Chapter 6: The Last Straw
(With Ryuji)
"Home sweet home…" Ryuji muttered as he entered his apartment with a bag of snacks on hand which he brought from a convenience store. He proceeded to walk all the way to his room.
The room was big but simple enough for a standard apartment to hold some furniture. They consisted of a black floor table, small wide screen TV plugged with a video game console that was located next the window and below a gray colored AC, a dartboard hanged on the wall not too far from small wooden shelves that was filled with study books and mangas and was facing against the aforementioned table. On top of the shelves are a board game, four figures, a medal, and a trophy. Two of which he won during the time when he was a runner. On the floor was a pair of red dumbbells that were lying near the table, a stack of video game cases, and a stack of magazines near his light blue bed that had a dark blue blanket. And there's also a hangar that was hung from the ceiling, two caps above the shelves, and a poster on the wall that has the picture of a posing young woman. [1]
Ryuji then proceeded to pull out his only Poke Ball. "Chow time, Yamper!" He threw the Poke Ball in the air before it opened up, and Yamper appeared from the blue energy.
"(I'm here!)" Yamper barked as he noticed and analyzed the room that he appeared in. "(It's a bit messy but not going to be problem when sleeping.)" The Puppy then sniffed and noticed the bag of snacks that Ryuji brought. "(Ooh! This is the food, right? It's smell delicious!)"
Ryuji smiled as his Pokemon looked at him with his short tail waggling, signifying that it's happy and excited. "Okay! I'll get 'em out so you can eat right now." The dyed blonde boy said as he began picking up snacks from the bag, such as rice balls and even chocolate bars, and gave it to Yamper once he opened up the packaging.
The Puppy Pokemon wasted no time and proceeded to eat them right away. "(This stuff is delicious!)" He barked happily before resuming eating.
"Slow down, little guy! I ain't gonna take 'em for you." Ryuji said before looking away. He reminisced about what Mishima told him that it was pointless to testify against Kamoshida. 'Damn. We're runnin' out of time. Most of the guys and even Mishima don't wanna testify against Kamoshida. I don't get why they refused to go against him…'
His thoughts were interrupted as he looked down and see Yamper nuzzling him by the leg.
"(It's okay, Ryuji. We're going get through this together.)" Yamper barked, trying to cheer Ryuji up.
Ryuji may not understand what the pup-like Pokemon was trying to say, but he could tell that he was trying to cheer him up. "Yeah, you're right. I think we're gonna be just fine." He said as he rubbed his Pokemon in the fur, which the latter enjoyed.
(With Ren)
While Nickit and four of Ace's Pokemon were eating their food, Ren was teaching Ace how to set up the latter's phone. After leaving the school, Ace proceeded to head over to an area called Akihabara, where he needed to spend some cash to go and back from it because the student railway pass did not include it, to buy a phone for this world. As grateful as he is with his Rotom Phone, it couldn't make a call and a few features other than taking pictures, opening the Pokedex app, and listening to music since signal receptions were not the same as the one Ace used to since he's in another world. [2]
"And done." Ace said as he inserted the SIM card which he bought earlier after buying his phone. His phone is a cyan clad smartphone that was while new, it was not as cool looking as Ren's phone. Nevertheless, he was satisfied. "Just let me set up an email and I'm good to go."
"Alright. Once you're down, I'm going to make a group chat for the three of us." Ren told Ace as he was tinkering with his phone.
While that was happening, Mimikyu decided to start a conversation with his fellow Pokemon.
"(We're approaching the end of Day 3 in this world. How are you three holding up?)" The Disguise Pokemon asked his teammates.
"(I-I'm feeling fine. Even though this is the first time coming out outside of that castle.)" Butterfree replied.
"(I'm with her on this one, MImikyu. This place rocks!)" Cinderace added with a fist bump.
"(It ain't bad. I get to put idiots in their place, so that's all good.)" Skuntank added as she put some food into her mouth before chewing and swallowing. (Still though, what are the chances that we ended up in a world that has no Pokemon?)"
"(Not to mention there's even another world that was made from the hearts of humans.)" The Striker Pokemon commented. "(Who would've thought that a heart of someone like that ugly king could think of a school as his own castle.)"
"(That king is scary…)" The Pokemon next to him, who was Butterfree, muttered sadly. "(Those golden eyes that come with his grin makes it even worse.)"
"(Hmph! I'm not scared of him.)" NIckit scoffed. (As strange as he is like those monstrous shapeshifting flunkies he has, he's still a human.)"
"(True, but we're facing against his "Shadow", not his real self.)" Mimikyu reminded Nickit. "(And if what that Morgana fellow said is anything go by, anything could happen in that place.)"
"(Oh yeah, that Meowth-looking guy.)" Cinderace stated. "(I was wondering about that. What's his deal anyway? People in our world could see him as a Pokemon, you know. And yet he claimed to be a human? Did he lost his memories so hard that he was deluded into thinking he's a human? Man, I'm confused.)"
"(That I don't know. He said he had amnesia and he was investigating these Palaces to uncover his true form.)" Mimikyu concluded.
"(You're not seriously believe that, are you?)" Nickit questioned. "(He could be one of those Shadows for all we know.)"
"(Now now, don't be like that.)" Skuntank denied the possibility. "(If he was a Shadow, he would've killed us by now.)"
"(I think he's pretty cool. He can even summon those "Personas" just like with those two humans that could magically change clothes.)" Butterfree said.
"(Those Personas, huh? Compared to the Dynamax and Gigantamax that we have on Galar, this is very different and new.)" Her fellow female Pokemon commented.
"(I think we'll prolly see more of them as we stay in this world.)" Mimikyu stated.
"(Right.)" The Pokemon agreed as they continued eating their dinner.
Back with the two boys, Ace has successfully made his email and now Ren was just about done creating the group chat of him, Ryuji, and Ace.
"And it's done. Now you're in the chat with me and Ryuji." Ren told Ace.
