacklist, you won’t be able to fall back on travel if the worst really does happen.”

There it was. It pained Ayume to tell him that. She had always accepted his disinterest in Pokemon, even when it cost him Claris. It felt like a betrayal to ask him to consider it, and she was sure he felt the same.

He looked up at her. “But we’ve always made things work, ma!” he said. “We can make it through this, too!”

She pressed a hand to her collarbone. “Nori, if I was completely sure of that, I wouldn’t be asking this of you.”

Ayume managed their budget carefully. She never felt the need to spend on luxuries, and Nori had few wants. That was how they were able to live fairly well. Better than some middle-class people at the best of times. Yet their standard of living had been worsening for the past two years. She feared what might happen if things continued the way they were going.

Nori squinted his eyes shut. After a few seconds, he opened them and firmly shook his head. “But I don’t want to go on a journey. It’s just not going to work. I mean sure, there’s things like that mute 11-year-old who became Kanto Champion, but he was the exception.”

“You never know, Nori.” She reached out and patted his hand. “I think you can do anything you put your mind to, including a journey.”

“Not when it comes to experience.” He pulled back and crossed his arms. “We’ll just get stuck with Pokemon to feed and things will be worse. Unless I spend my whole life on it and eventually reach the point where I can make a living off it, but what kind of life would that be? Besides that, there’s more… What are people going to think of me if I go back on it after what happened to Claris?”

He curled back into his seat, clutching himself with his right arm. His left wandered to the shelf by his side, grabbing a toy and staring at it. A red race car that was a memento from their first meeting. “I don’t want that. I don’t want to make her…”

Just as she figured. Ayume grumbled inwardly. Nori had a habit of feeling regret for things out of his control. Even Claris’ own parents did not blame him for what had happened.

Her son put the toy down and leaned forward. “But helping this Nidorina would be something that matters!” He slapped a palm down. “I always wanted to do something that matters with my life, even if it’s something small! I know it seems strange.” He averted his gaze for just a second before propping himself up with both hands. “The Gym Leader’s giving me a chance! A friend I met thinks this Nidorina’s good! And didn’t you just tell me that I can do anything I put my mind to? So I know I can pull this off!”

Ayume had crossed her arms as he tried to make his case. Just because others said it was okay didn’t mean it was. But at that last point, she was forced to concede with a chuckle. She did say exactly that. “Okay. We’ll figure something out,” she relented.

It made him beam and exhale softly. “Thanks, ma,” he sighed as he fell back into his seat.

Maybe asking him to go on a journey really was too much. And he had a point. What if he didn’t succeed? He would be stuck with the responsibility of Pokemon, and they would eat what was left of their budget. She was asking him to take a huge risk. Just like he was doing now.

She tapped a finger on the table. “If you’re that set on helping the Demon, Nori, I’ll only say one more thing about it.”

Nori slowly looked up at her. “What’s that?” he asked quietly.

“If you ever, even for a moment, think that you can’t handle this Pokemon, don’t hesitate in surrendering her.” She leveled and looked right at him. “I’m sure the Officials won’t put you on the blacklist if you do so. Can you promise me that?”

“Okay. I promise.” He turned away and made a small nod. When he looked at her again, there was a warm glint in his eyes. He did a small double fist pump. “But it’s not going to happen. I am going to do this, and I will succeed!”

She chuckled. Though his boundless optimism lifted her spirits, there was still that nagging doubt in the back of her mind. Maybe it was a mother’s job to worry. While she was generally hands-off in her parenting, there were times when she did step in. The last thing she wanted was for Nori to end up like her. Barely surviving because of poor decisions earlier in life.

##########​

A vast forest spread out before her eyes. It was not what she had been expecting from one of these prisons. The sky above held a view to the outside – to reality, and to freedom. It was mostly dark after she wound up in a pocket. Still dark after, since it was night.

This was dumb. It was all artificial. She could see it, but not smell or feel any of it. And this was not the sort of place she ever wanted to come back to, artificial or not. Too many bad memories.

It was not as she intended, but she escaped death. She thought they were going to resort to an attack from below. Then she could beat whatever slave came and flee through the tunnel. It was not the case. Their leader stated his plans. She nearly gave up at that moment. Her plan was to run out and take as many of them with her as she could.

Then, they stepped forward. Someone who peered into her heart without asking. And some naive idealist. She thought about using their distraction to flee. She waited – a better chance would come. The one good thing she could say about him was that there were worse fools to be temporarily enslaved by.

When the time was right, she was making her escape. And she had no intention of sticking around this settlement. She wasn’t sure where she’d be welcomed if her reputation had spread. Or where she cared to be welcomed. But here was no longer an option. Because as soon as she was free, they were going to come after her.

 

[System Error]

Veilstone Gym was located right next to the Game Corner. It was a deliberate bit of construction Gasha Qian set up to make it easier to manage both facilities. Of course, they were but two-thirds of her life at best.

It had all begun with her contest career. She found that Sinnoh had the finest competition. She purchased the Veilstone Casino for a song and saved it from failure by reinventing it as something for everyone.

One could bet on battling in her new Game Corner, or partake in it. While not every battle needed stakes – as a gambler, she knew it was the sign of addiction to always put something on the line – prize money was occasionally involved. Of course, not only did the house take a cut, but there were times when Gasha herself personally stepped onto the battlefield. She did well enough challenging hapless trainers that the Sinnoh League took notice. Her old rivals Fantina and Johanna both vouched for her, and so she decided to take a gamble on the Gym Leader life.

You shared the Contest stage with others, vying to roll higher than all the rest. But for the here and for now, the eyes of the audience were squarely upon her and her lovely crew. She lived for the roar of the crowd. Even her Gym Puzzle was a test of aesthetics over a test of the mind!

D’Alembert was firing clouds of smoke and bursts of gunk into the air, setting them alight with Flamethrowers from his backside. It was a gorgeous fireworks display. Pluscoup the Sneasler was putting on an intelligent showing of Dire Clawing and Poison Jabbing things with masterful precision. And Oscar and Paroli were putting on a joint performance that was as awe-inspiring as it was powerful. A Sudowoodo making rocks, a Tentacruel juggling them and using water to keep them aloft, and both smashing them to dust before they faded naturally.

The proceedings were interrupted by a man in uniform emerging from the challenger side tunnel. “Miss Qian,” he called to her.

Gasha motioned for her cohorts to stop. She raised her arms high over her head. “Ah, welcome to the Veilstone Gym!” she greeted Senior Superintendent Arnold Wyatt. “I take it you’re here to test your luck against the Toxic Gambling Lady? The name’s Gasha Qian, coordinator and gambler extraordinaire. Of course, I am also the Gym Leader here. That all said, I’m afraid that the Gym is closed until the end of the month due to the Sinnoh League Tournament. But! If you wish to qualify–”

“I’m here on business,” the man interrupted her playful speech. “The two of us need to have a serious talk about recent events.”

Gasha flashed him a smirk. “Once I’m done with my performance. I have to get some practice in. There’s two big days coming up!” This was as much to prepare for her rematch against Fantina as it was to prepare for the Demon! “We wouldn’t want to leave the crowd disappointed, now, would we?”

They agreed wholeheartedly with her. The man even received some scattered booing. Wyatt put a palm on his forehead. “Miss Qian, I have limited time today–”

“Then make the most of it!” She waved an arm, inviting him to come closer. “Come, join the stage! We need a cute little thing to complete our quintet of conditions.”

The crowd roared their approval. They began to chant, “Join the stage! Join the stage!” It started as a lull, and quickly increased in volume until even the walls echoed their request. The police chief shuffled and turned away from them. He placed two palms on his forehead.

As the chant quieted down, she clarified, “We’ll have the chat you want after.”

“Fine,” the man conceded. Gasha applauded. The crowd cheered as he took a Poke Ball off his belt. “Candycorn, I require your assistance,” he grumbled.

One might not expect a police officer to carry around a little pink cream puff with a cherry on top. But the smell receptors of a Slurpuff trump that of any dog, Pokemon or otherwise. That was something she appreciated about Mr. Wyatt. He was willing to take a chance on something different! She flashed the man a grin and gestured with her fingers for him to take it away.

---​

Gasha could not help but give the mustachioed man a round of personal applause as they walked backstage after the show. “You did well out there for a first-timer!” she complimented. Was it mere beginner’s luck, or did he have the talent to be more? “Have you considered gracing the coordination stage with your presence? A Normal-rank Cute contest is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon! There’s still time to sign up for it.”

Wyatt vaguely turned his head in her direction as they headed for her office. “If style could catch perps, you’d be one of the best there is.”

She laughed, forced to concede that one. “I suppose it doesn’t.”

And so they strode through the plain white walls of the halls. They got to her office soon enough. It was a small little space, perhaps twelve square meters at most. Her private training room was right next door. Gasha did not bother to decorate any of these spots, saving her effort for that which would be seen. They had what they needed there and nothing more. In her office’s case, it was files, cabinets, a laptop computer, and a desk to do paperwork at.

Gasha sat down in her easy chair. “So!” she said, putting her arms behind her head and leaning back. “What brings you here today, Mr. Wyatt?”

The chief slammed a fist on her desk. “Cut the crap, Qian!” he barked. She did not flinch in the slightest as he started screaming at her. “I don’t want to hear your fancy talk or your excuses! You gave a dangerous wild Pokemon out to a total newcomer, and now they’re out there doing gods know what!”

She casually wiped the spit off her face. “You had every opportunity to kick him out of the casino. You instead chose to let it ride.”

“That was deferring to a senior official,” Wyatt said, standing more upright. He continued to heave and glower at her. “But my department and I, no,” he shook his head. “Damn near everyone’s NOT happy about it! What the hell were you thinking?” He slammed his hand down again, this time sending some papers flying. “As a Gym Leader, you are also a community leader! Just because I can’t do anything about it doesn’t mean I can’t get in touch with those who can!”

“Then I will get straight to the point,” Gasha said as she went to collect the fallen pages. Such a nuisance.

When she came back up, the look in her eye and the grin she put on made the police chief take a step away. “Th-that is–” he stammered. His mustache twitched.

“Do you truly believe I would have allowed this without having an ace up my sleeve?” she asked him as she straightened the papers out. His mouth fell open, but he couldn’t speak. She broke the tension with a laugh before going over and giving him a pat on the back. “Come now, Chief. I am disappointed you think so lowly of me.”

“What are you on about, Qian?” he managed to find his voice again, raising it the best he could. He crossed his arms and clenched his teeth. But his eyes continued to dart around the room. It was an obvious tell.

“I am having my staff keep watch over the young man, just in case we get dealt a poor hand.” She supposed they could be called her Gym Trainers, even if all they did was act as judges on her qualifying contest stage. “Ready to jump into the game should the Demon flee, harms the young man, or harms others. I certainly hope your department is doing the same thing.”

Gasha smiled as she watched him go through a mix of emotions. It began with his eyes widening and him sputtering. He turned away, a hand pressed to the side of his head, tugging at his earlobe. His shoulders and chin dropped. He glanced towards the door as if he was about to show himself out at that alone.

“It’s a crying shame, isn’t it?” she said, walking towards her coffee machine at the back. She grabbed a cup and poured some out for the emasculated Senior Superintendent. “That they were set to make her cash out permanently without so much as giving her a chance to come to the table?” She handed him the drink. He accepted and took a big, noisy sip.

It was actually quite controversial in the world. Was it really right to get rid of a Pokemon that was a danger to society? There were those that threatened not just humans, but their own kind. It was not as if simply capturing one was enough to tame the worst of them. People had gotten hurt making that assumption. Gasha was aware that the Officials had ideas to fix this little moral quandary. They had simply yet to come up with a strategy.

Wyatt sighed heavily. He finished the drink with another huge swig. “F-fine,” he conceded, finally sitting in the guest chair. He folded his arms as she sat across from him. “But that’s with good reason. You know what we know about the Demon. You certainly remember what that one Alakazam said after getting attacked.”

“Oh yes!” she cackled. A rare case of a Pokemon giving official testimony. The Officials were that desperate! “She ran in there and Shadow Clawed the mustache right off her! Not even a Psychic stopped her! Ha! A wild Poison-type crushing a trained Psychic-type. You love to see it!”

“I’m talking about what the victim had to say after the fact!” Wyatt snapped, snarling under his breath.

“Yes, the malice she sensed.” Couldn’t he let her have a laugh there? As a Poison-type expert, she loved to see them shine. “Hatred for everything, as the spoony gal put it. Quite the handful for any trainer lucky enough to have caught her. That wouldn’t just go away!”

The man across from her shook his head, again pressing a hand against his temple. “And why didn’t you take her?”

She sat up straight and harrumphed. “I am not running a charity here.” She was an Official, and she was a Poison-type expert, but she was under no obligation to take time out of her schedule to take in a problem Pokemon. And being honest with herself? “I doubt even I’d be able to handle her. I suspect it would go much the same for anyone with skill.” And for her part especially, she was a Contest star at heart. She would do nothing but annoy the fight-loving Demon.

“So we’re on the same page about the experts not being able to do this.”

“Or caring to.” She smirked before adding, “Of course, that doesn’t mean she can’t be fixed. I think having the stamp of approval of a Kannagi is reason enough to give her a shot, yes?”

Wyatt blinked. “Wait, that girl with him was–?!”

She laughed. “Lady Kannagi herself, right under your nose.” Maybe he hadn’t noticed because she wasn’t wearing her faith’s trademark robe. Or perhaps her face was familiar enough, but he just didn’t think that the sole heir to the shrine would be out and about. It surprised Gasha to see her there too. “First Claris Willins, now her. Seems that young man’s a magnet for catching esteemed girls’ interests, don’t you think? This will be exciting to watch!”

Wyatt rolled his eyes. He tilted up his chin and pinched his lips indignantly. “Leaving that aside, what made you think a kid with no Pokemon experience can ‘fix’ her?”

