Chapter 1: Beginnings
- Partners
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Nori Carino is a headstrong but good-hearted 12-year-old boy with no interest in becoming a trainer. However, a chance encounter with a certain person and an infamous Pokemon called the Demon changes this. For standing up for it, he winds up embroiled in a bet with his city's Gym Leader, with his future and the Pokemon's life on the line...
This is the first (technically second in two ways) in a metaseries of fics, most of them short jaunts, although there's some long ones here. You don't necessarily need to read others in it to enjoy any of them, especially considering this is the first one. You can find this and nonpresent-here fics also on Bulbagarden, FFNet, and AO3
Things you can expect to here that might displease you in this fic are: mild swearing, mild violence, harsh themes, and just a bit of roasting. It's about a CERO B rating!
Index:
In threadmarks because I am lazy and it's all in a row anyway
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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 woods. They were on the run from the law, and were hoping to receive sanctuary from the priests dwelling in the tower.
"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."
Our heroes remained silent as they continued their trek. Soon, Hideki spoke up to his acquaintance, still in awe of his unending 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.
"I see a couple 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 yards away, too much 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."
"Nori!"
The boy looked back, slightly irritated. That drama was just getting good. Listening to the radio was one of the few things he could do for enjoyment in the trailer he lived in with his mother, Ayume Carino. It was a compact but fully functional space: a master bed at the back end, a bunk above the vehicle's seats where he was sitting, and a third near the middle right if you folded down a table and pulled a center segment out. Directly across was the sink, with the bathroom in a door beside it. There was little room for anything except what was built into here, and whatever you could fit in the closets and drawers.
His mom stood as a towering presence behind him. She had her ravenous hair done up in a ponytail, and was in a simple black dress. He always hated being interrupted in the middle of something by someone who wanted to talk to him. There were no chores to be done, and he hadn't done anything wrong recently. What was this about?
"When are you going to get out of here and make something of yourself?"
He cocked his head. "Um, I'm only twelve?"
"That doesn't mean you can't get out there and go on a journey like a lot of your classmates did."
Nori sighed. "I don't want to," he repeated. He'd cemented this choice a long time ago, when he declined joining a friend on her own travels. And when he started fights with his peers who ridiculed him over his adamance. Going back on that now would just be wrong. More importantly for himself, "Besides, I want to make something more of myself than that, and going through the process to get set up would be a pain."
"I've taken care of that."
He recoiled as his mom tossed something into his lap. Nori had seen trainer cards a few times at school, and this appeared to be the skeleton of one. It had his name and address, though the ID number was listed as provisional and there was a blank space where a photo was to go.
He slowly looked up from it, shaking his head. "But I don't want to be a Pokemon trainer." This had been an eternal request for the past year and a half. He'd been using subjective arguments, and excuses of being lazy or busy to get out of it. Now he wasn't sure what he could say to it, besides not wanting to. And he knew he could not depend upon that as an answer.
"Now Nori, you know we don't have a lot of free money," she started, putting her hands on her hips. Her usual pose when being assertive. "I had to spend a quarter of this month's cheque on this. I don't want you making it go to waste."
The boy was momentarily stunned. "But...no. I don't get it." He wasn't just saying that to try to evade this. Whenever his mother got money, after getting what they needed, always spent what was left on herself. Like, she'd head out some nights with money and do things. This was the first time she'd bought something for him. It was so pricey, it didn't seem right that she should. "Can't you, you know, take it back?"
She shook her head. "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..."
Abruptly, somebody pounded on the side door of the trailer. Nori very blatantly sighed in relief at this conversation being interrupted. "I'll get it," he quickly offered, conveniently letting the trainer card fall off his leg to the floor as he shoved 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." One of his friends, not some random stranger. That was good to see. 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 1000 note. That was more than he'd ever had. 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. Even if he hadn't had a situation he needed to get away from right there, he'd have done so. He rarely got to do stuff like this. Nori swiftly grabbed his coat off the back of the passenger seat, just in case it started raining. It wasn't the best protection given the sleeves only reached to his elbows, but he always liked its green color. Especially the leafy texture. "Ma, I'm heading out with Maylene! I'll be back later!"
"Good," she said with a nod. "Dinner's at 6:30, don't be back until then!" She failed to notice he'd left the card behind. Nori raced out the door before she could.
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 was painting the sky a silvery-gray. They gave little respite from the heat, which was made worse by the only moisture being in the air. It was days like these where staying indoors was preferable, 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, he found his nostrils being assaulted. 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. He hated seeing messes like these, but it wasn't his to clean up, nor the time for it.