"Thanks, man. I owe you one." Ace thanked his temporary roommate.
"No problem."
"Here goes nothing…" The Galar Champion said as he opened up the chat app on his new phone and began texting in the group chat.
Ace: Just got a brand-new phone and was able to set the phone up because of Ren :)
Ace: You're seeing this, Ryuji?
Sure enough, he got a reply.
Ryuji: I see it. Congrats and welcome, dude!
(Ryuji then sent a selfie of him and Yamper, with the former smiling and the latter smiling wide as his tongue was sticking out.)
Ace: Wow! You two are getting along quite nicely there.
Ren also decided to join in on the fun.
Ren: Yeah, I agreed.
Ryuji: Let's do our best tomorrow, 'kay? We'll find someone for sure.
Ace: For your sake, I hope so.
Ren: Yeah.
The two boys put their phone away as they returned their Pokemon to their Poke Balls before preparing to turn in for the night.
(At Shujin Academy)
Ren was listening and taking notes from the lecture in his class when he felt his phone shaking. He pulled it out discreetly and noticed that Ryuji has texted him.
Ryuji: So, about the witnesses…
Ryuji: I wonder if we could get something outta Takamaki.
Ace: Takamaki? You mean that grumpy twintailed girl from yesterday?
Ryuji: Grumpy isn't exactly what I described her.
Ryuji: Then again, she was pretty aggressive yesterday so…
Ren proceeded to reply while trying not to get caught by his homeroom teacher.
Ren: Is she in the volleyball team?"
Ryuji: No, but her BFF is.
Ryuji: Her name's Suzui. And I had a feeling she knows what's up in the volleyball team.
Ace: Have you talked to her?
Ryuji: I did during the break, but I got nothing.
Ryuji: Which is why we should have Takamaki talk to her.
Ace: I dunno man. That's asking for trouble.
Ren then texted about agreeing with Ace.
Ren: I agreed with Ace. That is a bit much.
Ryuji: Well… When you two put it like that, I guess it'll be hard getting her to help us.
Ryuji: Sorry. Lemme see if I can talk to the last two members of the Volleyball team.
Ace: Better think fast, Ryuji. Time is running out.
The bespectacled boy then put away his phone before continue listening to the lecture.
(Later on…)
Takamaki once again was hanging out with her best friend, Shiho, by the vending machines.
"Shouldn't you be heading to the volleyball?" Takamaki asked her.
"Uh-uh…" Shiho simply nodded. By this point, her best friend realized that she now sports a bruise over her left eye. And speaking about the eyes… they are almost lifeless, devoid of any joy.
"That bruise over your eye… Is that from practice, too?" The twin tailed girl inquired about the injury.
"Y-Yeah…" She shakily answered.
"Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?"
"I'm okay… Volleyball's the only thing I can do right…" The bruised girl assured.
Just then, they both heard a phone ringing and it came from Takamaki.
"Shouldn't you answer that?" Shiho asked her.
"It's probably just my part-time job…" Takamaki stated. "I think."
"I… should get going." The depressed-looking girl stated.
"Shiho…" Ann muttered. "... Are you sure you're okay?"
"Uh-uh…" The girl stood up from the bench and then left, which caused Takamaki to also stand up as she saw her close friend leaving.
Takamaki proceeded to pull out her phone from the blazer's pocket and take the call.
"... Yes?" The twin tailed girl greeted the caller on the other end of the call. "Today won't work… I'm… I'm not feeling so good." She lied. "Sorry… Bye."
Takamaki proceeded to hung up and left, but not before passing a pair of male students on her way out.
"Hey, wasn't that Takamaki?" He asked his friend.
"Rumor has it she's dating Kamoshida." The friend explained about said rumor.
"Seriously?"
"I heard people saw them in his car together."
"You know… she's pretty easy, huh? You think I'd have a chance, too?" He said, feeling confident.
"C'mon dude, you can't go after Kamoshida's bitch!" His friend warned him.
"And while you're at it, say it right into her face next time instead of just talking behind her back like a pair of cowards!" The two were sweating and turned to the third party, who was none other than Mizuhara.
"Well? Are there something else I need to know?" The teacher asked with a stern glare towards them.
The two boys looked at each other before hastily leaving her.
"Honestly, it's one rumor after another." She muttered before walking away. As she walked by hallway, she couldn't stop thinking about a certain student's condition. 'Things are not looking good. Takamaki-san may not see it, but it's very clear that Suzui-san has suffered a severe mental damage on account with physical damage.' She said before clenching her fists hard. 'That pervert… I hope he didn't do something indecent to her…' With that in her thought, she then continued walking.
(With Ren)
The bespectacled boy was on his way to meet up with Ryuji and Ace. Then, he stumbled upon a certain bruised girl who was lost in her thoughts.
Ren cleared his throat, which caused the girl to notice him.
"O-Oh… I'm sorry. I guess I must be in your way, huh?" Shiho told Ren.
"It's not a problem." Ren said.
"No, it's just that I wasn't paying attention." The girl said before looking at Ren. "Hm, you don't look familiar… Are you that transfer student from class D?"
"Yes, I am." He replied
"Um… this might not be none of my business, but don't let those rumors get to you, okay?" She gave the boy a word of comfort, which he didn't expect.
"What makes you say that?" Ren inquired.
"Well… I know how hard it is once you're labelled." Shiho began. "My best friend, Ann, is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks." She then remembered what she was supposed to do. "Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to drag on like that."
"It's okay. You were just saying what's on your mind." Ren assured her. "And my name is Ren Amamiya, by the way."
"Shiho Suzui. And t-thank you…" Shiho stated. "Anyway, I have to go to practice. I'll see you around."
And with that, she left Ren as the former watched on. The bespectacled teen couldn't help but to be curious about her current state. To him, she was kind one second and then back being depressed the next. He could ask what is wrong with her, but it was none of business so he had no choice but to leave her alone. After that, he proceeded to make his to the meeting point, where Ace and Ryuji were waiting.