She chuckled and rubbed her hands together. It must have been more unnerving than she was intending, because the officer’s face dropped. Oh, he was nothing but white meat. He lacked imagination! “Having no experience is exactly why he might be the perfect partner for her.”

The police chief blinked and leaned back, the words utterly flooring him. “What?” he squeaked out.

She gave an enigmatic smirk. The spotlight was upon those two. What would they do?

##########​

Nori left home first thing after breakfast on Sunday morning with a smile on his face. It was a bright, sunny day out. There was a gentle breeze, with no sign of clouds on the horizon. The weather the past two days had been miserable, so this was a welcome change. Perfect for being outside, like he expected to be for most of today.

When he thought about what his mom said last night, there was a nagging feeling ripping at his heart. He knew there was a reason she suddenly wanted him to journey! She always respected it before, and being in a bad spot financially would explain why she flip-flopped all of a sudden. His future might actually be on the line here.

“So just save her!” Nori said to himself. Maybe helping the Demon would get them help! And he was sure they’d have plenty of support! “Nothing to do but do it!” He started out, only to pause upon noticing something.

A heavenly scent was wafting through the trailer park, a stark contrast from the usually stale air. Flaky crust, with baked raspberries! He knew what that had to be, and a quick glance confirmed his suspicions. The door of a particular person’s trailer was open, with the occupant standing just outside it.

“Hey, Mrs. Ito!” he chirruped as he trotted over. “Baking a pie?”

When she saw him, her expression faded. The elderly woman went back inside and shut the door, leaving Nori scratching his head.

“What was that all about?” Maybe he spoke to her at a bad time. Or the pie was a personal thing. Yeah, that had to be it. Either or both of them.

With a shrug, he continued on. There was time for diversions, there was no reason not to say ‘hello’ if he saw someone he knew. Speaking of, there was one of them right now. Sitting atop his family trailer like a couple of days ago. Didn’t he say they had a cool new satellite dish as well, and implied he could come watch?

Nori waved to draw attention to himself. “Hi, Waylon!” he greeted. “When I get done today, can I–”

“Don’t ya go talkin’ ta me,” the other boy cut in. “Ain’t want nothin’ ta do with ya no more.”

Nori stared dumbfounded. “Really?” Waylon turned away from him and said nothing else, so all he could do was walk away.

The boy shifted his shoulders as a lump formed in his throat. Two cold reactions just now. Neither had ever been anything but nice to him before. So why were they suddenly acting this way? Was it something he said or did?

As he was almost out of the trailer park, he caught sight of a pair of men lounging on chairs. They both held an amber-colored drink and smelled kind of funny like adults with drinks sometimes did. He tried not to look at them. He wasn’t familiar with these two chunky men, but as they spoke up, it became clear they knew him.

“Hey, look.” The man on the left pointed as if trying to shame him. Even strangers? “It’s that Carino kid.”

“Where’s he going?”

“Probably to let that monster loose on some poor saps.”

There was a beat in their conversation. The men’s gazes locked onto him as he passed by. He did his best to avoid looking at them in return. When he was several steps away, they started talking again.

“Heard from my kid he always said in school he hated Pokemon. Even turned down Claris friggin’ Willins over it.”

A fire surged through Nori over the mention of his former friend. He paused for a moment, but decided to keep walking.

“That so? The hell’s he doing this for then?”

“Got me beat there.”

Another pause, before the right man concluded, “Kids starting out are better suited to things like Piplup or Chimchar, or maybe a Starly.”

So that’s what this was all about. His first Pokemon. It wasn’t a common Pokemon or something government-approved for new trainers, but an established Demon. He had been so focused that he hadn’t been paying much attention to people’s opinions of him. Maybe he was wrong about the support. It made sense now that he thought about it. This Nidorina had assaulted numerous other Pokemon before without provocation. On paper, few would have a good opinion of her. So they probably didn’t have a good opinion of him for helping out, either.

Well, there was nothing to worry about. There had to be at least some people out there cheering for him. And once he helped the Demon and showed that to everyone, everything would turn out fine. Right?

He just wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do or how to go about it.

 

[System Error]

Okay, where to begin? Well, this was all about Nidorina, right? He said he was going to reform her. That would logically start with getting to know her. That would be a good start. He kept on walking, hoping that an idea of how to go about that would come to him.

Nori had only made it a few blocks when a kid who looked only like a year older than him (at best) came barreling over. He had spiked silver hair and was dressed in black jean shorts plus a matching shirt with a picture of a Charmander and its evolutions on it – they were iconic enough for even Nori to recognize. Even if they were black and looked different from normal. A shiny or regional form?

“Hey! Nori Carino!” the person called to him.

“Hi,” he greeted with a wave. “I don’t think I’ve met you before?”

“My name is Cameron Roseberg.” Standing tall, he took a large step forward and pointed at himself with a thumb. “And the Demon should be mine!”

The declaration didn’t register for several seconds. Not because he didn’t hear what he said, but because it was so asinine. “What? Why?” he eventually asked.

“Why?!” Cameron screeched flippantly, shaking his head as if it was the stupidest question ever asked. “Because she’s a strong Pokemon! And she injured my ace and cost us the championship!”

Nori’s eyes widened. He looked the other boy up and down. “You were almost League Champion?” he queried, briefly looking away. Sinnoh League news was all over the radio this month, but he didn’t think he heard of a Cameron or a Roseberg.

Cameron pinched his lips. “Uh, no,” he admitted, the bravado fading for half a second. He took another step forward. “But I will be Champion someday! I meant my middle school battling team lost the annual tournament last March without my ace there!”

“That’s stupid!” he fired back. “You want this Pokemon because she beat yours up?”

“And to get stronger and become the Champion someday!”

Nori rolled his eyes. He put his hands on his hips and asked, “And what do you plan to do if you do, very hypothetically, become the very best?”

“Defend my title and keep winning!” Cameron did not miss a single beat.

“What would that do?” He tapped a foot.

“You just wouldn’t understand!” Cameron waved him off. Another step forward, and he was right in his face. “A Pokemon like that doesn’t deserve a trainer like you, and I’m going to prove it to you!”

Nori scrutinized his sudden harasser. “Are you–”

“I challenge you!”

With that, Nori had to take a step back and rub the back of his head. Was this a good idea? “Um, I’m not so sure if this–”

“Hey, get in line!” someone else called out. It took Nori a second, but he actually recognized the person who stepped in front of him. This was the woman from the news footage! Dark blue hair, green eyes, carrying a white travel bag, maybe in her early 20s. “That Demon just injured my Luxray!”

As if they were coming out of nowhere, a third person emerged. Closer to Cameron in age, with dirty blond hair and orange eyes. “And she hurt my sister’s Togekiss!”

He raised his arms. “One at a time, you stupid morons!”

“I was here first!” Cameron shouted at them. “And this is personal!”

The other two started to argue, but Nori shut them up with, “He was here first.” Not that he wanted to bother with any of these maniacs.

He turned to the silver-haired teenager. This whole thing was stupid. How was he supposed to battle with this Nidorina without being acquainted with her? On the other hand, this would be a way to meet her. Actually, maybe this was a good idea after all!

“Happy to,” he answered simply.

His opponent pointed and laughed at the others. The woman took it well, smiling and gesturing to her watch. The younger male growled and stomped off in a huff.

So, how did this work? Nori looked to the side of the road. “Um, should we go there, or–”

“God, do you not know anything?!” Nori resisted the urge to throttle the kid. He was learning! “We have to go to a battling spot for this! Come on, there’s one close by!” Cameron started walking off without even waiting.

He followed at a brisk pace. This was why he didn’t want to be a trainer! What the hell was wrong with this kid? Thinking he deserved to have a Pokemon just because it beat one of his? The only thing he deserved was an ass-kicking! He had to get started with Nidorina somehow, and this guy just signed himself up!

Nori had seen these places before, but he had never gone to one for obvious reasons. Battling cages could be found around urban areas, usually in parks or near important places. They were public spaces where people could have a Pokemon battle safely. They were small and cordoned off by tall chain-link fences, and were free to use.

He never imagined he’d be stepping into one, and had to take several moments to compose himself once he did. He was about to have his first battle. Nori had no clue what to do. Pokemon class was a thing at school, yes, but they only taught stuff like biology and some basics. He didn’t even know what a Nidorina was capable of, let alone this one!

His attention was drawn by a plus-sized woman who stepped into the cage with them. She was wearing a gray shirt and purple bell-bottoms. Nori just stared as she marched towards the center of the sidelines.

Cameron caught her out of the corner of his eye. He whipped around and glared at her. “Who are you?”

The woman shrugged. “I thought I’d volunteer as your judge.”

Oh, yeah. They had people who ruled when a Pokemon was defeated in official battles. But this wasn’t official. “Who are you?” he repeated Cameron’s question, placing his hands on his hips and narrowing his eyes. “I don’t want some biased weirdo messing us up! Go away!”

The woman blinked and raised her palms. “Okay, sure. Thank you for the warm welcome, by the way.” She left the cage in a huff, but continued to stand tall and observe from outside. Nori scratched his head. This was like in Crime By Starlight the other day, when–

“Whatever,” Cameron blew off. He already had a Poke Ball in hand. “Are you ready for this?”

Nori reached into his left pocket. He nearly fumbled the Demon’s capsule, but caught it and smiled. “I, uh, I’m ready as I’ll ever be!”

His opponent grinned. “Good! Lairon, this is our moment!”

With a toss of the ball and a flash of light, a quadrupedal Pokemon emerged. It had a dark gray lower body and legs, a blue gaze as steely as the armor that covered its backside, and long sharp claws on each foot.

“Even you should know how much trouble you’re in!” Cameron mocked. Nori did. This was a Steel-type. Poison didn’t do well against it.

He sighed. “Nothing to do but do it,” he whispered. He let out his Pokemon, completely unsure of how it was going to go.

The Demon emerged and immediately turned around to face him. She spun back when she heard her opponent screech. She said something that made the other Pokemon growl and restlessly stomp its front legs.

One good thing: she didn’t try to run right away. Not that she could in a cage. But what to do now?

“All right, let’s win this!” Cameron declared. “Lairon, Take Down!”

“Er.” He wasn’t good at remembering all these moves! Even if he did, he didn’t know what this Nidorina knew! “Get them?”

She was actually off and running before he even said anything. Cameron complained. “What kind of a command is that?!”

The two quadrupeds quickly met. Both jumped as they got near the other. Except Nidorina leaped right over the other Pokemon?

She landed right behind the steel beast, reared back, and started kicking with her hind legs! Once, twice. Lairon let out a roar of pain as it was sent stumbling forward.

“What the?!” Cameron’s eyes widened and he gripped his head with both hands. “I didn’t know they could use Double Kick! Or it’d be that strong!”

Nori just blinked. That was a Fighting-type move. And it looked like it hurt badly!

“Lairon, Iron Defense!” Cameron countered. The Pokemon’s body started to shimmer right before Nidorina jumped and gave it two more kicks. The silver-haired boy grinned menacingly as his Pokemon stood firm. “Yeah! That’s it, now–”

The Demon Nidorina whirled around with a streak of black in her claws. She swiped right across the thing’s mouth!

“A critical hit?!” Cameron screamed as his Pokemon covered itself up. “Are you kidding? Headbutt!”

That was good, right? Breaking through its heightened defenses? Nori didn’t know what to say or do. But she was doing fine on her own, so maybe he didn’t have to do anything.

The teal beast was met with a head-on-head strike, but came right back by biting the thing’s front leg! He thought that would hurt her more than the Lairon, but she appeared no worse for wear from that or the Headbutt.

“Crap! Get away, Lairon!” Cameron wildly gesticulated. “Rock Slide and get away!”

Though, on the other hand, he was aware just standing around letting the Demon do all the fighting wasn’t a good look. So he looked over at her. “Um, slash again like you did before?”

He wasn’t expecting much. So he had to smile a little when her paw began to shine with darkness. Lairon couldn’t even get his move started. The metal quadruped fell, and the Demon kept coming!

“Lairon!” Cameron wailed. His opponent pointed at him. “Stop her, you idiot!”

“Wait, stop! I think we won!” She did not stop, continuing to beat on the prone Pokemon. He turned back to Cameron. “You recall your Pokemon, stupid moron!”

Fortunately, the other kid didn’t have to be told twice. One second his Pokemon was there, the next it was safe in its ball. The Demon snorted.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Cameron screamed from across the battlefield. “Trainers are supposed to give their Pokemon orders! You barely did anything!”

If it were under different circumstances, or he wasn’t being such a jerk, Nori might have agreed. He really didn’t know much about training Pokemon. But instead, he found himself yelling back. “Stop making excuses! You lost, crybaby!”

“Shut up!”

“You shut up!” The Demon was beckoning at Cameron with a paw, but they had already proved their point. They had better things to be doing.

In an instant, the silver-haired boy had out another Poke Ball. “I still have more Pokemon!” Then he threw it. “Yanmega, this is our moment! It’s time for some payback!”

The Demon was already in motion before the bug even materialized. Nori flailed his arms. “Wait, wait! Nidorina, you don’t–”

She did. Cameron shouted a warning and said to dodge. But the big green dragonfly barely had time to get its bearings before the Demon leaped up, grabbed it in her maw, and hurled it to the ground.

Nori just stood there quietly, unsure of what to do. No one stepped in to stop them. Everything was happening too fast! Cameron barked orders at his Pokemon, and they managed to hit the Demon with an Air Slash at one point, but it was over just as quickly.

“Damn it! Return, Yanmega!” Cameron brought back his Pokemon and quickly got a third in hand. “Nuzleaf, our moment!”

“Another one?!” Nori stomped a foot. This time, the Demon waited. A Grass-type. And this time, Nori did say, “Hit it with poison!”