"Well hello there, Nori." He had taken only a couple steps when an old lady in a blue dress sweeping outside her trailer gave him a wave. The trailer park was a tight-knit community, always friendly to one another. Everybody knew everybody in here, and were willing to say hello to or help their neighbors if need be. "Heading out with your friend?"
"Yup, Mrs. Ito." Speaking of which, said friend was cheerfully bounding forth ahead, oblivious to his momentary pause. Nori hustled to keep up with her. He only made it a short distance before another person spoke to 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 we got. Gets us more channels 'en some of 'em rich folk." The boy 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 Rashid jogging towards him. An older boy with tan skin, dressed in simple jeans and 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 an occasional friend, but he was really weird when it came to girls in magazines. Handy he was out here though, with this he could say, "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 that mess would be out of here 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 let himself be distracted too much. He ran to catch up.
Maylene first led them straight across the road. After heading a couple blocks away, a flashy red and white sign he hadn't seen before captured 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 at this point, and seeing how it developed was one of the ways he entertained himself. It was one of the more isolated cities in Sinnoh, yet because of compensating 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 on the southern end of town. It had a family-friendly image, so much that even kids Maylene's age were welcome in there. Though for the most part, he saw lots of adults going in. Finally, the radio station he had been listening to earlier actually used to be based out of Veilstone. But because it was so popular, they moved broadcasting to Hearthome to reach a wider audience a couple months back, leaving 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 you and your mom fight again?"
"Oh, uh." No surprise his friend noticed he was absorbed in thought. He did that when there was something he'd rather not think about, but since she asked. Well, he wouldn't exactly call what happened a fight, so he assured her, "She just gave me the journey talk again." At least he could vent to Maylene about this. "It goes the same way every time. Even when I say different things every time about why I don't want to go."
"Even when you say you wanna do something that means something?"
"Even then!"
"Oh, wow."
"I just don't get it. What's the appeal of going on one?"
"Yeah! I don't get it either!"
"And why's pretty much everyone want to go on one? Is it like, that peer pressure thing or whatever?" Only one person he's ever known had a good reason to go on a journey!
Maylene's face clouded over. "Oh yeah..." she groaned. "I got made fun of again today."
"Ugh. Again?"
She solemnly nodded. "I ran into some classmates yesterday. 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 to say to that. The two of them were certainly outliers in this world. Just about everyone he knew wanted to go on a journey at some point in their life. A few as soon as they were allowed to, others sometime eventually. What was so fun about traveling around fighting or doing whatever else with Pokemon? He could think of many negatives that a lot of them just didn't seem to realize or care for. It made no sense.
Their walk continued in silence for half a minute, until Maylene suddenly asked, "Hey, how'd you handle it Nori? When everyone your age wanted to go on journeys and you didn't, what'd you do?"
"Well, some of them understood." A couple kids mocked him, but most said nothing or ignored it. One person actually agreed with him. "But besides them, 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 he was sometimes uncomfortable with. He was known for fighting, and his scope of doing so was exaggerated at times.
It wasn't unearned. In particular in fourth grade, he socked resident rich boy Tarou Daikoka for being classist towards him. He got suspended for that one. A month 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, thanks to an ex-neighbor who used to serve in the military. He tripped the bigger kid and wailed on him. People who didn't know him 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. Like almost any kid in school, Nori had seen his share of bullying himself. Unlike some others, if he was hit, he'd hit back. If he was insulted, he'd respond in various ways. He'd lost his temper sometimes, sure, but tried to be cognizant of his actions.
It was enough for Maylene at least, who gave him a quick hug. "Yay! Thanks, Nori! You're the best!"
At this point, he couldn't help but snort. "So what if those losers want to waste like a year of their life or more on traveling? We'll be here learning and putting that year to good use!"
"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 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 in before them.
"Ten Berries Ice Cream?" Nori read aloud. There were a pair of tables with umbrellas in front of the store. A lone teenaged boy was seated at the right of these. He could already smell the peculiar scent of those fruit out here. Nori suspected they had left a door or window open out back on purpose. "A dessert place?" Well this 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.
On entering, Nori quickly noted the minimalistic design of the small store. There were a good ten or so people here, 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.
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. It was to no avail. As Nori got closer, he lifted her by the torso. He easily got his friend up there before sitting down himself.
"Thanks! Wish I was big like you, Nori."
"You should be soon. Everyone grows a bit differently. You're probably close to hitting your first big growth spurt, really."