"I told you those two aren't going to squeal." Ace told him, but he was ignored.
"Yeah, I know. But still, what the hell…?" Ryuji muttered in frustration.
"I take it that today's attempt failed?" Ren asked Ryuji, which caused him and Ace to notice Ren.
"Oh, you're here, Ren." Ace greeted him.
"You could say that…" The dyed blonde boy replied before he slammed his fist to the vending machine next to him. "They all spouted the same bullshit Mishima was talking about!"
"I warned him that he'll get the same result from the others, but did he listen? No." The Pokemon Trainer remarked. "We should've confronted him directly rather than asking someone to speak against him."
"I think at this point, that's no longer an option." Ren added.
"I know, I know…" Ryuji continued. "But is there something we can do?"
"We could try and surprise him." Ren proposed before he realized how terrible of the backfire they could suffered. "But if we were caught in the act, we will be expelled immediately."
"Yeah, that's a no go." The delinquent agreed.
"And If you two were thinking about reporting the abuse to the police, it's not going to help either." Ace explained.
"Why though…?" Ryuji said.
"Well… during my first visit in this school, I accidentally found out that the principal… may have bribed the cops." He continued, surprising the other boys.
"The hell!? That fatass did that!?" The dyed-blonde boy exclaimed.
"I see. That makes sense." Ren said. "Even if someone were to try to report this to police, it doesn't matter because they were paid specifically to keep quiet about it."
"Damn it! It's one thing to know and didn't do anything, but I can't believe that fat bastard stooped so low as coverin' for that asshole!" He said angrily before he calmed down and sighed, having ran out of options. "But still though, is there something we can do?"
"Looks like you three are in a bit of a pinch." A familiar voice can be heard, alerting them.
"Ren, did you say something." Ryuji asked.
"No, that wasn't me. It could be Ace." He told him.
"Hey, that wasn't me either." Ace added. "So, whose voice is that–"
"Over here, you three!" They turned to a cat who just leaped to the table. The color of its fur, eyes, and yellow collar around its neck… it reminded them of someone in mind that they met not too long ago. It was very obvious that this was no ordinary cat.
"Did that cat just talk!?" The former runner asked in surprise as Ren managed to put things together.
"Is that you, Morgana?" Ren asked, surprising the other two.
"Hold up! You mean this cat is that stupid cat from the castle?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Hey! I don't want to hear that from you." The "cat" retorted.
"How is that even possible?" Ace wondered.
"How should I know? This is the form I took when I came to your world."
Ryuji then turned to his friends.
"You're all hearin' this, right? I can't be the only one." He asked them.
"It was as clear as day." Ren replied, much to Ryuji's relief.
"But anyway, why are you here?" The otherworldly boy asked the newcomer.
"I came to check up on you guys, obviously. Just checking to see if you're able to uphold your end of the deal." Morgana answered before he wiped his face with his paw. "And it looks like my intuition was right, you three are indeed got caught in a serious road block."
"That condescendin' attitude… That's the stupid cat, all right." Ryuji sighed as he shook his head.
"You're still doubting me!?" He retorted loudly.
"Shush! Keep it down." Ace said as he motioned to the passing teachers not too far from where they are.
"First, the skunk. And now we have to look for a cat as well? This is getting ridiculous." A male teacher complained.
"I know it is, but we have to look every nook and cranny for it. I could hear it meowing somewhere." The other teacher said as they all left, oblivious to three boys and the aforementioned cat.
"Meow?" Ryuji muttered.
"My guess is that people who haven't been to the Palace can't understand what Morgana was saying." Ren theorized.
"You could say that…" Morgana said as he scratched his ear with his paw. "And about this predicament… I happen to have some ideas on what to do with Kamoshida."
"Wait, seriously!?" The dyed blonde boy exclaimed. "Are you for rea?"
"Well, yeah. Why did you think I went to where you guys at?"
Ren was interested on what Morgana interested.
"Tell us more about it." He stated before looking around to see if someone were nearby or within earshot of their conversation. "But let's move someplace else. Someone could hear us if we talked more here."
"I hear you. That's a good call." Ace agreed as Ryuji approached Morgana and grabbed the not so normal cat by the neck.
"Here, put him in the bag. We'll go to the rooftop." He told Ren as latter prepared the bag.
"Hey! Don't you dare-" The poor cat didn't get to finish as he was being shoved to Ren's bag and the three boys headed to the rooftop.
After they arrived, Ren proceeded to open his bag, which Morgana immediately got out from it.
"Warn me, next time!" The not-so normal cat reprimanded them.
"Shut up! We don't have much a choice." Ryuji retorted.
"So, Morgana. Care to explain what you meant when you know a thing or two of dealing with Kamoshida?" Ace inquired.
"Of course." He then proceeded to clear his throat. "So, remember what I talked about two days ago? Something about the castle being Kamoshida's distorted desires taking form?"
"Yes, we remembered." The frizzy-haired boy replied. "Are you implying we need to do something about it."
"It seems you're very quick to understand where this is going." Morgana applauded him.
"What exactly did mean by that. Ren?" The former track runner asked.
"What I'm getting at is that we need to destroy the castle." Ren extrapolated, shocking the two boys. "If we destroy the castle, his desires will fade away."
"Nicely done. I knew you're pretty sharp on this." The not-so normal cat complimented. "On top of that, Kamoshida will become so overwhelmed with the guilt of his sins that he will confess them right away."
"I think I see where you getting at." The Pokemon Trainer stated. "On top of erasing his desires, we also erase our involvement too! That's a win-win situation."
"Whoa!? You serious!?" Ryuji exclaimed. "But how did we do that though? Do we have to kick that other Kamoshida's ass?"
"No, but the chance of us facing him is extremely high since his Shadow will do anything to protect it." Morgana continued. "And by "it", I mean his Treasure, the source of his desires."
"I see…" Ren nodded. "So, we basically brainwashed him?"
"In a word, yes. But there's also something else…"
"Something else?" The dyed blonde-haired boy repeated.