Her horn started glowing a sickly purple. She probably would’ve done it anyway. Cameron pointed. “Night Slash, quick!”

It was not quick enough. The Demon closed the distance before the other Pokemon could even wind back. She then whirled around and delivered another pair of Double Kicks.

“Grrr, Extrasensory!”

Nidorina was blown back several meters as the air distorted around her. That was a Psychic-type attack! She growled as the move struck, but landed cleanly on her feet.

Cameron threw his head up and laughed triumphantly. “Yeah! It’s super effecti–wait, what?!” His arms fell as he saw reality.

Nidorina practically shrugged the move off! If there was any fatigue from fighting three Pokemon in a row, she wasn’t showing it. She had lowered her head and was charging forward! Cameron was only able to say his Pokemon’s name before the attack landed and sent the big-nosed thing tumbling across the ground.

“No!”

She followed it up by loosing some pins from her body and firing them out, needling her foe as it rolled like a ragdoll. If that brutal Skull Bash didn’t do it, that Poison Sting did. Then she started running up!

“Nuzleaf, return!” Cameron said, recalling her right as Nidorina had jumped into the air and came down with her whole body.

Ironically, the awkward landing seemed to hurt her more than any attack by Cameron’s Pokemon. She roared in agitation, gritted her teeth, and took a step towards the other trainer. Cameron stumbled back at the sight and put up his palms defensively.

Nori held his breath, but the Nidorina only stood there, glaring and snarling. He rubbed the nape of his neck. “Um, that was three.” Most battles were three-on-three, right? Though this was technically one-on-three. “I guess we win.”

“I still have more Pokemon!” Cameron once again argued, now with a fourth in his hand.

Okay, enough was enough! The Demon grinned and stood ready for the next. Nori cut it short as he held out her capsule, pointed it at her, and pressed the buttons on the top to recall her. “Stop wasting my time! We’re done!”

Nori stomped off. Cameron ran up and tried to get in his way. “I’m not!”

He threw a palm forward and shoved the older boy aside. “Well, I am!”

As he pushed his way out of the cage, one of the other would-be challengers spoke up. “Hey! What about me?”

“What about you?” Without giving anyone else a chance to answer, he said, “Screw off! Go bother someone else!”

There was a lot of jeering from behind him. He was pretty sure he heard that woman who wanted to be the judge say something to the crowd. Fortunately, no one pestered him as he powerwalked back home.

 

[System Error]

By the time the news spread, YAMS had already parted ways for the day. Louis learned about it from his parents. It was too late to take action at that point, but not enough to discuss things in brief. He phoned Mariko right after dinner.

It did not take very long for her father to pick up and bring her the phone. Mariko opened their conversation with a grumble. “What’s this about, Louis?” she asked him. “Couldn’t you have waited until tomorrow? I was about to take a shower.”

He shrugged, even though she couldn’t see him. “Sorry, I didn’t know. I figured it was important enough to discuss now. I’m sure you heard what Nori Carino got up to after he left the meeting.”

“What, the Demon?” she casually asked. “What about it?”

Louis’ arms tightened at her irreverent attitude. “I was thinking that we as a group should have a discussion about the situation, just in case. But I wanted to get your thoughts now if possible.”

There was a long pause from the other end. Unnaturally so. “I guess you’re right,” Mariko eventually said, failing to answer his indirect question. “But you know how the twins’ family can be. You called them yet?”

“You were the first I decided to call,” he stated. “I was thinking of going to speak to them in person tomorrow.” That would give him the best chance of getting something from them.

“Fine,” she sighed. “I guess I’ll go get Nariya if you want.”

“Splitting the duties would save us some time.” Getting opinions over the phone was one thing, but it would be best to discuss it as a full group. That way, they could go back and forth and bounce ideas off one another.

“And just so you know,” she said to him. “I don’t think we need to bother with this.”

There it was, he supposed. It left Louis scratching his head, quite literally. “That’s a little out of character for you, Mariko.” He thought for certain she would leap at the opportunity to get one over on Nori after their argument the other day. “Just out of curiosity, is there any reason why you don’t want to?”

Mariko snorted hard. “Of course I want to. But everyone else is gonna be after him too. Don’t we only speak out about issues no one else has or will? All we need to do is sit back and watch.” A vindictive snicker escaped her.

“I suppose you have a point.” From the start, they had acted to raise awareness about issues. Technically, everyone knew about this. “I’ll take that into consideration, but we’ll see what the others think.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow.” Mariko hung up without a further word or giving him a chance to say bye.

Louis took a deep breath. This was potentially the first protest he would be doing against someone who he knew well. If they decided to take action, he would have to discard most, if not all, of his personal thoughts.

---

After breakfast on Sunday, Louis got on the bus and went to the twins’ house. It was a coin flip at best with the Takao family when it came to the impromptu. Their mother answered the door. Thankfully, she granted him five minutes to come in and talk.

“Oh, hey Louis,” Yumi greeted him as he stepped into the main room. Aside from the seats and sofas, it was very much a traditional Japanese living space.

“Nice seeing you here,” Touya said as he leaned forward. The other members of their family present acknowledged his presence nonverbally. “I guess it must be important if you dropped in today.”

“You could say that, yes.” He was fully honest with what it was regarding when asking Mrs. Takao. There was no sense in lying about it. “I am sure you heard the news about the Demon and Nori Carino. The rest of us will be meeting shortly to discuss them. I know you two are occupied with family activities today, so I wanted to quickly get your input.”

The twins exchanged glances. It took Louis several moments of them being silent to notice that the air in the room had changed. The older members of the family were watching judgmentally. It was unsurprising knowing their traditionalist ways.

“We’re already working on something, aren’t we?” Touya eventually said. “Yumi and I feel we should finish what we started.”

“No, I think we should do something about this,” his sister dissented, shaking her head.

Eyebrows went up around the room, amid other reactions. Touya had the most charged response of all, gasping and grabbing his twin by the shoulders. “Yumi, hold on a minute. Do you know what you’re suggesting?” he rasped in Japanese, his head jerking towards the rest of their family momentarily. “Why do you want this?”

She lowered her head, aware of the eyes upon her. “Nori-san was interested in joining us. I know he’s only trying to help the Demon, but…” She trailed off for a few seconds. “We should help him realize the mistake he’s making. Not that he shouldn’t be doing this! But that he can’t.”

Louis understood what was happening. He moved to end the discussion before it could turn into an argument.

“So one of you wants to, and one of you doesn’t. That said, it is not any one of our decision,” he stated, more to the family than to them.

“We understand, Trussel-san,” the twins’ father replied, before turning and nodding at the twins. “If you are a part of a group, you must respect the greater whole. But do not hesitate to leave if you disagree with what they are doing.”

Yumi’s eyes widened at his acceptance. “Thank you, dad!” she said, bowing profusely.

Touya crossed his arms. “Okay, fine. I’m a little mad about it too. But I still think we have more important things to be focusing on.”

So his answer remained the same. “All right. Thank you for giving me a bit of your time.” He bowed to the Takao family before leaving.

If he was reading the situation correctly, Nariya would want to pivot as well. So it was going to come down to his decision as the tiebreaker. The others would go along with his choice. But he was still undecided. There were pros and cons to pursuing this that he had to carefully weigh.

##########​

Louis sat before the other two inaugural members of Youths Against Mistaken Society with his arms folded over his chest. As expected, the decision ultimately fell to him. The girls were watching with bated breath.

Some of the points raised thus far had been personal. And that was fine. Personal feelings did play a role in these matters. Otherwise, there were not a lot of advantages to doing this. As Mariko had intuited, they would not make much of a difference. Jumping on a bandwagon would not improve their standing. If anything, it might harm them.

Then he thought more about what Yumi had proposed. Making a personal appeal could justify it. And a reasoned argument would accomplish more than hatred ever could. After a few more musings, he nodded and placed his hands on his knees. “I’ve decided. We will be speaking to him in the near future.”

Nariya exhaled sharply and pressed a hand over her heart. Mariko raised an eyebrow. “Why?” she asked tersely. “Hope you got a good reason.”

“Of course, Mariko,” he assured her with a nod. He stood to address them. “I don’t know how things got this far in the first place. I’m disappointed in the Officials. People and Pokemon could potentially get hurt, if not worse, because of their decision. That said, there is a chance we can make a difference by talking to him, as we know each other. Given what is at stake here, I feel it’s our responsibility to take action.”

Mariko crossed her arms and ankles, leaned back, and turned away. “I guess for the public’s sake,” she eventually said. Then she looked him square in the eye. “I just wanted to see that idiot crash and burn.”

“Don’t be like that,” he said bluntly. “Even if he were the type, there is too much potential for collateral damage. I agree with Yumi that he might not know better.” Perhaps that was a bit of personal bias seeping in, but there was something to be said about knowing someone’s character. He only hoped he wasn’t misjudging. “I understand your frustration with him, though. Channel that hatred into your argument.”

She huffed. “Fine. It works too.”

“I’m just glad we won’t have to beleague the mayor,” Nariya said.

Mariko shook her head at the tall girl. “We’re still doing that after this, you know.”

She spun to face him in desperation. When he confirmed it, she slumped heavily. “Oh.”

Louis finally figured out what this was about. “Nariya, it took courage to come forward with your findings. I understand if it’s intimidating given we’re dealing with an elected official. If you’re still uncomfortable, you can sit out of the protest itself.” He reached up to pat her shoulder, which made her freeze. “But let’s not worry about it for now,” he told her with a smile.

“That’s not… Never mind. I probably will…sit out.” Nariya sighed. “Thank you, Louis.”

Now that that was settled, the next thing to do was get their thoughts together on Nori Carino and the Demon. And after that, find a time and place they could confront him. He only hoped that the Takao twins would be able to do this within a reasonable timeframe. Each day that went by without them doing anything was one more in which disaster could strike.

##########​

Nori had stayed home for most of yesterday after that incident, especially after more people found and wanted to fight him, but knew he had to actually get out there and try making progress.

He went back out after calming down, only for people to keep finding him. He eventually went back home and stayed there just to get away from it all. But he knew that wouldn’t help him make progress. He didn’t even make it out of the trailer park on Monday morning when he was ambushed by some fifteen or sixteen-year-old who wanted to fight just for the fun of it! They didn’t even want to wait, and insisted on fighting in a small patch of dirt nearby.

They were put up against a Mr. Mime, which started out by blasting the Demon with a blast of Psychic. But matter triumphed over mind, once she powered through and got close. It was over in a matter of seconds after that, with her none the worse for wear. The Demon was triumphant again, and much like every other time, she basically did everything while Nori watched and occasionally asked her to do something she was doing anyway.

“Great Uxie, what was that?!” his latest challenger shouted as the two Pokemon went crashing through a rotten wooden fence, scattering splinters of wood everywhere. Then Nidorina started kicking it a few times while it was down. “Marcel, are you okay?!”

The trainer rushed over. Nidorina stepped off as he got close, but feinted a lunge at him. He screamed and flinched. The Demon laughed. Nori turned to her, a hand still on her Great Ball in case she tried to flee.

Because of this, he only caught his opponent rushing at him out of the corner of his eye. Before he could process it, the guy was swinging. A slap across the face. Nori blinked hard, his expression twisting into a glare.

“You irresp–”

Nori lunged and landed a jab square on the eye. The trainer screamed again, this time from pain as he clutched his face. He barely hit the guy! Either way, it let Nori sweep a leg and shove him to the ground. He gave a quick kick to the ribs for good measure. “Don’t pick fights you can’t win!” he said with a point.

What kind of jerk went around hitting people because they’re a sore loser?! There was one voice through the stunned silence, more laughter from his Pokemon. All it did was twist Nori’s stomach. He had no regrets about hitting back, it was just that his words applied to the battle and he didn’t mean them to.

The first person to act was an older man who stepped forward and leveled a finger in his face. “You owe them for that fence, young man!” he sternly barked. A couple of others went to check on the teenager he clocked.

“It was going to be torn down soon anyway,” he assured. They kind of helped, even if it probably wasn’t how they expected it to be demolished.

“That is no excuse for your actions! You need to–”

“Don’t care.” He was already fed up with strangers yelling at him.

Before the old guy could speak up again – and from his red face it looked like he was about to blow up – a woman stepped forward. “When public property damage happens in a battle, it’s whoever decided where it was held who gets held accountable.”

“There you go.” He smirked at the stupid moron who was finally standing up. Nori was sure he wouldn’t have to pay anything, but it was still his fault for insisting. “Now shut up.”

He walked over to Nidorina, unsure of how to read the weird look she was giving him. Some good news, she was sticking with him even when they fought out in the open. That had been the sixth opponent they’d beaten, all one-on-ones besides that Cameron creep.

“All right!” the Luxray trainer declared, coming out of nowhere. “I’m up next. In an actual battling spot, mind you.” She eyed the guy who was now just getting to his feet.

“No!” he protested, stomping a foot.

“Why not?” She threw a Poke Ball and sent her Pokemon out. But Nori recalled the Demon before anything could happen.

“It won’t be fair if Demon has to fight you right after fighting them!” he argued as he stomped off. He knew that much!

The young adult reached into her bag as he was leaving. She came back into his line of sight waving a pink spray bottle over her head. “I have a Hyper Potion you can use here. That’ll get her back in shape. Don’t worry, it’s on me.”

“I’m heading to the library!” he shouted. “I have to find out more about Nidorinas, not just fight whatever idiot thinks they can take her!”

She smirked. “What’s wrong? You think we can’t beat her fair and square?” The Luxray itself roared in challenge.

“Fine!” he snapped. “Tomorrow, then! But leave me alone until then or no!”

The Luxray trainer accepted this. “That’s all right. Meet me in the battling cage near your place tomorrow morning when you’re ready.”