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. "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?"
The man smiled warmly. "Just about whatever you want, little lady."
"Then I'll have a Nanab-Razz split with Nutpeas in it!" The way she quickly answered, Nori thought, she must have had that in mind since before she came and got him.
As the clerk's eyes fell on him, he answered on instinct. "I'll have a cherry...no, Pecha sundae." Good thing he remembered this place worked with berries, or he would've ended up with a Cheri sundae. Those were mildly spicy, so probably wouldn't be very good in ice cream.
The two desserts rang up. "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. "Thanks," he said, nudging Maylene after a moment to say so too.
"Thank you, 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 doing that. 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, feeling you just need to find ways to keep yourself busy in the meantime.
Nori turned his attention to the television, which presently had on the noon news. Some kids his age might find it dull, but he enjoyed it. Knowing what was going on in the world around him made him feel more at ease.
The bald newsman in a black suit spoke, "In local news, the wild Pokemon people know only as the Demon has struck again. At around 10:30 last night, a trainer was practicing near the docks in preparation for his upcoming Gym battle. The Demon attacked and injured the trainer's Luxray before making its escape."
Black and white footage appeared, showing a quadrupedal beast covered in garbage leaping in from out of frame onto its target. Slashing and biting, it shrugged off electrical attacks 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 trainers 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 Asuka Schrader, who conducted an interview with the victim–"
"Bo-ring!" came the flippant shout of his friend. If he were the less attentive type, he would've jumped at the sudden shout. She nudged him with her elbow. "I wanna watch cartoons. Can you change the channel, Nori?"
"I um, think people would get mad if I did that." Both the people who were watching the TV and the staff here. Already some of them were giving her odd looks. He thought to quickly take their conversation elsewhere, before Maylene did it on her own.
"Hey, hey, Nori." She prodded his shoulder until he looked 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 English class I got an A on last term and she said I shouldn't do that!"
That explained it. Nori almost instinctively leaned back before remembering there wasn't a backside to these seats. "Well, your cousin's an idiot," 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 and the owner emerged, carrying a tray with their ice cream. They were each within tin cups just big enough to contain them. "All right, here you kids go. Eat up and enjoy."
"Yay!" Maylene wasted little time shoveling a couple spoonfuls of the dessert into her mouth until it was full.
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 may as well savor them.
Suddenly, Maylene started hacking. She was eating so fast, it was no surprise to Nori. 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 fit stopped. The boy smiled at her.
"That can also happen if you eat too fast." He put another spoonful in his mouth.
She lowered her head apologetically, even though he didn't take any sort of scolding tone at all. "I'll eat slower now."
That settled that. Nori took another bite and glanced back over to the television, periodically having a few more. The report about that Demon Pokemon had ended. Not that it interested him too much whenever stuff about it was on. "Turning to professional training news now," the newsman 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 and Gasha ended in an unprecedented draw."
Clips of the Contest followed. "Gasha won the first set, her Dustox edging out Fantina's Jellicent. Fantina answered back in the second, with 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. He could tolerate his friend interrupting his watching, but what was with this random person doing it? "There's something going on out here!"
He just 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 on? He hated when people were vague. Yet, it became clear anyway when the chanting of a group of people became audible.
"This is all a fail! Send Eis back to jail!"
"Do they mean Mr. Eis?" Maylene asked with curiosity. They looked to the man himself, whose expression had darkly clouded over. "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 off 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 left to join his friend outside.
"This is all a fail! Send Eis back to jail! This is all a fail! Send Eis back to jail!"
Maylene waved to Nori as he emerged. He waved back, standing beside her. A number of other guests and bystanders had also come to see what the commotion was. The cause was a group of five people, continuing to chant away as people gathered. He was surprised to see they were only a few years older than him. Even more, that he actually knew some of them.
"We are Youths Against Mistaken Society!" He recognized Mariko Urusai right away, with her distinct short red hair, slender frame, and tomboyish clothing - presently jean shorts and a white shirt over a brown leather jacket. He knew her because they attended the same elementary school, though they were three grades apart. Sixth-years ran the PA during lunch hour, and Mariko was among her peers that did so. She often got in trouble for her more personal complaints and announcements. She never was barred from the mic, oddly.
Stepping out in front of the group came Louis Trussell, in the same grade as Mariko. Well dressed in a yellow polo shirt with black slacks. His blue hair had been slicked back. He was the president of his class, and represented his year's graduates. Louis was a very upstanding person who would even look out for those below him. Which is why Nori found it so strange two people so opposite each other would be associating.