"If we're not careful, he could die." The not-cat warned them, surprising them.
"He'll die!?" Ryuji exclaimed. The three boys didn't expect that this method may also killed him.
"Yes. Desires are everything to people, after all. If we messed up during the infiltration at Kamoshida's Palace, it will create a severe mental repercussion that could lead to his death."
"That's… heavy." Ace mouthed as a certain someone got cold feet upon hearing this.
"I… dunno about this." The dyed blonde-haired boy stated hesitantly, shocking Morgana. "I mean… sure he's a pain in the ass, but I don't think he should die for it."
"When he puts it like that, I agreed." Ren added. "If we do what we want at his Palace, then we're no different than he is."
"So, you're basically saying we should let him go?" The Galar Champion asked them.
"We're not sayin' that! It's just that…" Ryuji retorted. "It wouldn't feel right if we just up and kill him."
"That's only IF we messed up." Morgana reasoned. "If we do things by the book, then we can avoid the worst-case scenario."
"Exactly." Ace added. "I thought we're going to do something about Kamoshida, but you two wilted just because you heard a method with a possibility of him dying."
"And you're saying you agreed with the stupid cat and his plan of tamperin' with Kamoshida's desires?" Ryuji asked.
"Sort of." Ace stated with determination, shocking the two second-year students. "In case you forgot, that bastard's other self has captured countless Pokemon that have stepped foot in the Palace. Who knows what he's planning to do with them? And for that matter, who's to say things won't escalate to the point where something bad will happen in the real world?"
Ren and Ryuji looked down after hearing Ace's statement. In Ace's defense, he has overlooked several problems in the past when he was living with his sister and as a Gym Challenger. He's being told by Leon, the previous Champion, to stay out of the Dynamax crisis that has been happening long ago. He regretted not taking matters into his own hands when a man named Rose, the former chairman of the Pokémon League, interrupted the match as he unleashed the Darkest Day on that very day all because Leon refused to go with his plan by not canceling the match. And so, he made a promise to himself that he would never repeat the same mistake ever again. Then again… he's also not sure since this concept was alien to him as much as it is towards Ren and Ryuji. And he still doesn't know much about a world that was created from human's cognitions.
"But still… We won't do it." Ren reaffirmed his decision.
"Yeah, dude. It wouldn't sit right with me either." Ryuji agreed.
"I can't believe you two are hesitating, even after all the troubles I did to lend you a hand." Morgana complained.
"Why don't you give us some time to think, Morgana?" Ace said. "It's clear that they felt uneasy about the possible casualty from your suggestion, so why not give us some time? I have to admit, as determined as I am to stand by you, I want to think this over one more time so there's no room for errors."
"Very well. I guess that makes sense, considering this was the first time you heard something like this." Morgana said as he turned his back. "I'll be sticking around for a while. And if you guys have decided what to do in the next few days, let me know okay?"
"Hey, wait!" Ryuji called out to him but by then, Morgana had already left. "Damn, he's gone!"
"Come on, guys. Let's go home." Ace said as three boys left the rooftop.
After getting off the train that arrived from Aoyama-Itchome, Ace and Ren parted ways with Ryuji as they proceeded to walk downstairs to head, but just as he came out…
"Will you give it a rest!? I told you I'm not feeling up to it…" He turned to see a familiar girl with twin tails. From the looks of it, Ace could tell that Takamaki is arguing with someone over the phone. And he had some ideas on who it was. But then, Takamaki widened her eyes at what she just heard. "Wait, what!? That's not what you promised! And you called yourself a teacher!?"
'I guess things are getting spicy for her…' He remarked as Ren looked on.
"This has nothing to do with Shiho!" She retorted before she got hung up. "Ah…" Takamaki knelt down as tears were threatening to come out. "Shiho's… starting position…"
"Ahem!" Ace cleared his throat as the girl noticed him.
"It's you! You're that foreign student with Sakamoto the other day." Takamaki pointed out before she noticed Ren. "And is that Amamiya?"
"In the flesh." Ace greeted as Ren nodded at her.
"So… were you two eavesdropping?"
"I tried not to, but you were being too loud so… I couldn't help it." The Galar Champion answered.
"Like he said." Ren replied.
"Haven't you heard of privacy?" She snapped.
"Hey! Don't get angry with me! I said I couldn't help it." Ace retaliated as Takamaki calmed down and felt guilty about it.
"I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to yell." She apologized. "How much did you hear?"
"Something about a friend." Ren answered.
"I have to ask; was that Kamoshida on the phone—" The Pokémon Trainer asked but he was cut off.
"It's nothing you should worry about!" And with that, she took off.
"Welp. She's gone." He stated.
"Should we go after her together?" Ren proposed.
"Nah, man. You should go on ahead. I don't think the coffee guy isn't keen on waiting for you for so long." His roommate advised.
"Okay. I'll leave it to you." Ren said as he went on ahead as Ace went after Takamaki.
After going downstairs and taking the escalator down, he managed to find her.
"You didn't think you could hide from me that easily, did you?" Ace told her, which made the latter become aware of his presence.
"What the— Didn't I say it's none of your business!?" She told Ace.
"Yes, but from the looks of things, you could use someone to talk to." Ace commented.
"No, I…" She was just at a loss for words before she turned her head away. "Don't act like you care… you're the same as everyone…"
"Well, I'm not. So, let's go somewhere else and talk things out, okay?" Ace offered.
No matter how much she wanted the foreign boy to leave her alone, she couldn't because of how sincere he is to her right now. All of this caused her to fold and reluctantly went through with him.
"Fine… lead the way…"
The two proceeded upstairs and back to where they started as they headed to the Main Street of Shibuya and took her to a fast-food restaurant called Big Bang Burger, which was something Ace had been meaning to try when he came to Shibuya for the first time. He wanted to see if the burgers from this world are as delicious as the ones back in his world.
