Nori made sure to wake up extra early on Wednesday. He had a quick if unbalanced breakfast of an asahi biscuit sandwich with milk before skating off to school. He couldn't afford to waste any time.

He proceeded directly to the clubroom after entering the building. When he found the door locked, he plopped down beside it, pulled out his laptop, and started working. Last night, he'd been the one to discover a story. It only felt natural to report on it! They distributed the newsletter on Wednesdays, so he had to get the article in immediately!

It was written from his perspective. He got help from some salarymen who were passing by. They went inside to find the incoherent workers, some of the more delirious ones mumbling about a ghoul. He brought out the Demon right away, but whatever it was didn't appear. They called 119 for an ambulance, and the police also showed up. Nori gave some testimony before heading back home, whereupon he immediately started work on the article. He actually would've started at the scene if he had a notepad or something. He made a mental note to pick one up when he could. Then it would just be a matter of remembering to take it with him everywhere.

Eventually, he spotted a pair of people coming down the hall. Mitsu was following the chunky teacher in charge of the room, Mr. Rosso. He wildly waved to them.

"Nori!" said Mitsu as they got closer. "What're you doing here so early?"

"We've got breaking news from last night!" Nori said, closing up his laptop and jumping to his feet. He held it under his left arm and did a fist pump with his right. "Reno workers injured in Ghost Pokemon attack! Article title still pending."

"Huh? I think I heard something about that on TV this morning."

Mr. Rosso nodded at them, unlocking the door to the computer lab. He went inside and sat down at the desk, allowing Nori and Mitsu to do business undisturbed.

"Yeah. Around 8pm last night, a thirteen-year-old male – me, by the way!" He pointed a thumb inward. "I discovered an accident at the old Magcargo Express warehouse!"

Nori winced. Maybe he'd need practice to do it neutrally like Arumi did. He got a little overly excited there. Like, it wasn't actually an accident. But hey! He discovered the bodies! Well, the unconscious bodies. It was kind of exciting once the shock wore off!

"It'd be rare to get a firsthand account of something."

"Indeed, this reporter is an eyewitness!" Nori boasted. Their weekly newsletter covered all sorts of stories, school-wide and city news taking precedent over regional, with at least one each week from elsewhere in the world. "I was thinking we run this article today! A lot of people likely haven't heard of it yet!"

Mitsu nodded. "Yeah, when you put it like that." Nori felt relieved to hear his crazy idea made sense. He didn't want all the work he'd done so far to go to waste!

The young official grinned. "So you up for some quick editing before school starts?" They got everything printed out Wednesday morning, so it was ready to distribute by lunch. In other words, they – or rather, Mitsu, because Nori didn't know how to work with the program – would have to put it in and rearrange everything else to make it fit.

The technogeek nodded emphatically. "Can do! We'll run it on the front page!"

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,Slice 5:

Piercing Eyes,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

The article turned out to be a smash hit. One of the school's most well-known students discovering a near-deadly assault? It got all sorts of attention. They actually had to go back and print out extra papers due to the demand. Over a dozen people or groups came up to him at lunch, afternoon break, and after school asking about it. Nori told them all the same thing, everything he could say was in the article. Which was everything, given freedom of the press.

After classes had ended for the day, he stopped by the clubroom. He didn't have a chance to really chat with the others prior to that point, as he was handling distribution during lunch. It was no surprise that Mitsu had gone home early. He was a little surprised it was only Yumi, Reiko, and Terrance with none of the others. The trio were sitting at the large table.

There was little celebration after distribution day. The most they did was discuss how people received the newsletter for the week. After all, they needed to start planning for next Wednesday right away.

"Nice job, Carino," Reiko droned as he approached and sat down. The other two nodded, much more genuinely.

"That sounded like something of a backhanded compliment from you…" he remarked. It was just from her tone.

"That's because it was. Wish I could've done something like that."

He could only laugh. It's why he liked Reiko. She was like him in how she always spoke her mind. "Sometimes, news is about being in the right place at the right time. Or wrong, depending on how you look at things."

"Well, you did do a good job, Nori," encouraged Yumi. "It was really well-written and thoughtful. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Yumi," he said with a beam. "But a lot was with Mitsu's help."

Reiko crossed her arms. "Way you wrote it, think you're planning on being a journalist."