He didn't recognize the others, but two of them seemed like siblings due to having the same brown hair and eyes. The last was a tall, slightly portly girl with messy black hair. She was hiding way in the back, with a loose fitting orange shirt and plaided khakis.
Louis spoke calmly and clearly, as if he were on stage making a speech. "Douglas Eis is a former member of Team Rocket. He used to be one of their top street operatives. Two years ago when the organization went down, he was arrested and charged. He was paroled three months ago, and is now working here in our city."
Team Rocket? They were that gang that operated in and around Kanto, if Nori remembered right. A number of the adults seemed taken aback by this news, looking at the man worriedly. He for his part stoically stood there, head lowered.
"We don't want him here!" said the male teenage with brown hair.
"Yeah!" agreed the female. "Like, he's a criminal!"
Eis cut in. "That's all in my past. I admit it's not the cleanest." He shook his head at himself in regret before looking up, "But I served my time, and I'm trying to make good honest work, now."
The adults chattered, a mixture of uncertainty and mild acceptance. Nori saw no problem here. So what if he was in some gang before? He was good now! But it did not satisfy this youth group.
"That isn't what this is about!" shouted the brown-haired female.
"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, "You were convicted on four counts of battery and issuing threats against humans and Pokemon, with multiple others unproven in court. There are those of us who find it hard to believe you have truly atoned." Eis remained silent, and the blue-haired boy continued, "Studies have shown that people who have committed those kinds of offenses once are likely to fall back into the 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 in front, getting in their faces. Her hands were balled into fists, and she looked 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 went quiet. Nori had to stifle a laugh at this. Here was this group of teenagers looking to make a big fuss, even making ridiculous unsubstantiated claims, and they were being talked down by a third-grade girl. Mariko and Louis exchanged glances. Both looked unsure what they should say.
"You'll...understand when you get older." It was the tall girl in the back who meekly broke their silence. These words were enough for Mariko to start up again, this time attacking Maylene.
"And for that matter, 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!"
The eyes of the quintet sans the girl in the back fell upon Nori. Looking for his reasoning? He just shrugged. "She's like a little sister to me." At least, he assumed it's what having a little sister was like. What was wrong with an age difference, anyway? Most of his friends were different ages than him.
"That's no excuse for what you're doing!" the redhead yelled at both of them. "You need to–"
Her rant was cut off by Eis. "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 his hands on her shoulders and giving her a pat. "We got it out in the open, that's all that counts. 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 wants us home." So they were siblings.
"And I...have to go do 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."
Louis nodded at them. "In that case, I'll see you all tomorrow, then."
They started heading away in different directions. The onlookers dispersed or went back into the store as they did so. That was an unpleasant distraction, though Nori. Made even more unpleasant by how he somehow ended up getting involved. At least they were like nothing compared to some of the stuff he'd put up with before.
"Well, there is one other thing. Nori Carino."
"Wha...?" Louis was talking to him? That was something he hadn't expected. He knew Louis, but didn't think Louis knew him, or at least enough to want to talk to him cordially.
"If you truly want to make a difference like you always say you do, you should think about joining our activist group."
That explained things. He was very vocal about his goals in life, especially to those he felt were wasting part of theirs. But joining these people? Nori could only stare. "I don't like what I saw from your group just now."
The blue-haired boy sighed. "I apologize for that, Mariko can be a bit headstrong." He looked over in the direction she had gone. "This was her discovery and idea, not that I blame her. However, YAMS doesn't simply tackle issues as these. We aim to raise awareness of all sorts of troubles with society." He shrugged. "You seem to be a good person willing to fight for things, so I thought I'd extend the offer, anyway."
"Well..." Louis was an all right guy. Certainly not anybody he'd ever have reason to punch in the face. He also raised a good point, they were trying to make a difference, and that's what he always wanted to do with his life. Despite what they did, he strangely couldn't think of a reason to say no.
He felt a prodding at his backside. "You really thinking of this, Nori?" Maylene was looking 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!" Nori laughed a little. Typical Maylene. She'd change her tune in a second, and would 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. Give it a few years." 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'll be meeting there at two 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 accompanying spoon. "Couldn't help but overhear your conversation," 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." What was with adults who weren't his mom or teachers trying to tell him what to do? They weren't the boss of him. "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 to. Still, Nori was seriously considering going to this meeting. Looking to the positives, they did say they wanted to help others. It may have turned out ugly here, but perhaps this was just an isolated incident? He wanted to believe they were good people at heart. He knew Louis was good, and Mariko just spoke her mind freely. He hadn't met the other three, but tomorrow would be a chance to do just that. The only way to find out was to try.