Takamaki took a seat while Ace spoke with the waitress as he ordered a regular set for him and a glass of water for Takamaki, which took him just a moment before he himself sat down in a seat across from her. Needless to say, it was silent between them that Takamaki could get up and leave.
"I have nothing to say to you." Takamaki answered shortly before she looked away. "It was… just an argument."
'She really doesn't mince words… Kinda like Nessa, really.' Ace observed.
"Here are your orders." The waitress appeared as she laid down a tray full of a set Ace ordered for himself and a glass of water for Takamaki.
The Pokémon Trainer decided to be blunt about it himself.
"The one you're arguing over the phone… It was Kamoshida, wasn't it?"
The girl clicked her tongue as this boy in front of him could figure her out. Seeing as there's no point hiding it from him, Takamaki decided to spill the beans about… everything.
"You've heard the rumors, haven't you?" Takamaki asked as she was playing with the tissue in front of her. "About Mr. Kamoshida."
In response, Ace nodded.
"Everyone says we're getting it on." She continued. "But… that's so not true…! That was him on the other line."
'That's certainly something that Kamoshida would do.' Ace muttered in his thoughts, recalling the time when he saw the other Kamoshida flirting with the cognitive Takamaki.
"I avoided giving him my number… for the longest time… He told me to go to his place after this…" She clenched to the tissue very hard. "You know what it means."
Ace stayed quiet as the girl across from him confided her true feelings on the matter.
"If I turn him down, he said he'd take my friend off as a regular on the team…" Takamaki continued. "I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho's sake… but I can't take it anymore…"
'I can definitely see where she's going with this..' The otherworldly boy pondered as he was reminded of his long-departed friend.
"I've had enough of this… I hate him!" Takamaki snapped as she began to tear up. "But still… Shiho's my best friend. She's all I have left in that sorry excuse of a school!" She confessed as she looked at Ace in the eye. "Tell me… what should I do?"
As much as the otherworldly boy wanted to answer, he couldn't. It became clear as day that Takamaki couldn't get a real answer out of him.
"Sorry… I didn't mean to pressure you." She said as she wiped her tears away. "What… What am I saying? I barely talked to you before…"
"If I may, I think it's because you and I are more alike than you care to admit." Ace pointed out.
"I guess… you're right." Takamaki said with a soft smile. "You know, you and Amamiya… aren't exactly like what the rumors described."
"We both know how rumors are. They tend to be… wildly exaggerated." Pokémon Trainer said with a smile.
"Yeah." She agreed. "I guess you weren't kidding when you said you're not like everyone else."
"What can I say? I'm not a liar."
"I can see that. I guess maybe that's why it was so easy for me to talk to you." Takamaki said. "Is there really no way for me to help Shiho? I wish he'd just change his mind… Like, forget about me, and everything…" She muttered before turning to Ace. "Hey, do you know a way that could change his mind?"
"No… I don't." Ace answered sadly because none of his Pokémon on his team knows Hypnosis.
"Sorry. It was a joke." Takamaki stated. "But you know, I felt that would be too inconvenient." She then finished her drink before looking at the boy that was sitting across from her. "Anyway, I feel a bit better."
"Good. Glad things are working out for you."
"Yeah. I'm glad I was able to let it all out." She returned the smile as she stood up and grabbed her drink and also slung her bag over her shoulders. "I'm gonna head home. I'll think of something that could convince Kamoshida."
"Okay. Nice to see you got your priorities straight." The Galar Champion complimented her.
"Also, don't tell anyone about what I said, okay?" Takamaki reminded him because she felt like this conversation was something she wanted to keep between them.
"You got it." He nodded.
"Good…" As she was about to set off, she realized something as she glanced back. "I, um… I think we haven't introduced ourselves properly, huh? I'm Ann Takamaki."
"The name's Ace Wilbert." Ace introduced himself. "I'm sure you know this, but because I'm somewhat a third-year, that makes me one of your senpais."
"Okay, Wilbert-senpai. I'll get going now." Ann waved him goodbye before she took off, leaving Ace to eat his meal. Suffice to say, he loved it. It's going to take a while until he's finished eating his meal.
(The next day)
"So, I assume all of you know about the separation of powers? There are three branches in our government." Ushimaru, the Social Studies teacher, explained. Right now, He was teaching at Ren's class. "The National Diet is legislative, the Cabinet is executive, and the Supreme Court is judiciary. This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures no branch becomes unstoppable." [3]
"So, have you made up your mind yet?" Morgana whispered to him as he appeared from his desk. "You're a smart kid, you know. If there was an alternative, you would have thought it up by now. It's best that you follow through on my suggestion."
"But what if–" He didn't get to finish as the teacher heard something.
"Hm? Did I hear a cat just now?" The serious-looking teacher remarked as Morgana tucked his head back to the desk so he wouldn't get caught. "Could that rumored cat be somewhere nearby?" He wondered before he realized that his students were chatting loudly to each other. "Settle down! We're in the middle of an important lecture!"
He felt his phone ringing before he pulled it out and saw that Ryuji was texting him… in the middle of a class.
Ryuji: It's no use… I can't think of any other way…
The bespectacled teen decided to send an appropriate message.
Ren: Concentrate on class.
Ryuji: I can't, man! I'm stressing over on what to do with Kamoshida.
Ryuji: Do we just gotta go along with what that cat says?
Ryuji: Man, I still don't get why Ace is willing to side with him.
Ren: He had his reasons, I'm sure of it.
Ryuji: Yeah… Still that furball though…
"If only he knew I was reading this too." Morgana muttered.
But just as he was about to put away his phone, he felt that his phone was shaking once again. He looked up and saw that Ace was chatting in the group.
Ace: Guys! Guys! You're not going to believe this!
Ryuji: What's wrong, Ace?"
(Ace sent a picture of a certain ponytail girl who was heading towards a fence of the rooftop, with the intent of climbing over it so she can get over to the edge.)
Ren was visibly shocked as she recognized the girl in the photo. He's even more shocked with what she intended to do there.
