A/N: Whoops. I just realized I didn't cross-post this on ffn. A few chapters incoming.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Note: Will add in MaryAnn not understanding right away why Perisan isn't coming out of its ball and it's reaction to the Pokéball being out in a box and then in the ground. MaryAnn is distressed, which makes it harder for Nanu to do what had to be done, especially when MaryAnn cries.]
Nanu stopped by his home at the station after having Honchkrow deliver the news to the rest of the Meowth in the station.
MaryAnn was curled up in his jacket, being very sweet and oblivious. It had no idea for where Nanu was going to take it, little claws lightest hooked into the cop's red shirt.
Nanu didn't know how to break the news to it, as he himself was still having trouble with coming to terms over what had happened to Persian.
The other Meowth in the station were all devastated, feeling similarly to the older cop.
When Nanu arrived home, they all crowded around Nanu's legs, pawing at him and meowing, varied degrees of worry on their feline faces.
Nanu was about to try to make a joke about someone being around to feed them all if he ever happened to be dead and gone, but Nanu stopped, feeling choked up. He couldn't bring himself to do it with all of the tears going around. Nanu sank down to the floor to reassure all of the Meowth, each of them taking turns to cling to the kahuna for comfort.
"I need to go to Melemele Island with Persian's Pokéball. I need to..." Nanu cut himself off but he knew the Meowth understood.
More tears, more insistent meows.
Evenrually, Nanu ended up calling a ride Pokémon to cart all 20 of the Meowth (not counting the ones that weren't currently at the station) to Melemele island.
None of the Meowth wanting to leave him alone, and seemingly wanting to go to say good bye to Persian with him.
Nanu shut down, too overwhelmed by his Pokémon caring about him to truly focus on what he was going to be doing once he reached MeleMele Island.
-Arrival to route 2 Haoli cemetery, a procession of Meowth and Nanu entering the site, and the cop is relieved that there is no one around to see him. Didn't think he could handle condolences over his Persian. It was rare that a Pokémon didn't die of natural causes, and Nanu wasn't up for the sadness of others over his loss, because it would only increase his own.
Nanu spent time in the graveyard selecting a spot for Persian's Pokeball, and the partner Pokémon he had had with him for so much of his life.
The Alolan Meowth had been a gift from a well-wisher in Alola, when Nanu was a teenager, and feeling a loss of direction in his life. He had been told that it had been born on MeleMele Island.
The Alolan Meowth had cheered Nanu up immensely, even if it didn't always show. It had been his companion, throughout his stint in the international police, where it later became an Alolan Persian, and even more Pokémon came into his life over that time. Persian had been a bit help, as were his other Pokémon, when he retired from the International Police, and took up residence in Alola as a cop, an later, as the kahuna of Ula'Ula' island.
Nanu had help of several Meowth digging up the ground, despite their coins occasionally getting flecks of dirt, which they fastidiously cleaned away, but didn't complain. Nanu ruffled the fur of some of them in silent thanks for not throwing a temper tantrum. But he stilled the paw of his Krookodile from taking the Pokeball to put in the freshly dug ground.
"Not yet." Nanu managed to say.
Krookodile let out a growl of understanding and settled down on the grassy ground next to its trainer, Honchkrow feathers puffed up on Nanu's other side. The Meowth crowded around, as Sableye hugged Nanu's knee to its small gem studded chest. All of the Meowth crowded round, and MaryAnn rumbled against Nanu's chest worriedly, even while it kept up a silent stream of tears.
Nanu couldn't bring himself to bury Persian's Pokeball, because he knew that in doing so, it would be the final acknowledgment that the Pokémon was dead inside of its ball. But Nanu knew that Persian had died on his lap back at Po Town, and he was only hurting himself emotionally and mentally by clinging to the false hope that it was still alive. Nanu knew that he wouldn't be trapping a living, breathing creature beneath the dirt.
Nanu was Persian's trainer.
He should set it to rest.
Nanu didn't know how long he sat there in the cemetery, staring at the Pokeball while surrounded by all of his Pokémon, but he was drawn out of his stupor by a few growls and many hissed warnings from the Meowth all around. Nanu lifted his head and saw an Absol watching from a short distance away.
Absol, upon being noticed, walked closer, and came to sit down a short distance away from the dug up hole for the soon-to-be-grave. Absol stared down at the dug-up dirt with near glowing red eyes in the dusk sky around them. It looked around at the Pokémon gathered, as well as lone human, before Absol focused on the Pokeball clutched tight in Nanu's hand.
Absol let out a few soft growls of its own to the other Pokémon, and received a few reluctant responses from the other Pokémon. Seemingly satisfied, Absol got up, stretched, shook out its white fur, and then padded around the hole and past the Meowth that curiously batted at it, before it sat right in front of Nanu and stared at him quietly. When Nanu didn't do anything, Absol pawed the ground with a sharp-clawed paw, and tilted its head to the side.
Honchkrow leaned over and used its beak to peck at Nanu's jacket, where he kept a space Premier Ball that he'd gotten some time ago from another kid that had wanted to pick an Alolan Meowth as their starter Pokémon.
"Right now may not be the best time to go looking for a trainer to journey with." Nanu said with a raised brow, though he continued to speak more than he'd spoken since he had lost Persian. "There are dangerous beasts still about, like the one that…" Nanu hefted his Persian's Pokeball. "It isn't safe right now."
Absol snorted something through its nose that might have been derision over the thought of danger.
Nanu wondered if it was because the Pokémon knew it was a symbol for preluding disasters.
Absol scratched the ground again, before it sat itself up straight, almost proudly throwing its chest out as its red eyes bored into Nanu's own, un-swayed by the human's words.