This is the first (technically second in two ways) in a metaseries of fics, most of them short jaunts, although there's some long ones here. You don't necessarily need to read others in it to enjoy any of them, especially considering this is the first one. You can find this and nonpresent-here fics also on Bulbagarden, FFNet, and AO3
Things you can expect to here that might displease you in this fic are: mild swearing, mild violence, harsh themes, and just a bit of roasting. It's about a CERO B rating!
Index:
In threadmarks because I am lazy and it's all in a row anyway
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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 woods. They were on the run from the law, and were hoping to receive sanctuary from the priests dwelling in the tower.
"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."
Our heroes remained silent as they continued their trek. Soon, Hideki spoke up to his acquaintance, still in awe of his unending 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.
"I see a couple 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 yards away, too much 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."
"Nori!"
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Chapter 1: Beginnings
The boy looked back, slightly irritated. That drama was just getting good. Listening to the radio was one of the few things he could do for enjoyment in the trailer he lived in with his mother, Ayume Carino. It was a compact but fully functional space: a master bed at the back end, a bunk above the vehicle's seats where he was sitting, and a third near the middle right if you folded down a table and pulled a center segment out. Directly across was the sink, with the bathroom in a door beside it. There was little room for anything except what was built into here, and whatever you could fit in the closets and drawers.
His mom stood as a towering presence behind him. She had her ravenous hair done up in a ponytail, and was in a simple black dress. He always hated being interrupted in the middle of something by someone who wanted to talk to him. There were no chores to be done, and he hadn't done anything wrong recently. What was this about?
"When are you going to get out of here and make something of yourself?"
He cocked his head. "Um, I'm only twelve?"
"That doesn't mean you can't get out there and go on a journey like a lot of your classmates did."
Nori sighed. "I don't want to," he repeated. He'd cemented this choice a long time ago, when he declined joining a friend on her own travels. And when he started fights with his peers who ridiculed him over his adamance. Going back on that now would just be wrong. More importantly for himself, "Besides, I want to make something more of myself than that, and going through the process to get set up would be a pain."
"I've taken care of that."
He recoiled as his mom tossed something into his lap. Nori had seen trainer cards a few times at school, and this appeared to be the skeleton of one. It had his name and address, though the ID number was listed as provisional and there was a blank space where a photo was to go.
He slowly looked up from it, shaking his head. "But I don't want to be a Pokemon trainer." This had been an eternal request for the past year and a half. He'd been using subjective arguments, and excuses of being lazy or busy to get out of it. Now he wasn't sure what he could say to it, besides not wanting to. And he knew he could not depend upon that as an answer.
"Now Nori, you know we don't have a lot of free money," she started, putting her hands on her hips. Her usual pose when being assertive. "I had to spend a quarter of this month's cheque on this. I don't want you making it go to waste."
The boy was momentarily stunned. "But...no. I don't get it." He wasn't just saying that to try to evade this. Whenever his mother got money, after getting what they needed, always spent what was left on herself. Like, she'd head out some nights with money and do things. This was the first time she'd bought something for him. It was so pricey, it didn't seem right that she should. "Can't you, you know, take it back?"
She shook her head. "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..."
Abruptly, somebody pounded on the side door of the trailer. Nori very blatantly sighed in relief at this conversation being interrupted. "I'll get it," he quickly offered, conveniently letting the trainer card fall off his leg to the floor as he shoved 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." One of his friends, not some random stranger. That was good to see. 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 1000 note. That was more than he'd ever had. 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. Even if he hadn't had a situation he needed to get away from right there, he'd have done so. He rarely got to do stuff like this. Nori swiftly grabbed his coat off the back of the passenger seat, just in case it started raining. It wasn't the best protection given the sleeves only reached to his elbows, but he always liked its green color. Especially the leafy texture. "Ma, I'm heading out with Maylene! I'll be back later!"
"Good," she said with a nod. "Dinner's at 6:30, don't be back until then!" She failed to notice he'd left the card behind. Nori raced out the door before she could.
---
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 was painting the sky a silvery-gray. They gave little respite from the heat, which was made worse by the only moisture being in the air. It was days like these where staying indoors was preferable, 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, he found his nostrils being assaulted. 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. He hated seeing messes like these, but it wasn't his to clean up, nor the time for it.