Ryuji: What the 'eff!? Is that Suzui!? Are you two at the rooftop?
Ace: Yeah. I don't like where's going with this at all. Especially since I got a good look at her expression. And to be honest, it's worse than I thought.
Ace: I don't know if I can talk her out of this, but I'll see what I can do.
Ryuji: Dude, I'll go over there right now!
Ace: No, you can't! You're not going to make it in time!
"Looks like this sounds serious." Morgana commented. "If she's doing what I think she's doing, I don't think even Ace could stop her. Let's help him!"
"Right." Ren nodded as he raised his arm. "Sir, can I go to the restroom?"
"No, Amamiya! We're in the middle of–"
"Hey… is that a person?" A male student spoke up as he saw someone on the rooftop, which attracted the class's attention.
(With Ace)
"Hey, you! You're Shiho, right? Shiho Suzui?" The Pokémon Trainer called out to her as she turned towards him as she was done climbing over the fence and landed on edge of the roof.
"You're that… foreign transfer student." Shiho said. "How did you know my name?"
"Well… your BFF kinda told me a bit about you yesterday." The Pokémon Trainer said as he was approaching her slowly, causing her to freak out.
"S-Stay away…! Don't come any closer!"
"Shiho… There's no need for this!" Ace reasoned. "Why don't you climb over the fence again and come here. I'm sure we can talk things out like rational human beings."
"W-What's there to talk about!?" Shiho snapped. "You don't understand what I've been through!"
"Actually, I—"
"Suzui-san!" They turned to see none other than Sora, who had just arrived. [4]
"Ms. Mizuhara? What are you doing here?" Shiho said.
"Teach!? What are you doing here!?" Ace asked.
"I had a nagging feeling this morning, and sure enough I was right." Mizuhara stated. "Let's calm down and come over here, Suzui-san. I can help you."
"N-No… There's nothing to talk about." Shiho said. "Even if you, the only teacher that cared about her students, especially me, there's nothing you can do about it. Without volleyball, I'm nothing…"
"What do you mean by that? Does this have something to do with Kamoshida?" Mizuhara asked as Shiho gasped. "Forgive me if this is a little blunt, but that bruise over your eye… Kamoshida hit you, didn't he? Just like he did with Mishima and the other Volleyball team."
"Wait, you also knew about this?" Ace asked.
"Not necessarily, Wilbert-kun. But I have a feeling something is like that." Mizuhara answered before she turned to Shiho again. "If you can explain to me what is going on, I can expose the truth behind that horrible man. Only then when you can be free from him."
The ponytailed girl sensed some hope after hearing that. But the moment of relief was short-lived as she realized what could that mean to her if they tell her and everyone "everything".
"B-But… that would mean that everyone will know… they will know that he… he touched me yesterday. H-He… touched me everywhere…" Shiho explained sullenly, shocking Ace and Mizuhara.
"Wait, what!?" Ace exclaimed. The Pokémon Trainer immediately knew exactly what that meant. And because of that, he couldn't really blame her for being so broken, both body and spirit, that the poor girl has resorted to trying to end her own suffering. Kamoshida has indeed crushed them both. He was considering going along with Ren and Ryuji to not alter the Palace with the risk of death after being given enough to reconsider… but this changed everything.
"My god… How low can he be…!?" The caring teacher mumbled as emotions whirled within her. Guilt for not taking actions against the abuse and notice the signs sooner. Anger and hate against the very man that drove this innocent young girl to the point of suicide. She hated him the moment they first met, she hated for abusing his own team like slaves, especially when he attempted to assault animals. But now… with this revelation, she absolutely abhors the man. Any doubt of Kamoshida not being as bad as she assumed has disappeared from this very moment.
"See…? Even you two look at me just like everyone else. Disgusted." The ponytailed girl let out a mirthless laugh. "But… that's okay. That's another thing I don't need to worry about."
"No!" Sora cried out.
"Damn it…" Ace muttered as he was ready to sprint towards the edge. "Desperate time calls for desperate measures!"
"Goodbye…" Shiho proceeded to lean forward.
"Suzui-san!"
"Not on my watch!" The Pokémon Trainer proceeded to rush towards her with all the energies he could muster.
(Meanwhile…)
"Oh no! She's about to jump!" A female student said as Ann couldn't help but watch as her only friend took a dive from the edge of the rooftop. "No…" She then saw someone jump over the fence and fell towards her. Said someone managed to grab her and then they fell together. She saw them crash onto the ground. "Shiho!"
Ann proceeded to make her way towards the courtyard where they fell, but not before pushing Ren aside.
"Dude!" He turned to see Ryuji, who has just arrived. "Let's go check them out. I think the one who jumped after Suzui was Ace."
"My thoughts are the same. Let's go." Ren told him as they made their way towards the courtyard. Sadly, the usual exit to the courtyard was crowded by many students so they had no choice but to go through the one from the sports building. After shoving their way to the sports building and to the exit that leads to the courtyard, they arrived at the crash site. There, they saw a slightly bruised Ace along with Shiho, who was lying down on the ground as Ann looked on, saddened by the turn of events. Teachers have tried to calm the situation by telling the students to return to their classes, but to no avail.
"Dude, you okay?" Ryuji asked Ace as he ignored the crowd of students who were busy taking a picture with their phones.
"I think you should be asking if the girl is okay or not." Ace reprimanded. "Don't worry, she's alive but unconscious. It's just that she sprained one of her legs a little from the fall."
"I didn't think you'd be able to survive from a fall like that. Nice job." Ren smiled.
"It's nothing." Ace said. Truth to be told, his body has become very resilient as he kept training his Pokémon and also himself. Especially when he used himself as the target. "I've been in worse situations ."
They then saw an ambulance arrived near them as a couple of paramedics came out along with a stretcher as they approached Shiho. Two of them managed to lift the unconscious girl onto the stretcher, ready to carry her into the ambulance.
"We need someone to go with her… Are there any teachers around?" One of the paramedics inquired.