Nori scowled before he stomped off. This was insane. Why was everyone trying to battle him?! Why were so many people being massive jerks to him? Did they hate the Demon that much? Did they hate him? No, it felt like both. He never wanted to be a traveling trainer, and this was not changing his mind about it!

##########​

Louis knocked at the door of the Takao residence on Monday morning. Mariko and Nariya were standing behind him. Conveniently, it was Yumi who answered.

“Good morning, Yumi,” he greeted the beige-haired girl. “Are you and Touya available today?”

She briefly glanced over her shoulder before shaking her head. “Sorry. Our extended family is visiting, and they aren’t leaving until tomorrow morning.”

Mariko threw up her arms. “Go figure. So what are we doing? Are we going after him anyway?”

“I’d like to be there if I can,” Yumi immediately spoke up, quickly turning away. After a second, she shouted something to her parents.

“Yes, and I would like you to be there for it.” Another cooler voice of reason would help with making their argument. This was a conundrum. He didn’t want to wait, but he also didn’t want to do this without the twins. “Will tomorrow afternoon work?”

“Sorry,” came a meek voice from behind. Louis turned and frowned at Nariya. “Dad’s taking me to a museum…on then. Might be…”

“Then it will be on Wednesday,” he grumbled. He turned back to Yumi. “Will that work?”

“I think so, yes,” Yumi tentatively nodded. “We might be able to talk on Tuesday evening. I’ll let you know if things change.”

“Fine. But if you can’t make it, we’re going to speak to him then regardless.” It couldn’t be helped. He turned to the others. “Let’s get going.”

It would be more time to figure out what they were going to say at least. He had heard that Nori Carino had been battling with the Demon yesterday. The longer they waited, the more time there was for something to go wrong. Still, that did not mean they had to simply wait. There were things they could do now.

##########​

Nori always liked going to the library. It was quiet, and books were fun to read. This was the first time he came by to do research, though. Besides, it got him away from all the people trying to challenge him. One came in to try anyway and got thrown out for flipping his lid after being turned down.

He hadn’t learned about the Nido species in school yet besides passing mentions. Nori figured knowing what he was dealing with would help. The books had the usual disclaimer about the information only being commonly observed behavior, but none of it seemed to apply at all!

They said that a Nidorina tends to be calm, caring, and gentle. But the Demon was wild, cruel, and violent. They also said their horns degenerate so they don’t hurt their young. The Demon had a horn! Average height? She was way bigger. Emit ultrasonic waves? Even the different books contradicted each other and said that was rare. Nervous when alone? Not her.

He even tried looking up the male counterpart. That didn’t fit either: she was aggressive, sure, but they all talked about them defending themselves against hostile presences. The Demon was picking fights! Smartly! The most he could find was info about so-called Alphas. The Hisui stories were fictional, but larger-than-usual Pokemon were a real phenomenon. Still, those didn’t change their body structure.

It was clear that she was some sort of special specimen. The books weren’t giving him answers, and he wasn’t sure how to look things up on the internet. At least he could read other books here if needed. It kept his mind from wandering to places of doubt.

He leaned back in the comfy chair as he closed the latest book of nothing helpful. “You’ll just have to keep going, Nori,” he said to himself. Those first battles were promising, right? So far, so good. He just had to keep going.

 

[System Error]

Prema Kannagi was staying with her father in a suite on the top floor of Hotel Stefilia, a seven-storey building on the east side of the central segment of Veilstone City. It was one of three major lodgings for visitors to the city, and one of two locally run along with the Staraptor’s Eye Inn. The Stefilia was the smaller of the two, but had built a better reputation over the years for superior service and affordability.

The hotel was more lavish than she expected. While far from a luxury suite, it had two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, plus the living space. Her bed was queen-sized, with plaid sheets woven from satin. She slept on a futon at home, so it was disorienting.

Her father, the Master of the Kannagi Shrine, was in the city on business. It was only mildly surprising that he asked her to accompany him. While it was a first for a business trip, this concerned the future of the shrine. As the sole heir, her presence was logical.

Prema looked up at the ceiling and sighed. It was understandable why she was not permitted to attend the meetings. Father could handle them alone. So then, why did she feel restless? Was it merely boredom? She rose and walked into the main room in attempt to curb it.

A Pokemon was standing guard, watching with the eyes of a predator. He had brown feathers around his face and back. Below and around was white plumage, with a few green leaves on his body. Unlike most of his species, the owl kept his eyes wide open.

“Hello, Yahata,” she greeted. “I am just getting up to think.”

The Dartrix gave her a curt nod, tapping one of his talons on the floor. He was the only one of her companions who could be out in the hotel room. Shu and Taiyoko would each have their issues.

The living area was spacious. It had a television, a large couch tinted a jungle green, several potted plants, a stove and a sink, and two large windows with cobalt-tinted drapes. She moved to look outside. The view from high above was always enjoyable, giving a different perspective in more ways than one. Prema could pick out individual places she had witnessed at ground level.

A Pokemon Center close below, obvious from the orange roof. The craters in the southwest, marked by the mining tower within one. The GKH Burger she and her father visited two days prior; its red and blue color scheme and rainbow insignia were just visible. The old warehouse. That distinct but faded deep red color was how she verified it. A caged-off brown patch of land marking a trailer park where Nori lived.

Prema had not been intending to look at them, but her eyes were drawn to both locations. She lowered her head guiltily. Now it made sense. She had unwittingly given Nori false hope that she would visit.

The heir to the shrine closed the curtains and turned away. She had to make this right. If only she was not confined to this suite.

Prema blinked. What was she thinking just now? That was not an appropriate thought. It was how things had to be.

She limped to the couch and fell upon it. Becoming conscious of the source of her discomfort only worsened her state of mind. If only there was something she could do about it. She needed to find something to occupy her thoughts. She turned to her friend for lack of ideas. “How are you, Yahata?”

He replied with a low-pitched hoot. One did not necessarily need special powers to understand Pokemon. Simple pattern recognition would suffice in some cases, and Prema had known Yahata enough to know that to be restlessness of his own.

“I know. I feel that way as well,” she said to him. There was so little they could do here, so boredom was understandable. “If you want back in your Poke Ball, simply ask.”

He waved a wing. It was a no. He was going to stay out just in case she required protection. Prema laughed softly. She considered all of her Pokemon to be friends. Yahata considered himself a warrior. Despite his aloof attitude, his dedication to her was like few others.

She briefly considered the television before shaking her head at it. “Then I will keep waiting in my room. Let us hope Father returns soon.”

Yahata gave a single caw before turning back to stand guard.

She looked about the cream-colored room as she stepped back in. Surely there was something here. There was a potted plant in the far corner. Two small dressers on either side of the bed, a lamp on each. A clock radio on one of the dressers. That was perfect. Radio was a source of entertainment at home. Some familiarity would help. She walked over to turn it on and sat down on the bed.

“–ended in a draw. The Coordinators Association has decided that they will face off one more time in a single round, sudden death match. The tiebreaker is set to take place on September 2nd after the conclusion of that day’s Master Rank Smart contest.”

It was already set to the news. It was what she most often listened to. Prema’s tutors and mentors taught her to be aware of it. It gave a view of what was going on outside their bubble, which was helpful and informative.

“Before that, Gasha Qian will have her hands full on August 30th, when she will face the infamous Demon of Veilstone City and its new trainer.”

Prema snapped upright. She reached over, turned the radio up, and leaned in.

“Twelve-year-old Nori Carino of Veilstone City captured this Nidorina with the Gym Leader’s blessing, after a confrontation with police. Carino has made the lofty claim that he can fix the attitude of this Pokemon, despite having no history as a trainer. We were unable to reach either party for comment on this, but citizens have been voicing their displeasure over what many are calling a farce.”

The green-haired girl could scarcely believe what she was hearing. This report was biased. It was not even attempting to hide its negative slant towards Nori. And it only got worse from there. A stream of comments from the public followed.

“I don’t know much about this Demon, but some no-name rookie getting it is a dumb idea,” a young Kalosian girl remarked. Another girl, seemingly Germanic, seemed to uncomfortably agree in the background. They were likely tourists.

“This is preposterous,” a hoarse middle-aged man scoffed. “They take this long to catch one Pokemon, then they basically let her go? It makes me want to move my family out of the city.”

“What the hell was the Gym Leader thinking?” came the voice of Mariko from the protest group. “Do either of them care about the safety of others? They’re delusional if they think it’ll end any way but him and a lot of others getting hurt or worse by that monster!”

Prema quickly shut off the radio, not wanting to hear any more of the report. Worry enveloped her. Was this the report filtering, or was it truly the public’s general opinion? She prayed it was just the former. Ubiquitous, harsh negativity could affect even the strongest of minds over time. Curiously, her presence at the scene went unmentioned. If people knew, would they have a better opinion?

Now it truly made sense; her job was not yet done. Nori surely had to deal with that firsthand, with few if any to stand beside him. But she knew the whole situation. And she was Prema Kannagi. That meant something. She could do something.

The sound of the lock turning brought Prema out of her reverie. She stood, brushed down her robe, and started walking as the front door opened.

A man in a deep violet business suit with a gold-colored shirt beneath entered. He was of average height and lightly built, with receding black hair and the same eyes as hers. It was her father, Haruto Kannagi. Acolyte Kaede was likely checking into the adjacent room.

“Welcome back, Father.” She folded her hands and lightly bowed at him. Yahata crossed his wings and gave him a nod in turn. “Did your meeting with the mayor go well?”

“We’re working things out,” he confirmed, as he placed the top piece of his suit on one of the coat hangers. “I helped him with a bit of an issue he was having.”

An issue? “Is this related to what that protest group was planning?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t believe so. Are they up to something?”

If there was any way she could help out with this process, she wanted to do so. So she set to explaining what had happened at the meeting. She left out the part about how she had met Nori and what happened afterward.

“I see,” he said, scratching his chin. “We have another meeting scheduled for Wednesday. I’m confident it’s going to go well, but I’ll warn him about it anyway.”

Prema was curious about his certainty. “What makes you believe it will go well?”

“He had an appreciative look in his eye as I left and as we shook hands.” So it was in his body language. “It happens that our wants and the city’s needs align.”

Prema quietly nodded. Wants and needs aligning. That would make things easy to act on. Come to think of it, that rationale applied to her own dilemma as well.

Her father continued, “If everything goes as I’m thinking in two days, well.” He paused and smiled. “We’ll be here in about half a year at the earliest. It’ll take time and money for the renovations, but it’ll be worth it for the shrine in the long term.”

Prema had lived in Celestic Town since the day she was born. The possibility that she may one day live somewhere else never once occurred to her until this venture. They would certainly still have a permanent home there, and it would always be home. Her ancestors had founded the city, after all. They would be moving to Veilstone for an indeterminate amount of time after the branch shrine finished construction. There were things to like about the city, at least.

Her father glanced out the other window. As their suite was in a corner of the building, this gave a different view of the city, including being able to see the building in question which they now owned. The former radio station atop a hill in the northeast.

“Well, we are not expected back home until the end of the week,” he said. “I suppose until that time comes, we are free to enjoy Veilstone as we see fit.”

Prema could not help but smile slightly. “It is a rare opportunity.”

“Well put,” agreed her father.

She had already gone out once before, her father would surely have no trouble with her doing so again. “I already have something I wish to do in mind, in fact.”

“I am aware.”

“Hm?”

“Come, now.” He shook his head. “Did you expect I would not hear you were there during the Demon incident?”

Prema looked up. She supposed Acolyte Kaede would have told him. And if not, he would have heard about it from anyone who recognized her.

The Kannagi Shrine was aware of the Demon of Veilstone. They were prepared for the possibility of being called upon to mediate. Never did Prema imagine she would get an opportunity to personally meet her. Her impressions were that this Nidorina was not evil, only different.

“I suppose I should have, given its notoriety.” She bowed again, this time more deeply. “I apologize for not being forthcoming about the events of that day with you, Father. I did not want to distract you from your business. I had intended to do so once it was settled, but it is apparent that is unnecessary.”

Father nodded. “I take no issue with your involvement, though I would have preferred if we spoke on it sooner. But we will let the issue lie.”

Her thoughts were a jumble for a brief moment as she processed that. Father understood. He was not angry. A smile slowly crept onto her face.

“Thank you, Father.” She started off unsteadily towards her room. “I will be heading out to do what I wish shortly.”

“Absolutely not,” he snapped, loud and gravelly. Prema gracelessly leaped up. Yahata got a wing out on instinct. “You will remain here.”

She shuddered as bad memories came flooding back. Father had only used that tone twice before. The first time was when she broke a family heirloom, an antique vase. She was only five at the time. He was screaming at her for her carelessness so much that she believed a devil had come and possessed him. The other was when she was eleven and nearly caused a fire. She had been trying to cook ramen and accidentally left the packaging on the stove. She messed up both those times and deserved to be yelled at. Had she again?

The priestess opened her mouth to ask his reasons. Yet Father spoke over her.

“Prema,” her father spoke sternly. “We have a reputation to uphold. This is a situation that needs to be handled delicately, particularly given the public’s general opinion. You understand, do you not?”

She lowered her head. That she did. She thought better of the public. Had she misjudged? She wanted to say something, anything in her defense. Yet nothing came to mind.

He crossed his arms. “That is why you are to remain in the hotel room unless accompanied by myself for the rest of this trip.”

It was as though he had reached over and ripped her soul out. When her bearings returned, she raced into her room and locked the door behind her. Father was shouting at her, Yahata was cawing, but their words did not register in her mind.

 

[System Error]

Nori stuck around the library for most of Monday, and thankfully ran into no problems after leaving. Furious shouting disrupted the peace at the Veilstone trailer park on Tuesday morning. While it was not uncommon, it was usually domestic stuff and not from a veritable angry mob looking for someone.