"Well hello there, Nori." He had taken only a couple steps when an old lady in a blue dress sweeping outside her trailer gave him a wave. The trailer park was a tight-knit community, always friendly to one another. Everybody knew everybody in here, and were willing to say hello to or help their neighbors if need be. "Heading out with your friend?"
"Yup, Mrs. Ito." Speaking of which, said friend was cheerfully bounding forth ahead, oblivious to his momentary pause. Nori hustled to keep up with her. He only made it a short distance before another person spoke to 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 we got. Gets us more channels 'en some of 'em rich folk." The boy 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 Rashid jogging towards him. An older boy with tan skin, dressed in simple jeans and 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 an occasional friend, but he was really weird when it came to girls in magazines. Handy he was out here though, with this he could say, "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 that mess would be out of here 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 let himself be distracted too much. He ran to catch up.
Maylene first led them straight across the road. After heading a couple blocks away, a flashy red and white sign he hadn't seen before captured 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 at this point, and seeing how it developed was one of the ways he entertained himself. It was one of the more isolated cities in Sinnoh, yet because of compensating 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 on the southern end of town. It had a family-friendly image, so much that even kids Maylene's age were welcome in there. Though for the most part, he saw lots of adults going in. Finally, the radio station he had been listening to earlier actually used to be based out of Veilstone. But because it was so popular, they moved broadcasting to Hearthome to reach a wider audience a couple months back, leaving 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 you and your mom fight again?"
"Oh, uh." No surprise his friend noticed he was absorbed in thought. He did that when there was something he'd rather not think about, but since she asked. Well, he wouldn't exactly call what happened a fight, so he assured her, "She just gave me the journey talk again." At least he could vent to Maylene about this. "It goes the same way every time. Even when I say different things every time about why I don't want to go."
"Even when you say you wanna do something that means something?"
"Even then!"
"Oh, wow."
"I just don't get it. What's the appeal of going on one?"
"Yeah! I don't get it either!"
"And why's pretty much everyone want to go on one? Is it like, that peer pressure thing or whatever?" Only one person he's ever known had a good reason to go on a journey!
Maylene's face clouded over. "Oh yeah..." she groaned. "I got made fun of again today."
"Ugh. Again?"
She solemnly nodded. "I ran into some classmates yesterday. 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 to say to that. The two of them were certainly outliers in this world. Just about everyone he knew wanted to go on a journey at some point in their life. A few as soon as they were allowed to, others sometime eventually. What was so fun about traveling around fighting or doing whatever else with Pokemon? He could think of many negatives that a lot of them just didn't seem to realize or care for. It made no sense.
Their walk continued in silence for half a minute, until Maylene suddenly asked, "Hey, how'd you handle it Nori? When everyone your age wanted to go on journeys and you didn't, what'd you do?"
"Well, some of them understood." A couple kids mocked him, but most said nothing or ignored it. One person actually agreed with him. "But besides them, 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 he was sometimes uncomfortable with. He was known for fighting, and his scope of doing so was exaggerated at times.
It wasn't unearned. In particular in fourth grade, he socked resident rich boy Tarou Daikoka for being classist towards him. He got suspended for that one. A month 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, thanks to an ex-neighbor who used to serve in the military. He tripped the bigger kid and wailed on him. People who didn't know him 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. Like almost any kid in school, Nori had seen his share of bullying himself. Unlike some others, if he was hit, he'd hit back. If he was insulted, he'd respond in various ways. He'd lost his temper sometimes, sure, but tried to be cognizant of his actions.
It was enough for Maylene at least, who gave him a quick hug. "Yay! Thanks, Nori! You're the best!"
At this point, he couldn't help but snort. "So what if those losers want to waste like a year of their life or more on traveling? We'll be here learning and putting that year to good use!"
"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 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 in before them.
"Ten Berries Ice Cream?" Nori read aloud. There were a pair of tables with umbrellas in front of the store. A lone teenaged boy was seated at the right of these. He could already smell the peculiar scent of those fruit out here. Nori suspected they had left a door or window open out back on purpose. "A dessert place?" Well this 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.
---
On entering, Nori quickly noted the minimalistic design of the small store. There were a good ten or so people here, 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.
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. It was to no avail. As Nori got closer, he lifted her by the torso. He easily got his friend up there before sitting down himself.
"Thanks! Wish I was big like you, Nori."
"You should be soon. Everyone grows a bit differently. You're probably close to hitting your first big growth spurt, really."
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. "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?"
The man smiled warmly. "Just about whatever you want, little lady."