"I-I'm not in charge of her class though…" One of the teachers answered hesitantly.
"W-We should leave this to Principal Kobayakawa." Another teacher added.
"I'll do it." The teachers turned to see Sora, who has just arrived on the scene. Ace could see that the teacher has shed so much tears that it slightly ruined her makeup.
"B-But we should really need permission from–"
"Are you all teachers or are you're all a bunch of cowards!?" Sora snapped back, making some of the teacher flinched as well as some students. They never saw this side of her before. "One of our students is in a critical condition, and you want to wait for permission!? I'm not going to wait for a permission that I know I'm not getting!"
"Ms. Mizuhara…" She turned to Ann. "I want to come too. Shiho is my friend!"
"If you insist, Takamaki." Ace's homeroom teacher nodded with a smile. Mizuhara was not as ignorant as some of the teachers. She always knew how close Ann is to Shiho. Because of that, she's obliged to let the twin tailed girl accompany her.
"Please, hurry!" The paramedic told them as Ann and Sora went inside the van along with the unconscious Shiho. It didn't take long for the van to depart from the school.
Once that was done, several teachers urged the students to return to their classrooms. Though some students went home early while others simply do as they're told and returned to their classrooms. But… a certain plain looking boy was so unnerved and shaken up about what happened that he decided to get out of here as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this was not gone unnoticed by a certain individual as a hand stretched forward and grabbed him by the arm.
"Gahh!" Mishima grunted as he turned to see the foreign transfer student.
"Why so tense, Mishima? Going somewhere?" Ace asked him with a serious tone.
"N-No… I–"
"Dude, you are actin' weird about this. More than usual." They turned to see Ryuji and Ace, who has approached them.
"Care to explain about this?" Ren asked him, with the same serious tone.
"I–I don't know what you're…"
"Oh no! You're not giving us that shit again!" Ryuji interrupted him before he turned to his friends. "Let's get him somewhere safe so we can talk."
Ren and Ace nodded as they proceeded to went somewhere with Mishima in tow.
The Pokemon Trainer then releases his hold on Mishima's arm once they have arrived at the designated spot, which is the male locker room. Morgana was also there as he was lying on top of the locker that was overlooking the boys.
"Ow! That hurts!" Mishima stated as he felt his arm that Ace used to drag him.
"So, talk! Why were you about to run like a pussy?" The dyed-blonde boy demanded.
"I-I wasn't about to run…" He answered hesitantly.
"Cut the bullshit! Didn't you see what happened to Suzui? She tried to kill herself!"
"L-Leave me alone…" Mishima replied meekly.
"Ryuji, you're only making him harder to open up. Chill out." Ace reasoned as his friend was starting to calm down.
"We just wanted you to tell us, Mishima." Ren reasoned.
"He's right. And we even won't say that you talk." The dyed blonde boy added.
"Suzui…" MIshima said he decided to confide. "She… was called by Mr. Kamoshida!"
"Whoa…"
"I thought as much." Ace remarked.
"I was called by him a number of times too… to his office." The plain-looking boy continued. "It wasn't just me or Suzui either… He'd nominate someone when he was in a bad mood… and hit them."
"So, the physical punishment was for real." Ryuji said, confirming the rumor.
"But, yesterday… he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything…" He recounted on how Kamoshida was told to have Shiho come to his office and he didn't say anything beyond that. But he could not forget the look on his coach's face when he ordered him. "Mr. Kamoshida looked really pissed off that day, so it must've been… worse than usual."
"Worse doesn't begin to cover it." The Pokemon Trainer as the other boys looked towards him.
"Why?" The bespectacled boy inquired.
"When I was in the rooftop, she confessed that Kamoshida did something to her." This news shocked the boys.
"You shittin' me?" The dyed blonde boy mouthed.
"What did she say?" Ren asked.
"I don't want to say it outright, but it's a word that starts with R and rhymes with shape." Ace stated as he felt unnerved to say the word.
"The R word that rhymes with shape? What could…" Ren wondered before the realization hit him like a truck. "Oh no… He wouldn't…"
"Unfortunately, he would. Honestly, I didn't think he would go as as far as doing that." He added.
"He did what…?" Ryuji mumbled, also realizing what that meant along with Mishima. Shortly enough, his emotion boiled up like a teapot as he was furious that a teacher like Kamoshida has resorted to such extreme measures. "That's it! That asshole's dead!"
Almost immediately, the former track runner ran off to confront Kamoshida.
"Let's go after him." Ren told Ace.
"Right behind you, bud." The Pokemon Trainer nodded as the two boys, and Morgana, went after Ryuji. Mishima looked down as he felt enormous guilt of letting this happened.
Ace and Ren passed by many students as they went through the sports building of the school. It didn't take long for them to reach the second floor where they see the angry boy didn't bother to knock as he immediately went in.
"Look, there he is." Ace pointed out as they went after Ryuji and managed to catch up just before he got into the office. "Dude, you shouldn't run off like that."
"S-Sorry, man." Ryuji said. "It's just that… I'm done lettin' that son of a bitch gets away from everything! Especially since he's the reason Suzui tried to off herself."
"Which is why we'll do this together." Ren stated.
"This might get us expelled, but…" Ace added, with a determined look on his face. "We're not going to let him do as he pleases this time."
"Looks like we're in the same boat." Ryuji smiled. "Okay, let's give that bastard what for!"
His two friends nodded as Ryuji immediately kicked the door open, not bothering to knock first. As the door swung to the side with a clang, they saw Kamoshida sitting at a desk against the wall.
"What is it this time?" Kamoshida sighed, pretended that something terrible didn't happen at the school.
"Don't play dumb, you rat bastard! We know what you did to Suzui!" Ryuji shouted. "So, stop actin' all innocent like you don't have anything to do with this!"
"Oh, you mean how that dumb girl jumped from the rooftop and tried to commit suicide? Now, what makes you think I'm involved with that?" He asked with a malicious smirk, still looking oblivious. "Sounds to me that you're all bark and no bite as usual, Sakamoto."