He was sitting in the adjacent vehicle, and being treated to his mom telling off the stupid morons. The blinds were down so he could properly hide, but the commotion was loud enough to hear clearly. At least most of them had taken the hint.

“I’m going to ask you one last time, Mrs. Carino,” someone very persistent (and presumptuous about his mom’s marital status) demanded. They sounded older, maybe in their mid-20s.

She didn’t give them a chance to ask it. “And no matter how many times you ask, my answer is still the same. So you may as well leave.”

“I’m not leaving until I get an actual response. And for the record?” The person paused briefly. “Everyone I talked to online agreed with me about this.”

“Okay. How’s this?” He didn’t see it, but he could imagine his mom putting her hands on her hips at that moment. “I don’t care what your little hugbox has to say, whether it’s one, a dozen, or even a thousand of you. You don’t always get what you want in the real world. Go do something else to feel better about your miserable self.”

Nori raised an eyebrow. He never knew his mom could be so sharp-tongued. He’d have to use that line himself the next time someone pestered him for a battle. Probably in a less mean-spirited way, though.

“Mrs. Carino, I am NOT happy. That is an inappropriate thing to say to another person!” they barked with an air of authority. Maybe they did have authority of some sort, but who knew and who cared what it was? “I have been very patient, but I warn you–”

“If you want to continue this conversation, you can talk to the door. Bye.” He heard it slam shut, and no further response from the person.

He exhaled and leaned back in the seat. “Just gotta wait a bit longer,” he mumbled.

“What if they stake you out?” Rashid asked.

Nori put a finger on his lips. “Then hopefully, someone calls the cops on them for loitering.” He wasn’t about to be the one to tell on them.

He was not expecting taking on the Demon to invite this much trouble. If it wasn’t a trainer looking to take a swing at one of them, it was someone who thought the Demon should’ve died. He was genuinely surprised that Claris or anyone bothered by the incident two years ago hadn’t shown up yet.

“Thanks for letting me hide here, Rashid,” he said to the tan-skinned teenager. “I’m glad someone besides my mom is still on my side.”

“I,” he chuckled before raising a hand and correcting himself. “We are glad to help you! Mom and Dad and even Uncle Faruq wish you good luck!”

He nodded. Everyone in the family besides Rashid all worked with Pokemon, so having their approval was a relief. It told him that as crazy as others were going, the important people were staying sane. Still, he had to admit, it was just a little discouraging. Only a little.

The al-Bahar family motorhome was quite luxurious. The appliances were compact. There was a small couch on one side and a larger one in the back. Altogether, it made for a lot more open space when they weren’t folded down into beds. He could probably have the Demon out of her ball in here, not that he cared to try. They even had a small TV in a panel. Middle Eastern decorations of all sorts adorned whatever open space the white walls had.

“How is your family, anyway?” he idly asked.

“We are good!” Rashid replied. “They are working hard. Saving money! And hopefully, living better soon!”

He nodded, though the thought of Rashid moving away tugged at his heart. The al-Bahar family moved in four years ago after suffering a house fire, and had been there ever since. They were like a fixture! It would feel wrong not to have them around anymore.

“Say, Rashid?” he spoke up. Might as well get another opinion about it. “What do you think about me doing this? I mean, with respect to Claris.” That was still tugging at his mind.

“Ah, why are you still hung up on her, my friend?” Rashid queried. “You lost the big one, but there are plenty of girls out there. Better to have loved and lost.”

Okay, that was a mistake to ask. “I wasn’t thinking of her like that!” At the time. “And isn’t that totally wrong because you got teased with what you’re missing out on?”

“You will come to understand someday, Norcar,” he said, giving him a pat on the head.

He crossed his arms and turned away. Sure, a future with Claris could’ve happened, and almost certainly would’ve if he’d said yes to her way back then. But why worry about that now? It’s not like he could change what happened. Just make up for it.

“What is your plan for today?” Rashid asked as he went and grabbed a pair of ginger ales from the fridge. He tossed Nori one; the boy tensed up as it came flying towards him, but managed to catch it between his arms. The teenager sat across, ignorant to how he almost hit him.

At least, Nori wasn’t going to be too upset. It was his favorite kind of fizzy drink. “Well, I did promise someone I’d battle them,” he explained as he cracked open the can. He took a sip, smiling when it touched his tongue. “Same Luxray trainer who was on the news.”

Rashid rubbed his scalp. “I thought you were not accepting challenges? Is that not the reason you are here?”

Nori shrugged. “Well, I have to see how Nidorina’s going to respond in battle. Plus, she was polite about it.” He would have to see if she’d do things besides fighting eventually, but one thing at a time.

“Do you mind if I come and watch?” The teenager flashed a grin. “I am curious!”

He shrugged. Why not? He couldn’t see how this could make anything worse except getting Rashid associated with him. And that was a risk his friend evidently didn’t mind taking.

##########​

A chorus of boos rang out from the many onlookers. This was their toughest fight yet, though only by comparison. The vicious Nidorina was still standing strong at the end, beating on her opponent for a bit more afterward to punctuate her latest victory. Thankfully, the trainer had the sense to recall it, and even without complaint.

The Demon stood on her hind legs, beckoning for the next opponent. Nori glanced at the Luxray trainer, wondering about that. Was this going to be another battle where his opponent was going to try to go beyond one a side? Well, he wasn’t letting it happen this time!

“Sorry, Indra. I guess we’re not good enough yet,” she lamented to the capsule containing her fallen partner. She looked up and applauded. “You’re really strong for a wild Pokemon. Wish I’d caught you, ha.”

The Demon growled and hissed in reply. So it was over, though it didn’t escape Nori’s notice that she was talking with the one who did all the work. Nori gave it a halfhearted attempt, but she was just as likely to ignore him as she was to listen. So it was probably when he said what she was going to do anyway. But was it really wrong? She’d won.

“And as for you.” Nori scrunched up defensively as she turned her attention to him. Yeah, an insult was probably coming. He clenched his fists and leered at her until she said, “Just keep trying. You’ll get it eventually.”

He stumbled back in disbelief. Was that a compliment?! Nori wasn’t sure what to think. “Th-thanks?” he stammered. Maybe not all trainers were completely insane.

“Looking forward to seeing how far you go,” she followed up, compounding it by sticking out a hand. The crowd soured on her for the sportsmanship, jeering and hurling insults at her for it.

Nori took it politely, although had to shake his head when letting go. “I’m really not that interested in Pokemon training,” he admitted to her.

That made the woman frown. “Don’t be like that,” she scolded. “Your Pokemon likes to fight, I can tell. You have to respect that.”

“And I am!” he snapped, stomping a foot. “I’m letting her battle! Doesn’t mean I have to like it or journey or stuff like that!”

She shrugged before reaching into her jacket. “Fair enough.” She handed him a potion of some kind, which he accepted without even thinking about it. “It’s just something to consider. You have potential. It’d be a shame to waste it.”

Nori grumbled as he recalled Nidorina. Even with a super-strong Pokemon…

“Good luck in your match on Saturday.” The Luxray trainer gave him a thumbs-up before heading out.

“Same to you once you get there,” he replied neutrally, following right in behind before anyone got the idea of running into the cage to be his next opponent. Someone actually did, but he totally tuned them out.

Rashid was waiting for him. He shook his head, his mouth slightly ajar. Luckily, people left them alone after seeing they were being ignored. “I did not think it was this bad,” he remarked.

“I’m used to it.” He had expected it. They were annoying, but he’d dealt with worse, like that rich idiot Tarou Daikoka.

A thought suddenly popped into Nori’s mind, making him press a hand to his cheek. He didn’t hate that. In fact, he didn’t really hate helping the Demon. And he wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

“Hey?” he nudged Rashid. “You think having Pokemon’s fine for me? Since, you know. Sort of, kind of turned Claris down because I didn’t want to have them.”

“Like I said, friend. Do not keep hanging up on her.” The tan-skinned teenager poo-pooed with a hand wave. “Besides, you are doing a good thing.”

Nori stopped. He was doing a good thing? He was. This was a good thing. Maybe that was the answer. He wasn’t doing normal trainer stuff, just helping a Pokemon reform. And just for a while. Right? It was different.

“Thanks, man,” he said. “That helps a bit.”

“I am glad to help you!” Rashid made a goofy salute.

That had somehow reminded him. He was doing this for Nidorina! Not for himself, or anyone else! People would understand that, right? He was doing a good thing, and that mattered! That’s all he had to focus on!

The good news was that Nidorina hadn’t run off, hurt stuff too badly, or damaged anything aside from that fence set to be torn down anyway. But while nothing bad had happened yet, they weren’t really moving forward either. So he just had to keep going and keep trying! One day at a time, one step at a time. Maybe there was nothing to worry about.

##########​

Outside was better. This prison was too restrictive. Though it was more ideal than his home. They did make the attempt. It was cramped, like squeezing into a burrow. And as foolish as he was, he had the bare minimum sense not to leave her outside.

She would begrudgingly admit that her time with this Nori Carino had been interesting, if nothing else. Being with him gave her a license to fight and do whatever she wanted without anyone stopping her. There was a certain pleasure in seeing these enslavers react to seeing their slaves beaten. Especially when that one with the wallmaker tried to go after him. He knew how to fight too. So the enslaver fell, just like his slave. It earned the child a little of her respect.

She lived to get stronger. Once she was strong enough, she could do whatever she wanted. But as a slave? They were idiots. She would be bound to their whims, with no regard for her own goals. More importantly, how were they supposed to know what to do? The warrior knew best. This child let her fight to her heart’s content, even if he hated the sport – another thing they could agree on – but people were telling him not to. It was only a matter of time. She was not going to be tied down.

But she was not expecting to fight a victim again. It was a first. He had all sorts of words for her. She had only two. Translated, they meant, “Shut up and fight!” He put up a better fight this time. She actually had a bit of fun. But he was still inferior, and by the end, she stood victorious again.

They all hated her. No, not just her. They hated him as well. It was not just because of association with her, either. It was strange that a fellow outcast had captured her. She felt pity for the child. This was going to be for nothing.

Because the time was drawing near. The first chance she got, she was going to escape. This was convenient. Being tied to a prison would stop anyone else from being able to put her in one. She didn’t care for what entered her mind upon her enslavement. She wasn’t about to listen to an unjust rule, no matter who decreed it.

And if her fellows hated that? Too bad. She had already been branded a race traitor. What was one more sin to her name?

 

[System Error]

Ayume Carino was eating lunch with her son at the table. It was nothing more than macaroni and cheese from a western-style box. It paled in comparison to macaroni gratin. If she was able to prepare it where they were living, she would. As their financial situation stood, they had to make do with whatever they could afford and store.

She was initially doubtful that Nori could handle the Demon Nidorina. It was a big undertaking, and persistence alone would not see him through. It was nothing short of a relief to see that he had been taking it very seriously. He spent the past two days at the library, and didn’t come back until dinnertime. Nori was studious, sure, but she had never seen him apply himself so much before.

She had a sneaking suspicion that something had happened at that YAMS meeting that day. Why else would he suddenly change his stance on Pokemon? He only subtly mentioned a new friend when she asked him about it. But if it was enough to make him accept Pokemon, it was a positive. He had taken the first step.

“So, have you been battling?” she asked him when he was between bites.

“A bit,” he replied.

“And?”

He closed his eyes. “I’ve won every fight.”

“I mean, how is Nidorina’s behavior coming along?” Nori could study as much as he wanted and win all the battles that came his way, but this was about how that Pokemon was acting.

He briefly glanced up. “She still needs work. I’ve had to recall her after battles several times.”

Just as she thought. She had done some research into this Demon herself. The notorious Pokemon was considered so dangerous that not even professionals wanted to touch it. There were treatment facilities for Pokemon with mental issues, and some went on record saying it would not admit the Demon. It was scheduled to be put down if it were ever apprehended. A Pokemon like this would be a handful for even an experienced trainer, and Nori had no experience at all.

He suddenly looked up at her. After some moments of hesitation, he asked, “What do you think Claris is going to think?”

For a second, she was expecting something more serious. So much for getting past that. She rolled her eyes and gave her honest thoughts. “Who gives a Rattata’s rear end what she thinks, Nori? It isn’t going to affect you.”

“I guess not,” he conceded, lowering his head.

Truthfully? Probably exactly what he figured. But Ayume was certain that Claris Willins wouldn’t be a factor in this. If she was going to be, she would’ve already done something. Ayume was more concerned about what those who were actually a part of his life might do.

Her son suddenly stood and placed his empty bowl in the sink. It hadn’t even been five minutes since they started eating. He usually ate slowly to savor the little food they had. “Thanks for lunch, ma,” he said, the doubts he had from that diversionary thought already gone. “But I should get going now.”

Of course, that would explain it. “Are you going back to the library?”

He paused. He rubbed the nape of his neck. “Actually, I think I’m going to train today. On my own if I can. None of the books about Nidorina behavior seem to apply here. And I need to try out some of the battle stuff I’ve read about. That’s also the only way I see making progress with her.”

So he had realized it. Her son wasn’t just acting on naive ideals. He really did understand the responsibility he’d taken on. That was one big thing off her mind.

“Nori?”

He was nearly out the door, but hearing his name brought him back. “Yes?”

“Try and stay out of trouble, all right?”

He smiled. “I will! Don’t worry, ma!” And with this, he did leave.

Ayume was still worried. Maybe that was a mother’s job. While she was generally hands-off in her parenting, there were times like now when she stepped in. The last thing she wanted was for Nori to end up like her: barely surviving because of poor decisions earlier in life.

At least Nori understood what was being expected of him here. But this was not a matter fully under his control. It was going to depend on what the Demon thought of him, and more importantly, whether or not it would be enough to appease the Officials.