"I actually thought about it," he admitted. It's part of why he was at the club. "If being a Pokemon Rehabilitator doesn't work out for any reason, I wouldn't mind working in the news. Plus, Arumi could help with that."

"And you know so many people too. Gods!"

"Could you calm down already, Reiko?" Yumi fired a glare at her. "I'm sure Nori didn't come here to listen to you complain you're jealous."

"Aren't you?" she countered.

Yumi didn't deny it. "A little, but I'm still happy for Nori."

"It's fine, Reiko!" he encouraged her. "I know if you keep working at it, you'll be able to do great things too!"

"I know that! It's just…" She sniffed, rubbing an eye. "I want it to happen already, dammit!"

Nori and Yumi shared a thoughtful gaze. He hadn't known Reiko for very long, but he still considered her enough of a friend that it hurt seeing her like that. But what could they do for her?

"I…can't believe it, though…"

They turned to Terrance. "What can't you believe?" asked Yumi.

"Weren't you scared when you saw them, Nori?" he meekly inquired.

The young official shook his head. "Nope! I was a little surprised, but my first thought was to go help them! It was kind of exciting, actually!" Those were his honest thoughts! They took everyone aback, although Yumi's gave way to a giggle. "And I did help them, plus it's really good there were no serious injuries! I got to give a police statement too, and–"

"Don't forget, you have your Pawniard to worry about," Reiko cut in. "Shouldn't you be doing your job, not your hobby?"

"I know that, I know that!" he snapped. Much as Reiko spoke her mind, she sometimes went too far with it. "Actually, I found it when coming back from training him!"

Yumi sat up straighter. "For Friday?" she asked.

"Er…probably, hopefully not." He rubbed his neck.

She sighed. Nori was able to hear her whisper, "That's good," to herself before speaking up. "So are you training your other Pokemon for the battle?"

"Not as much as I'd like to yet," he admitted. "But I'm gonna do a little more this evening."

"Still should train your Pawniard," grumbled Reiko.

"It's a marathon, not a sprint." She had a point, but it wasn't like he had deadlines there. He glanced up at the wall. "Well, I should get going."

"You're not going to…stay and help?" Terrance inquired.

"I'm gonna go see Prema. I want to tell her about this! And maybe ask her about Pawniard, too." Hearing what she had to say for sure would help a lot. He considered something else. "Maybe I'll tell Arumi too, but I'll have to email her."

"Okay, see you later, Nori." Yumi adjusted some of her bangs. "If Nariya's there, tell her I said hi."

He nodded. "No problem, I'll pass it along."

Nori was certain Prema would have heard about the incident at the warehouse on her own, but he wanted to go see her anyway. The incident just gave him yet another reason to go to the Kannagi Shrine after school.

While walking up the stone steps with Pachi, he paused momentarily on a grassy rest spot to pull out the extra copies of the paper he'd brought along. He probably brought more than was necessary, but better to have too much than too few. As he continued and eventually made it up, he found himself unable to resist. He shouted out his headline and waved it over his head as he approached.

"Read all about it! Renovation Crew Injured in Mysterious Pokemon Attack!"

He caught a lot of peoples' attention with his boisterous shouting. About half of it was negative, but Nori didn't let that bother him. He swiftly turned his attention to a girl with raggedy black hair sitting on her knees on a placemat. She had to be over 200 cm. Her orange shirt, dark gray jacket, and light gray sweatpants clashed, but Nori came to expect that with Nariya Yaznik. She wore whatever she liked.

"Oh. Hi, Nori," she greeted him, making a vague gesture that seemed almost reflexive. Nariya was another former member of YAMS, who had also left due to conflict. "Prema had to step inside, if you were wondering."

Nori took it in stride with an irreverent shrug. "Ah well, I can wait. Oh!" He better say it now before forgetting. "And Yumi says hi."

"Okay?" Pachi gave a little wave to Nariya. She returned it before looking back at him. "Um, sorry if this is impertinent. What was with…the dramatic introduction?"

Again, he shrugged. "Get it from a friend of mine back in Sunyshore. We were in the news club together, and she always did that when handing out newsletters." Good 'ol Arumi. He rubbed his neck with a sheepish chuckle. "So have you heard about what happened at the old warehouse YAMS used to use last night?"

Nariya shook her head. "I don't really…look at the news. I know…um, you and Lady Prema enjoy it, however."

"You should check this one out. It's right here on the bottom of the front page." He passed one of the set of stapled-together sheets to her. "It has this reporter's firsthand account of happening upon the scene!"