"Well, not this time." Ace joined in. "That girl just told us about what you did."
"Oh? Did she now?" The coach raised an eyebrow. "And you're going to believe the words of a desperate girl who would do anything to stay in the team? Words aren't enough to declare someone guilty, you know."
"Why you…" Ryuji growled angrily.
"Also, we received a call from the hospital just now." Kamoshida continued. "Suzui's in a coma. And her chances of recovery were slim. Do you think everyone would believe the words of someone in that state?"
"No…" Ren mouthed as Ace glared at the man.
"Also, she keeps getting even worse too." Kamoshida said as he feigned like he cared. "Oh, the poor girl…"
"How could you talk to her like that, you asshole!?" Ryuji snapped. "She's in that mess because of you!"
"Again, all bark and no bite." The coach then stood up and approached the boy. "You better keep that explosive temper of yours in check, Sakamoto. Or else, we're going to have another episode of "self-defense"." He sneered at them. Ren and Ace could see the "King Kamoshida" within this man, more than usual. By this point, they agreed that this man acted no different than his other self that dwelled in the cognitive world.
"You cocky ass…" In a fit of rage, Ryuji pulled back his arm in order to deck him. But, Ace grabbed that arm in an attempt to restrain him. "Let go, man! This bastard deserved it!"
"Relax, Ryuji. We'll have the chance later." His otherworldly friend reasoned with him, which was enough to calm him down.
"Yeah. There's another way of fixing this." The bespectacled friend added as it didn't take long for the dyed blonde boy caught up on what they meant.
"Oh, right… You mean that?"
"Did you say something, you foreign scum?" Kamoshida leered at the foreign transfer student.
"Yes, I did. Like how we're going to dethrone you from this school, has-been." Ace taunted, which struck a nerve in Kamoshida.
"What did you say?" The man asked in a dangerous low tone.
"You heard what I said, has-been." The Pokemon Trainer kept mocking him. "I don't care if you clung to your past. I don't care if you want someone to get in the glory like you have." He then looked at him with a serious look. "But, you made one mistake; On the account of severely abusing the team you coaches, you also drove an innocent girl to the point of suicide. And not because you kicked her out of the team, it's because you blatantly harassed her sexually which led to today's fiasco. That is something I never going to let it slide. Not ever. Because of that, we will destroy your reputation. Let's see how YOU like it when someone else ruined your life."
"Dude…" Ryuji mouthed as how calm Ace delivering a threat to Kamoshida, of all people.
While Kamoshida was taken aback by how can foreign brat like him can talk to him like that without betting an eye. Though it didn't take long for Kamoshida to regain his composure. "That's a grand speech there, you brat. But you know what else is grand?" He said before he walked back to his chair. "Congratulations. You, Sakamoto, and Amamiya are going to be expelled in the next board meeting."
"Yup, saw this coming from miles away." Ace commented as his other friends were shocked at the announcement. By this point, the Pokemon Trainer always knew that it wouldn't matter if he talks back to him or not. The moment they stepped foot into this room, the three of them were going to get expelled anyway because they had the audacity to stand up to him.
"You jackass! You can't make a decision like that!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Oh, trust me. I can. Like anyone would care about what scums like you say." The coach stated as he sat back on his chair. "Your futures are all mine to take! So, enjoy the last few weeks. It'll be a matter of time until you all are out of this school for good."
"We'll see about that." Ace then turned to his friends. "Come on, guys. Let's leave for now."
"Right." Ren nodded as they turned around and left the room.
As they left, they then saw Mishima standing near the door.
"Mishima? What are you doing?" Ryuji asked.
"How much did you hear?" The Galar Champion asked, realizing that Mishima was eavesdropping.
"All of it." Mishima answered. "Is it true… that Suzui's in a bad condition?"
"I wouldn't believe anything that comes out of that liar's mouth." Ace said.
"Yeah, I'm sure she'll recover." Ren assured.
"I-I'm sorry, you guys…" The plain looking boy apologized, with his voice started to tremble. "I-If I had known things would end this way… I wouldn't have her come to Kamoshida."
"There's nothing to feel sorry about, Mishima." Ace assured him. "Kamoshida's the one who did the deed to her. You're just the messenger, nothing more."
"You should head back to class, Mishima." Ryuji urged his fellow second-year. "You really don't wanna be caught out here by that asshole. Otherwise, it'll give him an excuse to expel you too."
"Y-Yeah…" Mishima nodded as they all returned to their classroom.
(Meanwhile, at the hospital…)
"He did what!?" Ann exclaimed as Sora confessed on what Kamoshida did to her best friend. Right now, they were sitting on bench inside the hospital's lobby. After getting Shiho a room to stay, the two ladies went to the lobby where the teacher decided to tell one of her students the truth.
"I don't want to believe it at first but Suzui-san made it clear that Kamoshida have touched her…" Sora explained, looking somber as she looked down in shame.
"Kamoshida…" Ann muttered as she looked down on the floor when she can practically hear Kamoshida's laughter. In response to that, she clenched her fists hard in the rising anger and hate to the man that caused this mess. She'll do anything to make him pay… especially after what he did to her only friend.
To be continued…
Next: Chapter 7: Igniting the Flame Within
That's a wrap for this chapter.
[1] You can actually see what Ryuji's room looks like on the internet. Same goes for the rest of the members (sans Morgana) that will join the group in the future (excluding the OCs).
[2] I don't think the signal in the Pokemon World is the same as the other world. But that's just my opinion on the matter.
[3] According to the game, this was his name. Look it up on the Shujin Academy section of the Shin Megami Tensei wiki. And the topic he discussed? It's going to be connected to a later arc in the story. For those who know the storyline of Persona 5, you know what arc I'm referring to.
[4] Starting from now, I will refer to her by her given name.
See you next time on the next chapter!
P.S: Don't forget to leave a review in the review section about your thoughts on this chapter :)