"Then I'll have a Nanab-Razz split with Nutpeas in it!" The way she quickly answered, Nori thought, she must have had that in mind since before she came and got him.
As the clerk's eyes fell on him, he answered on instinct. "I'll have a cherry...no, Pecha sundae." Good thing he remembered this place worked with berries, or he would've ended up with a Cheri sundae. Those were mildly spicy, so probably wouldn't be very good in ice cream.
The two desserts rang up. "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. "Thanks," he said, nudging Maylene after a moment to say so too.
"Thank you, 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 doing that. 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, feeling you just need to find ways to keep yourself busy in the meantime.
Nori turned his attention to the television, which presently had on the noon news. Some kids his age might find it dull, but he enjoyed it. Knowing what was going on in the world around him made him feel more at ease.
The bald newsman in a black suit spoke, "In local news, the wild Pokemon people know only as the Demon has struck again. At around 10:30 last night, a trainer was practicing near the docks in preparation for his upcoming Gym battle. The Demon attacked and injured the trainer's Luxray before making its escape."
Black and white footage appeared, showing a quadrupedal beast covered in garbage leaping in from out of frame onto its target. Slashing and biting, it shrugged off electrical attacks 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 trainers 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 Asuka Schrader, who conducted an interview with the victim–"
"Bo-ring!" came the flippant shout of his friend. If he were the less attentive type, he would've jumped at the sudden shout. She nudged him with her elbow. "I wanna watch cartoons. Can you change the channel, Nori?"
"I um, think people would get mad if I did that." Both the people who were watching the TV and the staff here. Already some of them were giving her odd looks. He thought to quickly take their conversation elsewhere, before Maylene did it on her own.
"Hey, hey, Nori." She prodded his shoulder until he looked 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 English class I got an A on last term and she said I shouldn't do that!"
That explained it. Nori almost instinctively leaned back before remembering there wasn't a backside to these seats. "Well, your cousin's an idiot," 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 and the owner emerged, carrying a tray with their ice cream. They were each within tin cups just big enough to contain them. "All right, here you kids go. Eat up and enjoy."
"Yay!" Maylene wasted little time shoveling a couple spoonfuls of the dessert into her mouth until it was full.
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 may as well savor them.
Suddenly, Maylene started hacking. She was eating so fast, it was no surprise to Nori. 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 fit stopped. The boy smiled at her.
"That can also happen if you eat too fast." He put another spoonful in his mouth.
She lowered her head apologetically, even though he didn't take any sort of scolding tone at all. "I'll eat slower now."
That settled that. Nori took another bite and glanced back over to the television, periodically having a few more. The report about that Demon Pokemon had ended. Not that it interested him too much whenever stuff about it was on. "Turning to professional training news now," the newsman 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 and Gasha ended in an unprecedented draw."
Clips of the Contest followed. "Gasha won the first set, her Dustox edging out Fantina's Jellicent. Fantina answered back in the second, with 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. He could tolerate his friend interrupting his watching, but what was with this random person doing it? "There's something going on out here!"
He just 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 on? He hated when people were vague. Yet, it became clear anyway when the chanting of a group of people became audible.
"This is all a fail! Send Eis back to jail!"
"Do they mean Mr. Eis?" Maylene asked with curiosity. They looked to the man himself, whose expression had darkly clouded over. "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 off 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 left to join his friend outside.
---
"This is all a fail! Send Eis back to jail! This is all a fail! Send Eis back to jail!"
Maylene waved to Nori as he emerged. He waved back, standing beside her. A number of other guests and bystanders had also come to see what the commotion was. The cause was a group of five people, continuing to chant away as people gathered. He was surprised to see they were only a few years older than him. Even more, that he actually knew some of them.
"We are Youths Against Mistaken Society!" He recognized Mariko Urusai right away, with her distinct short red hair, slender frame, and tomboyish clothing - presently jean shorts and a white shirt over a brown leather jacket. He knew her because they attended the same elementary school, though they were three grades apart. Sixth-years ran the PA during lunch hour, and Mariko was among her peers that did so. She often got in trouble for her more personal complaints and announcements. She never was barred from the mic, oddly.
Stepping out in front of the group came Louis Trussell, in the same grade as Mariko. Well dressed in a yellow polo shirt with black slacks. His blue hair had been slicked back. He was the president of his class, and represented his year's graduates. Louis was a very upstanding person who would even look out for those below him. Which is why Nori found it so strange two people so opposite each other would be associating.
He didn't recognize the others, but two of them seemed like siblings due to having the same brown hair and eyes. The last was a tall, slightly portly girl with messy black hair. She was hiding way in the back, with a loose fitting orange shirt and plaided khakis.