Nariya accepted it. As she was reading, Nori noticed there seemed to be a few other interested looks from people. He waved the stack in the air to offer them copies, although only a little blond kid took him up on it.

After about two minutes of reading, Nariya spoke up and asked, "Oh, I see. You're thinking they might be Pokemon you might be rehabilitating?"

"Yup!" he confirmed. "Well, only one of them and now that you mention it, but still!" That hadn't actually occurred to him, but it gave him another reason to be interested.

"But you're still rehabilitating that Pawniard. R-right?"

Nori stood up a little straighter. He was not expecting Nariya of all people to take the wind out of his sails. He glanced over at the shrine. "Yeah, I know. And that's not going so well. I took him to train in the wild yesterday, but…" Well, that was a story in itself, one he didn't feel like sharing with the world. "Oh, never mind. So how've you been?"

"Oh, I've just been me."

It wasn't a very clear answer. It was even more vague than the one Prema had given him on the weekend. Nori was about to say something about it, when Prema herself emerged from the shrine. Dressed in her Kannagi Shrine robe, as she often was.

He caught her attention right away. She smiled at him. "It is good to see you, Nori. I was not expecting you to visit today."

He laughed, both at her pleasant smile and her surprise. "Thought I'd come by. I wanted to talk to you about a few things."

She solemnly nodded, lowering her head. "I see," she said in a neutral tone. "What is it that you wished to speak about?"

What to start with? Probably what just happened. "Well first," he started with a clap of his hands, readying another newsletter. "Did you hear what happened down near the old Magcargo Express last night?"

Prema glanced up in thought. She herself took a few moments to respond. "Yes, although I cannot confess to knowing in detail."

Nori could tell from her hesitation that she probably knew a little more than she was letting on. Probably only as much as the cops did, though. Still, he didn't press. "It's really crazy," he said. Prema was walking over, but Nori met her halfway, presenting her with the newsletter. "They got attacked by Pokemon. A Crobat, a Sinnohite Zoroark, and one other – might be a Dusclops or Dusknoir from the sounds of it, knowing what's native." It was only his speculation from the description. It wasn't rotund enough to be a Gengar, and those two were the next most common humanoid ghosts in the region. "I found them by accident! Got some bystanders to help and went right in there to investigate! Some of them were delirious, mumbling about a ghoul." He could've gone on, but didn't want to come across as too excited about it.

"It is not unusual for Pokemon to come to inhabit a place that humanity left behind," Prema mused while reading. "These miniature colonies gather together for their own benefit and protection, much like groups of similar species in the wild."

Yeah, she was absolutely right. "Still, it's crazy!" he emphasized. "They attacked unprovoked from the sounds of it, and in the city no less!"

"They can be territorial, but they…" Nariya tried to speak up, yet hesitated. "Human territory, respect it too…"

Nori got what she was trying to say. "Yeah, they don't get this violent in urban areas. Even then, you have to go to the deep wilds to see ones like this!"

Wild Pokemon weren't as dangerous as some of the stories said. The ones you find in the city know they're in human territory, and respect that. Attacks on people generally only happened if they were provoking the Pokemon or outside designated routes. That's what made places like caves and the deep wilds more dangerous.

"As every person is different, so too is every Pokemon. The ones inhabiting this abandoned warehouse are unlike most urban Pokemon. While I cannot speak as to why they act this way, I am certain they have their reasons." She handed the newsletter back, although Nori flashed the others he'd brought to indicate she didn't need to. She folded it and placed it in a pocket in her robe, before asking, "What else did you wish to see me about?"

And this was the bigger one. He stretched his arms and legs before speaking. "So the second thing is, since you didn't say, what were your initial impressions of Pawniard?"

Prema did not react at all initially. "Nori…" she eventually said. One second, two seconds, then three passed without her saying anything more.

He took a step towards her. "You think he's irredeemable, don't you?" He did not mask his concern and frustration. He just wanted her to be honest, no matter what.

Under his scrutinizing, maybe pleading gaze, she eventually relented. "I suppose it would be for the best to tell you. I sensed an implacable malice within your Pawniard I have felt in but a few Pokemon before." She paused for a second and a half. "I would not go as far as saying he is irredeemable, however. It will simply be a far more difficult task than with the Demon Nidorina, who was merely misunderstood and seeking a purpose."