##########​

The northwest portion of Veilstone City was something of an industrial district. It held the city’s power plant, numerous warehouses owned by citizens and corporations, and most notably, the docks. Besides frequently shipping to and from Snowpoint City and Batalson Island, it served as one of Sinnoh’s major ports for goods from outside the region. The few factories about were on the far side, away from the north end of town where the city’s upper class lived.

This was one of Nori’s favorite places to explore as a kid. It was a good place in the city to see wild Pokemon. They rarely attacked unless challenged. Plus, it would get him away from maniacs trying to test their mettle against (or settle a score with) the Demon. Few people came by this way unless they had business. It was a perfect training spot!

Mom was right about one thing. He had to stop stressing about Claris for now. He had more important things to worry about. Like Nidorina, or all the people actually on his case about her. If there really was a problem with Claris, he… He really wasn’t sure what he would do. But it wasn’t a problem yet!

Nori had been there for about two hours. So far, they had fought six wild Pokemon and a construction worker’s Machop (and only because the guy was on break). He’d been trying out some basic strategy during it. The Demon was listening. If only a bit.

She had just stopped for a snack, pouncing on a rat before it was even aware of her and engulfing it in her mouth. She was continuing to gnaw on the rodent as they walked to nowhere in particular.

“So, uh, is it good?” he asked, trying to make some small talk.

She stopped chewing to glare up at him.

“Relax, relax!” He put his hands up. “It’s all yours. Don’t want any of it, believe me!” Especially after she had it in her mouth!

The Nidorina huffed and continued to eat the rat, almost absorbed in the meal. Nori sighed. While she was listening to him in battle sometimes, she maintained her caustic personality while doing so. Maybe it wasn’t her listening, rather him saying what she was going to do anyway. He still had a long way to go with her, and so little time to get it done.

As they continued on through an alley to a more open area, Nori instantly saw something. “Wait,” he said, holding a hand out in front of the Pokemon. “Something’s there.”

You couldn’t go anywhere in Sinnoh without becoming familiar with Starly, but seeing a Staravia was not uncommon either. Characterized by their monochrome color scheme and the twirly tuft of head plumage. Nori sighed as he looked on. The evolutionary line always brought back memories of Claris.

The bird was pecking away at a discarded bag of generic potato chips, but eventually looked up and noticed them. It raised its wings and squawked out a challenge.

He turned to his Pokemon. “Well? You up for it?” he asked. He already knew what the answer was. He just asked to be polite.

The Demon swallowed her snack and stepped forward. The two Pokemon sized each other up. She’d made small progress in that regard. Before, she’d immediately attack on seeing a foe. Now, she waited for the word, being attacked, or just getting impatient before doing so.

Nori huffed. “I dunno what to do against something that flies,” he admitted. He was only getting used to normal battles on the ground. What if it flew up and didn’t come down? “You handle this one,” he told the Nidorina, who snorted but otherwise got ready.

He trusted her to do so. She certainly knew strategy from fighting alone for over a year. That’s how all their battles before went, with the Demon winning on her own. Some of their opponents complained, but so what? He didn’t see a problem with a Pokemon fighting on its own. He only chimed in if he saw an opening she didn’t, or to stop her from going overboard. Unfortunately, he ended up doing the latter far more than the former.

The Staravia struck first. With a flap of its wings, it sent a fierce blast of air at them. Nori was taken off guard, especially as it continued sending waves of them out. This was his first time experiencing a Gust from a bird Pokemon, and it was a lot stronger than he thought it’d be. Nothing he couldn’t handle, but still!

“Stupid… Jerk bird!” He stepped out of the way, and thankfully, it didn’t redirect its aim.

Nidorina, however, dug her claws into the pavement and easily withstood the gales. As soon as the bird stopped, she lunged. She closed the distance in less than a second, and her body check sent the Staravia tumbling away.

Their opponent managed to stand before she could follow up, responding by charging at her even faster than she had moved. “Is that a Quick Attack?” Nori wondered as his Pokemon barely flinched at the body blow. The bird flew around the boy, circled back, and came swooping down at the Demon. It spread its wings as it did so, aiming to strike with them.

But the Demon chomped with masterful timing, catching the Staravia’s left wing in her mouth and slamming it into the ground. As she was pulling back a claw, the monochrome bird used its free wing to brush some dust along the ground into its foe’s face. The Demon opened her jaws for a split second – barely enough for the bird to escape.

While the teal beast was gnashing her teeth and pawing the dirt from her eyes, many more of the bird appeared. They encircled the Nidorina.

“What the h–wait!” He shook off his alarm upon realizing they just came from nowhere. “It’s that one move!” He read about it, whatever it’s called! This thing had some smarts, blinding its foe and using the chance to try to disorient her further. “Where’s the real one?”

The Demon briefly glanced at him, snorted, and pounced on one. It promptly vanished, and the rest charged at her!

“Look ou– Wha? Whoa!”

She was not done. With a brief glance behind her, she swiftly caught the real one with a mule kick. Gaining momentum, the Demon turned and struck again with a slash while it was reeling. The Staravia was hurt! But before she could finish it, the bird took to the skies. Nidorina only barely caught its tail feathers when she jumped and tried to swat it down.

Exactly what Nori was worried about. Now what? The Staravia hovered. It was straining, but it was still going. It flapped harder for a second. This time, a visible blade of air formed. The Demon easily evaded when it came down, leaving it to fizzle out on the pavement. But how were they going to make headway with it hiding up there?

After two more of these, Nidorina abruptly dashed away. She avoided another blade aimed to intercept and jumped onto a trash can. She was on it for only a moment before she jumped atop a stone fence, the metal cylinder toppling over and spilling its contents as she left it. His Pokemon continued running. Another blade of air went wide as she left the ground again. This time, she grabbed hold of a drainpipe.

Was this really happening? Nori could only watch as the Demon flipped up onto the roof. The Staravia was too stunned to move. In fact, it nearly fell from utter shock, and really did once its adversary made one final huge leap onto it. The two Pokemon came crashing to the ground, Nidorina having effectively performed a hyper Body Slam. That had to have settled it.

The fall did not faze the Demon one iota. She scrambled to her feet and continued to claw and bite at the splayed-out Staravia.

“Stop!” Nori ordered. When the Pokemon did not stop, he took out her ball and recalled her. The Demon barely noticed, still in the middle of an attack when she dissolved into light.

The boy pocketed the ball and rushed to check on his opponent. Its wing was bent at an odd angle, and it had a few good scrapes. This looked bad. But what could he do here? He had nothing to heal it with. If he had a Poke Ball, he might consider catching it and taking it to a Pokemon Center just to make sure it was all right. Even if he could afford one, he never thought of this happening!

Maybe this was risky, but it was all he could do. He picked it up and placed it back on its feet. Thankfully, it put up no resistance.

“Sorry she got carried away,” he apologized. This had to look a little ridiculous, but he was sure no one was around to see it. “Just be okay, please?”

The Staravia eyed him strangely as it managed to steady itself. It tried to spread its wings, but cringed. The bird settled for hobbling off, doing so under its own power. A small relief. Nori could only cross his fingers and hope things worked out.

Guilty as he felt, he knew the Demon held more culpability. She’d gone too far this time. Nori was sure if he didn’t intervene, she would’ve killed the thing. He reached into his pocket. The boy glared at the capsule for several long moments before opening it up.

“What’s your problem?!” he demanded as she was materializing.

She bolted as soon as she did.

“Hey, get back here!” Nori hadn’t forgotten that if she got away, he’d be punished. That’d be a stupid way for this to end, and he wasn’t about to let it happen.

He rushed after her without a second thought. He was always good in PE class. Not a budding top athlete, but he could hold his own in a footrace or any sport.

The Demon looked back and hissed. Nori tried to recall her, but she picked up the pace and evaded the beam. He was fast, but she was faster. He was steadily losing ground, almost as if she was just tauntingly stringing him along. Of course she’d do that. But as the teal Pokemon darted into an alley, an idea came to Nori. That only led out one way. Unless the Demon was planning on doubling back or jumping in the water, that meant he could cut her off.

Nori pocketed the ball and switched direction, heading towards a fence. He scrambled up and jumped from the top of it. He almost twisted his ankle as he landed, but he couldn’t afford to slow down. There was one chance, and he was going to make it count!

So he just kept going. As the boy neared the other end of the alley, he took the Demon’s ball back out. No sign of her yet. But he was ready to intercept.

He barreled around the bend and entered the narrow path between the buildings, just in time to meet the Demon. Her eyes stretched wide, stumbling as she tried to jump away. Nori didn’t give the fierce Pokemon a chance to do anything more. He fired the beam out and brought her back. It was done, it was over. Crisis averted. He just had to hope she never tried that again.

Nori left the alley, exhaling heavily. He suddenly felt very tired, and not from the impromptu sprint. There was a mound of dirt nearby which the boy promptly laid down on. He sighed and rested his head, looking up at the sky. This was not going well.

##########​

Gasha Qian sighed heavily as she changed into more suitable attire. How disappointing that things were going to end this way. She thought for a while that someone with a fresh and inexperienced perspective on Pokemon could think of something they did not. A form of beginner’s luck, as it were. Yet he had gone bust. The blacklist was an unfortunate formality, but it might not be permanent.

The ringing of her phone accosted her as she was getting her coat on. She picked it up with only one arm in the sleeve. It was from Larkspur again. A quick swipe, and they were connected.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Never mind,” the woman gurgled. “He got her back.”

She could hear the shock in her de facto Gym Trainer’s tone. She could feel her own. Her heart started to race, the same thrill she got when high rolling. She hadn’t bet wrong after all. “So he’s playing for keeps!” she declared. She wanted to give him a round of applause, but it was difficult to do with a phone in her hand. “Goes without saying, hold the plan.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Stay sharp. Bye.”

She hung up with a laugh, put the coat back on the hanger, and began rubbing her hands together. This just got even more interesting. She hit the jackpot. The question remained: would they be able to cash out? One little turn and things would be for the worse.

Yet for now, she would operate under the assumption that they would come to meet her on Saturday. Always be prepared. That was of the utmost importance in anything. She had her plans for them. Few people were aware that she happened to be an excellent chef. Gasha was going to serve the Demon some delicious humble pie.

 

[System Error]

The days passed by for Prema Kannagi without anything of interest happening. Father did not allow her to accompany him to the meetings, so all she could do was wait restlessly in their hotel room whenever he was at one. It made her wonder why he brought her along at all.

She had been meditating when the sound of the lock turning brought her out of her reverie. She stood, brushed down her yukata, and started walking as the front door opened.

“Father,” Prema greeted him with a bow. “How did your meeting with the mayor go?”

The fact that he was smiling gave away the answer before he said it. “It went exactly as I thought it would. Everything is officially in order now,” he stated as he placed his suit’s top piece on one of the coat hangers.

Prema felt a rush that vibrated her insides. She swallowed her excitement and gave a graceful nod in response. “That is good news.”

“I have already phoned Priestess Satomi to let her know,” he told her as he removed his tie. “She will be making the necessary arrangements for us.”

She leaned in a little. “When do you believe it will be completed?”

He crossed his arms. “That depends on how long the contractors take. We’re aiming for sometime during the summer of next year at the latest. I trust Satomi to find us some good ones.”

Prema was initially uncertain about moving to Veilstone City. Just the fact that the branch shrine was being built drove away some traditionalists, including other family members who could have stepped in to head it. Yet now she found herself looking forward to what awaited them.

Father spoke up. “I suppose we should acquaint ourselves with the city while we’re here,” he suggested. “Would you like to go visit the quarry later this evening? I wish for you to see the meteorites there.”

“Perhaps later. There is something I had in mind myself.” One of the benefits of being alone was that it gave her time to think. She had reflected on the situation with Nori, and now she had a proper response to it. “I would like to ask you to reconsider my involvement in the Demon incident.”

He glared at her. “Out of the question.”

“Father, I ask that you at least listen to me,” she said, undeterred by the expected response. “There is a reason why I feel I must do this!”

She shouted with more emotion than intended, her hands flying to her mouth as the realization struck. She was speaking out against her father. Was it right to be doing that? One’s obligations. One’s feelings. What does one do when they are in conflict?

Her father eventually gestured, as if to say to continue.

Prema slowly nodded. He was likely unaware of her full role in these events. She had to tell him. It was the best chance she had. “I am to blame for this incident, Father. I was able to get a read upon that Pokemon, and I did not sense any malice within. It was what motivated the decision of that boy.”

“I had a feeling,” Father said. When he looked at her, it was with a smile bigger than the one he wore when he walked in. “Let me make it clear. I’m proud of you, Prema. Had it not been for your presence, the Demon would have been condemned without question.”

It was exactly as she believed. That fact was one he did not know, and what made her feel personally responsible. She had brought Nori into an incident where his future was at stake. She would not be able to live with herself if he failed. Therefore, she had to do what she could to ensure his success.

She started moving for the door, only for her father to obstruct her. He held out a hand and shook his head. “That said, you have played your part in this.”

Her heart sank, yet something compelled her to persist. “Father, forgive my impudence. I want to do more. Nori–” She gasped at herself. She did not mean for his name to slip out. “I mean, that boy, he is…” Her words left her as the gravity of what she said crushed her larynx.

Her father’s eyes had widened at her familiarity and her tone. It did not take him long to infer the implications. “Prema, did you make a friend?”

She hung her head. “We met in the wake of that youth protest meeting, both of us having expressed distaste for their methods. He asked me if we could be friends, and I accepted.” She sighed heavily, pressing a hand to her heart. “That is what led to our meeting the Nidorina known as the Demon.”

Prema had made a shameful mistake. Why did she agree to something like that!? They were worlds apart in more ways than one, and her duty was to the shrine. It was going to hurt him to hear that. The worst thing about it was that a part of her that wanted it and would be hurt by it too. She could not shake the sentiment no matter how hard she tried. But she would have to.