Louis spoke calmly and clearly, as if he were on stage making a speech. "Douglas Eis is a former member of Team Rocket. He used to be one of their top street operatives. Two years ago when the organization went down, he was arrested and charged. He was paroled three months ago, and is now working here in our city."
Team Rocket? They were that gang that operated in and around Kanto, if Nori remembered right. A number of the adults seemed taken aback by this news, looking at the man worriedly. He for his part stoically stood there, head lowered.
"We don't want him here!" said the male teenage with brown hair.
"Yeah!" agreed the female. "Like, he's a criminal!"
Eis cut in. "That's all in my past. I admit it's not the cleanest." He shook his head at himself in regret before looking up, "But I served my time, and I'm trying to make good honest work, now."
The adults chattered, a mixture of uncertainty and mild acceptance. Nori saw no problem here. So what if he was in some gang before? He was good now! But it did not satisfy this youth group.
"That isn't what this is about!" shouted the brown-haired female.
"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, "You were convicted on four counts of battery and issuing threats against humans and Pokemon, with multiple others unproven in court. There are those of us who find it hard to believe you have truly atoned." Eis remained silent, and the blue-haired boy continued, "Studies have shown that people who have committed those kinds of offenses once are likely to fall back into the 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 in front, getting in their faces. Her hands were balled into fists, and she looked 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 went quiet. Nori had to stifle a laugh at this. Here was this group of teenagers looking to make a big fuss, even making ridiculous unsubstantiated claims, and they were being talked down by a third-grade girl. Mariko and Louis exchanged glances. Both looked unsure what they should say.
"You'll...understand when you get older." It was the tall girl in the back who meekly broke their silence. These words were enough for Mariko to start up again, this time attacking Maylene.
"And for that matter, 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!"
The eyes of the quintet sans the girl in the back fell upon Nori. Looking for his reasoning? He just shrugged. "She's like a little sister to me." At least, he assumed it's what having a little sister was like. What was wrong with an age difference, anyway? Most of his friends were different ages than him.
"That's no excuse for what you're doing!" the redhead yelled at both of them. "You need to–"
Her rant was cut off by Eis. "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 his hands on her shoulders and giving her a pat. "We got it out in the open, that's all that counts. 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 wants us home." So they were siblings.
"And I...have to go do 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."
Louis nodded at them. "In that case, I'll see you all tomorrow, then."
They started heading away in different directions. The onlookers dispersed or went back into the store as they did so. That was an unpleasant distraction, though Nori. Made even more unpleasant by how he somehow ended up getting involved. At least they were like nothing compared to some of the stuff he'd put up with before.
"Well, there is one other thing. Nori Carino."
"Wha...?" Louis was talking to him? That was something he hadn't expected. He knew Louis, but didn't think Louis knew him, or at least enough to want to talk to him cordially.
"If you truly want to make a difference like you always say you do, you should think about joining our activist group."
That explained things. He was very vocal about his goals in life, especially to those he felt were wasting part of theirs. But joining these people? Nori could only stare. "I don't like what I saw from your group just now."
The blue-haired boy sighed. "I apologize for that, Mariko can be a bit headstrong." He looked over in the direction she had gone. "This was her discovery and idea, not that I blame her. However, YAMS doesn't simply tackle issues as these. We aim to raise awareness of all sorts of troubles with society." He shrugged. "You seem to be a good person willing to fight for things, so I thought I'd extend the offer, anyway."
"Well..." Louis was an all right guy. Certainly not anybody he'd ever have reason to punch in the face. He also raised a good point, they were trying to make a difference, and that's what he always wanted to do with his life. Despite what they did, he strangely couldn't think of a reason to say no.
He felt a prodding at his backside. "You really thinking of this, Nori?" Maylene was looking 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!" Nori laughed a little. Typical Maylene. She'd change her tune in a second, and would 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. Give it a few years." 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'll be meeting there at two 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 accompanying spoon. "Couldn't help but overhear your conversation," 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." What was with adults who weren't his mom or teachers trying to tell him what to do? They weren't the boss of him. "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 to. Still, Nori was seriously considering going to this meeting. Looking to the positives, they did say they wanted to help others. It may have turned out ugly here, but perhaps this was just an isolated incident? He wanted to believe they were good people at heart. He knew Louis was good, and Mariko just spoke her mind freely. He hadn't met the other three, but tomorrow would be a chance to do just that. The only way to find out was to try.
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