Nori slowly nodded. Being honest with himself, given how evasive she was being, it was about what he expected. She was even a little vague there. He put a hand on his assignment's capsule as he looked up at the skies. Pawniard and his former trainer had sent many innocent trainers and Pokemon to the afterlife. That alone made him irredeemable in the eyes of many. It was his job to prove otherwise. Even if he succeeded as far as the government saw it, there were going to be many people who would never forgive Pawniard. And…that was okay. It would be hypocritical of him to think otherwise.

When Nori looked down, now it was Prema who was pleading with her eyes. All he could do was smile and laugh. "I kind of figured," he quietly said, although still with self-assurance. "Both from how you clammed up like a Shellder and from what I've been seeing."

Prema closed her eyes and folded her hands. Her vague sigh of relief did not escape his notice. "Nori. If you at any point feel you are unable to handle this Pokemon, do not hesitate to tell the Officials as such."

"I know, I know!" he repeated. "I can recall Pokemon really fast if I need to. It won't come to that, though. I'll find a way to rein him in, just you wait!"

Prema chuckled. Even Nariya and a few others around the shrine did so. It was a happy laugh; he could tell they at least weren't making fun of him.

"We are having a late lunch if you wish to join us," Prema offered, bowing and smiling at him. "I take it you also wished to spend time here, given our time the other day got cut short?"

"Yup!" That was the third reason he'd stopped by. He glanced downward upon noticing Pachi swishing his tail eagerly. "If you don't mind, that is."

"Of course."

Together, they sat down with Nariya. This was exactly what Nori needed right now, some time away from school and work to rest and unwind with his friends! Especially after yesterday.

After spending time with Prema, Nori hurried home. His mom was always understanding that he might not come home from school right away, especially now that he had become a Pokemon Rehabilitator. He tried to inform her of his plans ahead of time all the same, and she only asked that he got back before dinner. It was more on the basis of not wanting to use power to keep it warm, rather than any imposed curfew.

His mom was in a simple black outfit with a white apron over top when he stepped into their trailer. She was standing in front of the stove.

"So how was school today?" she asked him.

"It was great, ma!" He still called her that by habit. He used to have something of a light rural accent before he broke out of it from spending a lot of time around those who didn't . "Everyone loved the story!"

She smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Nori."

It was ultimately his mom's insistence on getting into Pokemon last August that indirectly set him on the path to being a Pokemon Rehabilitator. Only now that he was a little older did he understand some of the reasons why.

"Here, I brought it back for you!" He took off his bag and placed it on his bed. He fished around and retrieved another paper. "Front page, right here!" He couldn't help but do a little twirl as he passed it over to her.

His mom sat down to read. After several seconds, she came up with a smile.

"Well, it's good that people liked it." She didn't seem too interested, for one reason or another, but Nori didn't let that hold his mood back.

"So when's dinner?" he changed the subject, waving his legs over the side of the seat. "What is dinner?"

"I just started it now. It should be ready at around six. Brussel sprouts and rice."

"Sounds good!" he said. He missed having good meals back at Sunyshore Gym, but they had to make do with what little money his mom got from the government before his first paycheck came in.

With this, Nori stepped into the bathroom to take a quick whiz. After doing so, he made for the door leading out of the trailer. His mom spoke up as he opened it.

"Heading out again?"

He nodded. "Yeah, going to try to slip some training in before dinner."

She put a hand on her hip. "It's good you're keeping up with Pawniard, but you don't have to overdo it."

"No, no, not him, Pachi and the Demon. I have to get some of their rust off." The little squirrel did a flex. Nori put a hand on his hip. "Some Kallisto fanboy challenged me to a battle Friday after school."

"I see," his mom slowly said. She had never explicitly disapproved of what he'd done in Sunyshore, but he never did hear her actual opinion. He was kind of afraid to ask. "Just stay out of trouble."

"Don't worry, I'll try not to cause any. No promises if I get dragged into stuff." With this, he went out the door and closed it behind him.

Anthony Morris. Someone with a grudge against him based on his rivalry with another. This would be his first serious battle since coming back to Veilstone City. He was sure the Demon was looking forward to it, and maybe even Pachi. He had some ideas as to how to approach things, but strategy wasn't everything when it came to battles. So he would do basic workouts today and sparring – maybe even at a battling spot – tomorrow. Then, on Friday, it'd be time to show the school his stuff.