The green-haired girl meekly eyed her father. His expression was difficult to read. A mixture of many emotions, no words spoken. He eventually shut his eyes. Her muscles tightened as she prepared for the inevitable scolding.

“I’m very happy to hear that,” he said with an uncontrolled grin and a small laugh. He puffed out his chest as he struggled to contain a sudden and strange joy. “Relieved, even. Letting you attend that group’s meeting really was the right decision.”

Prema froze. Father approved of her friendship? And he was happy about it? She understood that he wanted to teach her that not everyone with good intentions did what was right, by allowing her to witness them firsthand. He agreed it might have been the gods’ work that they happened to be present to aid the Demon. But never did she consider this avenue.

Her father straightened his posture, though he continued to smile. “I trust this is not just a matter of personal feelings for you?”

At last, her tension subsided. “Yes, there is one more reason.”

She thought long and hard about that. Nori was being ostracized by everyone around him. He was not even a teenager. He had his whole life ahead of him, yet if this persisted, there were few paths he would be able to take.

Prema folded her hands and spoke earnestly. “Part of our duty is to act for the benefit of all Pokemon. What difference is it then, to come to the aid of someone who is acting for the benefit of a Pokemon? By helping that person, I would be helping the Pokemon as well.”

She had done public speaking before, yet never anything like this. It was more than a little nerve-wracking, yet her father did not keep her waiting for a response.

“Well said, Prema.” He crossed his arms and smirked.

“Father?” He approved of that as well? This was new ground which she was unsure how to tread.

“I’ve been keeping up with the news, and was planning to intervene myself. I believe there must be some reason behind the Demon Nidorina’s behavior. Our shrine has helped many trainers and their partners who had nowhere else to turn to.” With a glance out the window, he said, “All people and Pokemon deserve a fair chance.”

All people and Pokemon deserve a fair chance. The words resonated with her. They invoked one of the most important teachings of their shrine. That all are special in their own way.

Father turned back and nodded. “If you wish to support your friend, then I will permit you to take the lead here.”

It took a moment for the implications of his words to sink in, whereupon Prema gasped. Never had she been given a chance like this before. Was this a sign her father was treating her as more mature? She took a deep breath and bowed.

What to do? What to say? Manners, at least, for starters. “Th-thank you, Father!” she said, unable to contain her elation. “I just…” Where to go from here?

“You wish to meet with him to provide moral support?” he asked.

He had sensed her desire. “Yes,” she confirmed. “I believe he needs it.”

“Then go.”

Her heart pounded. After a moment to process it, she moved to her room swiftly and gracefully. The time had come to set things right. She was the one to start this. It was only right that she shepherded Nori to the end. If she did not, there was no doubt in her mind that their friendship would not endure.

“Two things,” Father called to her. “One, do not act rashly.”

“I will not,” she paused and promised. “What is the second?”

He moved over to the coat rack and sifted through his bag. When he came back from it, he placed a white baseball cap on her head and sunglasses with violet lenses over her eyes. He made a simple request, “Keep a low profile.”

Prema touched the brim of the hat in disbelief. Her instinct was that these would make her stand out. But she trusted his judgment on the matter. “Very well.”

She would also have to decide on a choice of wardrobe. A yukata with that disguise would be even more conspicuous. She entered her room to make preparations.

---​

Prema knocked on the door of the room to the right of theirs, where her bodyguard was staying. It was Acolyte Kaede’s idea that she stay separately. Her logic was that she was usually hidden in plain sight when protecting them, and so should remain that way. Neither of them understood her reasoning, but Father permitted it so long as she paid for the room. Her reply was that life was priceless, which they both approved of. It was a surprisingly wise answer given that she was only in her early 20s.

“I’ll be there in a sec!” Acolyte Kaede hollered. It took her a minute to open the door. She had hastily thrown on part of a black business suit that Prema assumed she had been wearing earlier. “Good to see you, Lady Kannagi.”

“Good afternoon, Acolyte Kaede,” Prema greeted. She had opted to wear casual attire for this outing: a simple violet dress shirt with a matching knee-length skirt. She also decided against the hat, which Father agreed to. The sunglasses were in her purse. “I hope I am not disturbing you.”

“Thought about hopping in the shower. Gotta wear something less sweltering next time. But it’s no problem to put it off. What’s up? You gonna head out?” The red-haired woman tilted her head, put a hand on her hip, and smirked.

“Yes. I will be leaving shortly to meet with Nori Carino,” she stated her intentions.

“Uh, what?” Her bodyguard stared blankly at her. When she regained her bearings, she gripped her hip and almost seemed to harrumph. “Your dad said uh-uh, ain’t happening.”

“He has decided to permit me now that he knows the full extent of the circumstances,” she answered simply and honestly.

“Excuse me for a moment.” Prema stepped aside to let her pass by. Acolyte Kaede pounded at the door to their own room. It did not take Father long to answer. “Yo. Um, sorry. Pardon me, Master Haruto Kannagi.”

The door shut. Prema could not hear what they were saying, and did not wish to eavesdrop. Approximately one minute later, Acolyte Kaede returned with a harsh sigh.

“A’right, fine,” she sharply begrudged with a shake of her head. “Let’s go do this.”

Prema frowned. While she was certain that Acolyte Kaede would perform her duties in spite of how she felt, her reaction was indicative of something. She prayed that it was not a sign of a potential lack of loyalty.

“Acolyte Kaede.” The girl briefly stopped her as she was heading back into her room. She stepped inside with the ninja. “Do you have misgivings about this?”

“Eh, ain’t my place to question ya guys,” she waved it off.

Prema was about to speak up, but Acolyte Kaede disappeared into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. She could only wait. Minutes passed. She heard the bathroom sink running at several points; the only other noise was footsteps. Eventually, the woman emerged, dressed casually in a white tank top and jean shorts that barely reached her knees.

“I would have your thoughts regardless,” Prema said to the woman as she was grabbing her bag.

Her bodyguard halted, blinked, and stared blankly for several seconds. “Huh, really?” she finally said. When Prema gave confirmation, a little smile came to her face. “All right. One sec. Deep breath here.” After she took it, she looked straight at her and blurted, “Do you think this is gonna be worth the time?”

“Yes,” she answered immediately, feeling a tinge of disappointment that made her slacken. It was not something she should have had to explain. “Acolyte Kaede, we of the Kannagi Shrine do what we must to assist trainers and Pokemon in need.”

“Sorry, not what I meant. Lemme rephrase that.” Acolyte Kaede drew in another deep breath. “Do you think this’ll make a difference? Can say and do what you want, but it’s up to him if he’ll listen.”

“I do not intend to impose upon Nori.” That was never what the Kannagi Shrine stood for. They only stepped in during cases of abuse. “My plan is just to lend moral support. If he wishes for further advice, I will answer. I do not know if that alone is right. But I can say for certain that it is wrong to do nothing.”

Acolyte Kaede slowly nodded. “Yeah, makes sense,” she conceded. “Guess he’s her last chance. You think he can pull it off? The Demon got her name for a reason.”

“I believe knowing that would be enough for her to cooperate.” If not that, then at least making her more restrained in her actions. That was genuine fear that Prema sensed. “I am more concerned about if he can handle the pressure. The Gym Leader did say he would need to demonstrate his progress.”

Acolyte Kaede smirked wryly and snickered, though there was total approval in it. “So it’s also for your new friend, eh?”

Prema nodded, a little more confident in calling him that with Father having given his blessing. It still felt strange. Yet she was now looking forward to moving to Veilstone permanently because of it. “May I count on your assistance in finding him if necessary?” she asked. That was the one potential problem she anticipated.

“Just say the word and Paparism’s there.” She patted one of the Poke Balls on her belt. She waved. “Till then, lead the way. I’ll follow at a distance as always.”

“Thank you, Acolyte Kaede.” She bowed to her bodyguard before exiting the room and starting out down the hall. Prema hoped that it was not too late. While uncertain of why, she had a bad feeling that she could not shake.

 

[System Error]

It took Nori only a minute to catch his breath after that sprint. It took him longer to get his thoughts in order. Dread and doubt clawed at his mind, making the boy wonder if he had messed things up by scolding her. His better judgment eventually came to him. This was probably inevitable. In retrospect, it was surprising she didn’t try to run off sooner. He tapped his lip and sat up as he pondered what to do next.

He had to talk to her, somewhere public, just in case. He had to keep trying. There had to be a way to get through to her! As he set off from the docks, heading nowhere in particular, a patch of green in the city caught his eye. He turned and saw the sign: Asweil Park. It would do. When he thought about it more, he might even be able to enjoy it if he was lucky! He rarely ever went this far into the city!

A few heads turned as he approached, and all of them did as he entered. Some started whispering to each other. The rest watched vigilantly, and some even got up to follow him. His chest loosened as he looked back at them with a smile. He wanted people to see this. And maybe help out if needed.

Like many of the public parks in Veilstone, Asweil had a playground with a swing set, as well as plenty of open space where kids and Pokemon could run around in. A few small trees were dotted about. Unlike his local park, this one had a gravelly field with two goalposts for playing soccer or other sports. It was otherwise empty besides a group of high school students loitering, so he figured there was where he’d do what needed to be done.

He went to the center and reached into his pocket. As soon as he pulled the Great Ball out, the onlookers started gasping and yelling.

“What do you think you’re doing, kid?!” a young adult screamed at him. He was charging over, but froze midstep when Nori raised the capsule. His eyes went wide.

“I’m just going to talk to Nidorina about some stuff!” he assured him, and everyone else by turning to them with a wave. “That’s all! Just watch!”

A few didn’t just want to watch. A woman in a blotchy maroon shirt calmly sent out a weird reddish spider with striped legs and a horn. Several more seemed like they were going to follow suit, but only one of the high school students did so, bringing out a fiery horse. Nori scratched his head. Who would ride something like that? You’d get burned. Whatever the case, having them there was consoling.

With a nod to both of them, Nori turned and cracked open the capsule. His grip involuntarily tightened as the Demon within materialized.

She instantly let out a growl of frustration, scraping a paw along the ground. Then she scowled up at him. Undeterred, Nori put his hands on his hips, like his mother did when she was about to scold him.

“Nice try!” he taunted. “I knew what you were going to do. You just let me catch you because you knew there was no getting away from the cops. And you were looking for the first opportunity to escape, weren’t you?”

Well, he didn’t know that until he thought about it, but no one needed to know that. The teal Pokemon smirked and stood on her hind legs. Someone else sent out a Pokemon at that, but Nori stayed fully focused on the Demon. His next words came out even harsher than intended.

“Well, it’s not going to work with me!” He took half a step closer, which made her fall into a crouch. He ignored her growling as he leveled a finger at her. “I’m not letting everything I did and risked go to waste over nothing! Like it or not, you’re with me for now!”

The Demon remained motionless. She blinked and she breathed, but that was about it. The onlookers were simply watching, equally still and silent.

Nori fearlessly squatted down and looked her in the eyes. He gave her a firm nod and a determined beam. “But I’m with you too. I don’t want to see things end for you like they would’ve, and I know they will eventually if you keep going as you are. I’ll do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen, but you have to do your part, too! So come on!” He jumped to his feet and gestured to her. “Let’s go find ourselves something else to fight and train with. And next time, take it easy!”

She frowned. After around ten seconds of him staring, she sighed. She looked down and away, her posture slumped. Was that shame?! Mild if so, but it was not lost on the chestnut-haired boy. Nor the onlookers, some of whose jaws dropped. Nori turned to them with a grin.

“See? I got this!” he boasted, pretending he expected it all along. Truth be told, he was just saying whatever came to mind, straight from his heart. It shocked him just as much that he got through to her. Even if it was only a little, it counted!

Nori’s gaze shifted to the Nidorina, who gave him a begrudging nod. She turned to the spider and barked firmly. It raised its hind legs and hissed in reply. The boy looked at its trainer, who winced but didn’t immediately reject the idea. His Pokemon had issued the challenge. They had been making a bit of progress! This could be the chance to show it to everyone!

“The Demon’s a killer! We need to still her! The Demon’s a killer! We need to still her!”

And there went that idea. Nori recognized their voices immediately. If only he could ignore them. Just walking away really wasn’t an option here, unfortunately. They were marching in too quickly.

“Come back for now,” he told the Nidorina as he brought her back into her capsule. It’d be better if she wasn’t out for this. As the protest group came and stood before him, he pocketed the ball and asked, “Still her?”

That got them to stop chanting. After a second, the other four turned to Nariya all at once. She tensed up as everyone’s eyes – even the onlookers – fell upon her. “Stop, pacify… Neutralize…” she mumbled.

“Leave her alone!” Mariko snapped with fervor, standing in front of her friend. “Don’t try to deflect things away from this!”

“Okay. I’m sorry.” He bowed a little at Nariya. He didn’t mean to come across as rude, he just wanted to know what they meant. And he still sort of didn’t get it. “What do you guys want?”

Their leader stepped forward. “We are Youths Against Mistaken Society,” he redundantly introduced himself. “And you should know what we’re here for, Nori Carino. We’re here to protest your harboring of the Demon Nidorina.”

“Well,” Nori said with a shrug, “I haven’t done anything wrong or illegal, so–”

“Yes, you have,” interrupted Touya.

Yumi followed in behind her brother’s words, “You’re turning a blind eye to things!”

“You don’t live under a rock!” Mariko snapped at him. “You know what that monster’s done! Are you just conveniently ignoring it?”

Nori had clenched his throat after that first sentence. He badly wanted to insult her right back in some way. The boy took a deep breath, wanting to try to be the better person here. He exhaled and said his piece.

“Nidorina has never actually killed anything,” he calmly explained. This was a fact that he looked into. She came close a few times, and had worried him when fighting that Staravia earlier. But there had been no confirmed fatalities as a result of her actions. “She just needs to learn to tone it down.”

“It’s crippled, maimed, and tortured many innocent Pokemon!” the red-haired teenager shouted. “It will eventually! It’s a miracle it hasn’t already! That thing’s done so much wrong, there’s no coming back!”

“I’m trying to teach her that she can’t go that far in a battle!” he snapped while stomping a foot. He pointed at her. “What part of that don’t you get?”

“What it needs is to be punished for everything it’s ever done! What part don’t you get?!” Mariko paused for a moment before making a clasping motion. “Maybe you need to be punished for this, too!”

Was she suggesting that he should go to jail? First of all, the Gym Leader just said he’d get put on the blacklist. Second of all, he didn’t intend on letting the Demon do anything to make them consider putting him in there. This was classic Mariko Urusai. No, she was more out of control than usual.

He turned to the blue-haired teenager instead. “Louis,” he asked. “Can you calm her down, please?” He’d done it before when they were arguing at the warehouse. He always had a cool head on his shoulders. If anyone could rein in her vitriol, it was Louis.

Louis closed his eyes and slowly crossed his arms. “I agree with her.”

“What?!” Nori’s stomach curled. What was he saying?! “Why would you… Louis, why?”

“An enabler.” He let these two words hang in the air for a few seconds, before looking straight at him and continuing. “That is the term for someone who allows another to continue their self-destructive actions unchecked, or outright encourages them. We have heard about your previous battles. You’ve done little to stop her.”

“I’m working on that!” he protested.

“I was about to say, and nothing you do will help. You are in over your head.” The siblings nodded in agreement. Louis lowered his gaze. “You need to open your eyes to the facts, Nori Carino.”

“And stop being a dumbass!” Mariko added.

Clarity replaced his sense of betrayal. Okay, now they were pissing him off. Who were they to show up and tell him what he can and can’t do? That settled it. The Louis he knew really was gone.

“You know?” Nori said, tilting his head. He wore a blank, defeated expression as a feint. There was one way to settle this argument – or at least make them go away. He pulled out the Demon’s capsule and punched forward with it. “You know what, I’ve heard enough.”

He cast it onto the ground with force. The Demon emerged with a mighty roar. The protest group all scampered back. The high schoolers watched tensely. The ones who had their Pokemon out told them to get ready.

Nori did a two-finger point at the members of YAMS. “I’m challenging any and all of you to battles, right now!” Maybe this wasn’t how he’d normally do it, but same difference with benefits. “I’ll show you! Who’s first?! Step right up!”

It took a moment for it to sink in. His expression was probably just as fierce as the Demon’s right now. And he had just challenged someone to a battle himself! His Pokemon evidently approved, a delighted snort escaping her nostrils. She stood before Nori on her hind legs, beckoning them to come forth. It made Nori smirk. They were on the same page, and they were about to teach these jerks a lesson. No, they were going to show everyone they were wrong!

The five exchanged worried glances. To Nori’s lack of surprise, Mariko spoke up first. “No way am I letting my Buizel fight that psychopath!”

“I don’t want my Bonsly getting hurt!” said Touya.

Okay, fine. He challenged them, and they backed down. Typical. Would anyone else bite? He eyed Yumi, who instantly shook her head and pleaded, “I’m sorry!” He turned to Nariya, who waved her hands and turned away. That left one person.

“What about you?” If Louis did take him up, he could demonstrate their progress. If he didn’t, he could call them cowards and leave. Or maybe fight someone else here! It was a win-win scenario.

The leader of the protest group harrumphed and adjusted his hair, brushing back stray strands with both hands. “To battle you would entail me raising Pokemon.”

“You mean you don’t?”

“Wasn’t that your mentality?” he retorted while crossing his arms. “You said doing so was pointless, and that it was effectively throwing part of your life away. In fact, you once used the phrase ‘Pokemon are a waste of time.’ That generalization earned you quite a bit of ostracism, did it not?”

“This… That’s not what I meant by that!” He made it clear after he said it, too!

“You threw away a friendship over it. One with Claris Willins.” Louis gave him an empty scowl. “And after all that, now here you are throwing your entire life away over a monster.”

Nori could only sputter. He stumbled back. “I…” He couldn’t argue that. Because it was true! All of it!

“You are a naive hypocrite.”

The insult galvanized him. That was enough. Nori stormed up and got right in Louis’ face. “And you’re a jerk!” he screamed, shoving him away. “I thought you were better than this! And this is completely different!”

The blue-haired teenager didn’t so much as stagger. He simply rolled with it and stepped backward. “I am only stating facts. You can do the same: tell us how it’s different.” He seemed to chuckle under his breath after asking that. “Please, by all means, indulge us. Explain to us why this is not a waste of time. Because from what I understand–”

“Just shut up! What are you trying to do by doing this?”

“Gods, are you slow?” Mariko chimed in. “We’re here to let everyone know what a horrible person you really are, Nori Carino!”

“And to make you realize what you’re doing is wrong!” added Touya.

Yumi opened her mouth. It took her a few extra seconds to speak. “It’s not too late, Nori. Please,” she urged, way more composed than the others. If Nori wasn’t sure she was just trying to play good cop, he’d almost think that was legitimate concern. “You can still back out of this. Just let the Demon get justice for all it’s done.”

The five nodded. Nori looked to the adults, who did so as well. He took several steps back and peered towards the high school teenagers. About half shrugged or didn’t move, while the rest of them expressed their agreement.

Louis began to pace while he made his speech. “The Demon Nidorina is a dangerous Pokemon. Trainer law states that any Pokemon – trained or wild – that poses a threat to society must be put down. Only your foolish faith and the Gym Leader’s intervention has spared it thus far. I don’t understand why she is allowing you to humiliate yourself and destroy your own reputation, but that’s what you’re doing. We’re telling you this for your sake, before you ruin your life.” He came to a stop a few steps before Nori. “Do you understand now?”

Understand. Almost everyone here was in agreement. Was that why just about everyone else was acting so cold? Maybe they didn’t hate him, they just hated what he was doing. Louis’ words resonated. To understand. The Demon had hurt a lot of Pokemon. Of course that’d make people hate her.

He shut his eyes. He opened his mouth to try to talk, but a voice screamed at him not to. His throat tightened. That was right. He made this decision to help Nidorina. And he was starting to get through! That was different from going on a journey for yourself! No matter what they were saying, he wasn’t about to go back! He couldn’t! He was sticking to this! He was doing a good thing!

“You know what?” Nori said, taking a preliminary step forward. He stared at Louis for several long moments. He thought about arguing that point. Then he decided, why bother? They’d find some way to not care or twist his words again. So he waved a hand and spun away. “Fine, forget it. Just forget it! I don’t care!”

“We care,” Yumi squeaked.

Louis shook his head. “Nori, I know you are–”

“I said I don’t care!” He should’ve known better to bother with stupid morons like them! Walking away really was the right choice! He turned to Nidorina. “Come on, let’s go fight something worth our time!”

Nori stormed away. He stopped when he noticed that the Nidorina was not following him.

“Hey, I said, come on!”

She splayed out on the dirt instead. This caused the high schoolers, most of the protest group, and even a couple of the adults to erupt into laughter.

“Stop laughing!” The wrong thing to say. It only made most of them laugh harder. Nori recalled the Demon and screamed at them, “Screw all of you!”

He flipped everyone off and left, hyperventilating.

##########​

After Nori Carino had run off, Youths Against Mistaken Society decided to relax for a while. They were often so busy with their work, if not school or life, that they had little time to spend together as friends. This was a good opportunity to do just that.

Nariya was sitting on one of the benches away from the beaten path. Yumi was beside her, staring off into the distance. Louis remained standing in front, with a finger on his forehead. Touya was on the grass, while Mariko paced behind.

“I’d say that went fairly well, all things considered,” Louis remarked, starting an impromptu debriefing. It was unfortunate how it ended, yet unsurprising. “There is not much more to say about it. He will not be able to run from the truth for much longer.”

The others, aside from Mariko, solemnly agreed. It appeared he was simply dismissing them due to his disagreements over their methodology. Or perhaps his judgment was clouded due to feeling personally slighted.

“You know,” Yumi said, pressing her index fingers together. “It’s strange to be doing this.”

Mariko paused and arched an eyebrow at her. “What do you mean by that?” she leaned in and asked with suspicion. Louis was curious as well.

“I mean, all our protests before were like, issues and strangers. Nori is someone we know.” She glanced away and mumbled. “Sort of.”

Mariko sighed and put a hand on her forehead. “Who’s this we? You guys just met him, and the three of us barely interacted in school.”

“I guess.” Yumi half-closed her eyes. “I just feel a little bad about doing it.”

“Didn’t you vote for it?” Mariko asked, to which Yumi turned away. But the redhead assured her, “And don’t be. It’s for his own good. If he doesn’t want to listen, that’s on him.”

“I know. I just hope he does,” the brown-haired girl sighed.

“Cruel to be kind.” Louis shut his eyes and strummed his fingers on his forearm. He did share in Yumi’s concern, though did agree with Mariko that there was no need for them to act. The public was already doing so. “It is our unique position that allowed us to appeal to him directly. There is nothing strange about helping a stranger, let alone an acquaintance. Ultimately, Nori Carino is free to choose and will be responsible for his own actions.”

His analysis united the girls. For a second, Nariya looked like she wanted to speak. But she said nothing. Louis suspected her wanting to do this was motivated by second-guessing her decision to share those photographs, guilt over what they led to, or both.

“Well, do you want to know what I think is strange?” Touya spoke up, looking at them with a smile. “Being on the public’s side for once. Glad you guys talked me into this.”

“Yeah, I know,” Yumi concurred, as did Nariya.

“I really don’t care.” Mariko put up her arms and shook her head.

Louis could not help but chuckle. His initial doubts about jumping on this turned out to be unfounded. “I admit, it’s a bit unusual for myself as well. But it feels good, doesn’t it?”

Perhaps it was a little unfair to call this their first instance of public support. After all, they were piggybacking off of something that was already controversial. They could have done that many times in the past. Regardless, the twins nodded emphatically, Nariya following after seeing they did so. Mariko only crossed her arms and turned away. If he knew her as well as he did, she was trying to hide a smile.

Which reminded him. He addressed Touya and Yumi. “By the way, are you two able to come watch the battle on Saturday?” A lump caught in his throat and he quickly corrected himself. “If he makes it to then, that is.”

The twins exchanged a glance. Touya was the one to speak up. “We might have to go with our family as a weekend activity. But they’re interested, so it’s looking like a maybe.”

He shrugged. “Well, I hope you can make it however you do.” He did not say it, but they wouldn’t miss much. Because even if Nori Carino somehow made it to then, that was when it would end.

Louis had never gotten to know Nori personally. The chance had never arisen. The fact that Claris Willins had been friends with him told him all he needed to know. He was not at fault for what happened to her. Nori was a good person. Which is what made his recent actions all the more perplexing and painful.

He was making a horrible mistake. You can’t change what’s in one’s nature. And there was no repenting for what the Demon had done. Those were facts he could not escape. And in the worst case, it was going to cost him dearly. Perhaps it already had, but if not, it would very soon.

##########​

They just didn’t understand.

Nori knew what he saw that day. That was genuine fear in this Nidorina’s eyes. Not from cowardice in her potential final moments, more like frustrated despair. Should he have told them about it? Or would that also have just been a waste? Prema probably couldn’t do anything either, wherever she was. A couple of kids trying to convince people that an infamous Pokemon was good. Yeah, that sounded ridiculous. It was why he was training her: to show them. And oh yes, he would show them all.

That’s what this was about: bonding. Nidorina was listening to him. Sometimes, anyway. It was a start. He seemed to get through a little in the park, and that was a big step forward! But he had to keep moving forward! He settled on heading out into the wilderness. It would have tougher wild Pokemon and less people.

As Nori was heading down Fūrin Avenue, he caught sight of a familiar face. A pink-haired girl with pigtails was sitting on a bench outside a Kon’s Konbini store. The sight of her made him grin.

“Hey, Maylene!” he called out.

The boy hustled over, feeling a lightness in his step and body. It was good to see a friend! Especially after what just happened. It was like his need for one got answered!

Her eyebrows shot up, but her expression quickly faded. “Oh, hey Nori,” she said monotonously.

“It’s been a few days,” he greeted. He momentarily thought about telling her what he’d been doing, before reconsidering it. “You’ve, uh, probably heard what’s happened with me. How’s it been for you?”

Maylene frowned. She turned slightly away and avoided eye contact.

“What’s up?” he asked. “Something happen?”

“Um. Nori, I–”

“Hey!” came a shout, as a man dressed in clothes more tattered than any of Nori’s own came bursting out of the store. He had two bags tucked under either arm, but dropped them to point and gesticulate furiously. He had Maylene’s pink hair, though his was unkempt and receding. “What’re you doin’ Maylene? Ya not listen to what I said?”

“Sorry, daddy,” she apologized as she stood up. She walked over and picked up one of the bags without being prompted. “Nori was just walking by. I was about to tell him.”

“Tell me what?”

Maylene sighed heavily, her expression forlorn. She quivered before rigidly turning to face him. “Daddy says we can’t hang out anymore. Sorry.”

“That’s right. No bad influence’s gonna be ‘round my little girl. Now let’s get goin’ back home, Maylene.”

“Okay, daddy…”

Nori could barely move. It felt as if he had inhaled a Stun Spore. His vision spun and blurred. His throat dried out, making him feel like he was about to suffocate. As he regained his senses, his legs started to buckle. Reality struck, leaving him on the verge of collapse.

He couldn’t see his friend anymore. One of the few friends he still had. He expected some backlash over what he was doing. But not like this.

Was the Demon more trouble than it was worth? Was he actually really ruining his life by helping her? Those thoughts would not get out of his mind.

“You’re doing a good thing,” he reminded himself aloud. “You…”

He lost a friend. He needed to get away from this. So he ran.