"If that's what you want…then I won't argue with you about it." Nanu takes the Premier Ball out of his pocket, and held it out to the white-furred Pokémon.
Absol pressed its nose to the Pokeball without hesitation, and went inside of it, the button flashing briefly before the light faded away.
"Huh." Nanu stared down at the Pokeball in his hand, and then to his Pokémon. "I guess a new teammate found us."
There are what sounds like growls and a caw of assent from all of his Pokémon, before Krookodile reached over to rest a paw on Nanu's other knee, and patted the ground with its other paw, looking unhappy but also accepting.
Nanu took a slow breath, let it out, and then nodded.
It had to be done.
Pocketing Absol's Pokeball, Nanu shakily leaned forward to place Persian's Pokeball in a box, and then closed it, before he allowed his other Pokémon to help him fill in the hole. But the more dirt that was placed over the now-grave, the worse Nanu felt. The finality stuck Nanu the moment MaryAnn let out a mournful little cry.
Other Pokémon reactions. (The Meowth, Krookodile, Honchkrow & Sableye).
Silence, and then Nanu, after saying his farewells, gets up, and recalls Krookodile and Sableye, but not Honchkrow and all of the Meowth. Nanu was ready to go spend some more time alone, though now, that time would be spent with his Pokémon.
Nanu didn't really want to be around other humans, and their condolences. Nanu knew that there were still UB's out there to be taken care of, but right now, Nanu needed some time to collect himself and get back into the right mindset to go after such dangerous creatures.
What Nanu hadn't expected was to run into Guzma having a shouting match with an older man outside of a house a short distance away from the cemetery.
Nanu saw an older woman older woman with a worried expression.
-Nanu has a quick conversation with her about the situation she is concerned about, which is Guzma and his father/her husband, shouting into the evening sky where anyone can see them that passes by.
The lady is worried that it might come to blows. Her husband had mellowed out over the years but she was worried that he might strike out at Guzma, and Guzma would respond in kind, but could hurt more in return. Was stronger than he had been when he was younger, and she was worried whether or not Guzma would hold back.
Nanu was quiet at this, thinking.
She doesn't want to believe the rumors about her own son, about him doing bad things and hopes that that is all they are-rumors. Still concerned as she looks toward the shouting, and worried that both men would flu into a rage and get into a needless fight with one another.
Nanu's thoughts on all of this, before he exchanged assurances and walked past her, and toward the source of the yelling.
Nanu raised a dark brow at the sight of the Solgaleo lingering nearby, sitting and growling softly over the commotion. Nanu quietly observed the two men, trying to give out the best way to break the two of them up without escalating things. Nanu knew that he wasn't in the best state of mind to be doing much of anything right now but before Nanu could decide, he was noticed.
Both Guzma and the punk's father fell quiet once they had spotted the cop standing a short distance away.
Nanu could tell, from Guzma's expression, that the tall punk didn't want him to be there, presumably because of his father. But at the same time, Nanu saw the worry, as if Guma wanted to se how he was hilding up after….after losing Persian.
"Ya gotta stop flyin' off like that, making me figure out where the hell you went off to." Guzma seemed to be struggling with finding words. The punk had ended up settling for being defensive and prickly. "Had to have Solgaleo help me find ya." Guzma gestured at the legendary Pokémon, as if to show how insane that was.
Nanu was about to respond to this but is surprised when Guzma's father takes a step closer to Guzma.
"You shouldn't be bothering an Island Kahuna like that." Guzma's father tore into Guzma verbally. "Kahuna Nanu has better things to do than deal with you." There was a pause, before the older man bristled at his son. "Is that where you've been all this time? The police station outside of Po Town, after you broke up Team Skull?"
Guzma can't get a word in edgewise, and it seemed to Nanu that the punk was holding himself back, if only because Nanu happened to be around. Otherwise, the clenched fist signaled that the punk might have thrown a punch.
"You should so something useful for once. The kahuna shouldn't have to deal with someone who can't do anything right. You couldn't even run a gang of misfit punks right." Guzma's father clenched a goat similarly to how his son was. "What is wrong with you?"
Guzma snapped at that.
Nanu couldn't move fast enough to prevent Guzma from lashing out at his father, but Solgaleo could.
The legendary Pokémon blocked the way, putting its body between the two men, which caused Guzma to step back and struggle to lower his fist, the punk's entire frame shaking in suppressed rage.
"Guzma." Nanu made it to Guzma before the punk could make his way around Solgaleo, and seized the punk's upper right arm and gave it a firm squeeze. "Stop. Be better than that. Don't be so quick to go to solving an argument, or insults, with your fists."
"S'all I know." Guzma muttered mutinously.
Nanu's jaw set, his red eyes briefly flashing to Guzma's father before returning to Guzma. Nanu gripped Guzma's arm tighter, to draw the punk's attention to him, and used his free hand to draw Guzma's attention to the Meowth near their feet, but more importantly, MaryAnn tucked in his jacket.
The little shiny Meowth was staring wide-eyed at Guzma.
Guzma roughly turned to face Nanu, shaking the cop off his arm. Guzma made as if to reach out to Nanu to manhandle him in return but stopped short as he met MaryAnn's tearful eyes, shying tearfully further into Nanu's jacket, as if it thought Guzma was going to take a swing at it.
Nanu was quiet as a distraught look crossed Guzma's face over scaring the feline, followed by guilt while his hand dropped to his side, looking resigned over something. Nanu watched him for a moment, before stepping close, out of view of Guzma's father, and resting a hand lightly on Guzma's shoulder.
"Come to the station once he you've straightened things out with his father. I do have to go to a Pokémon center and wait for a little while. I need to get my Meowth back home." Nanu half-smirked at Guzma's confused look. "You wanted to know where I was going, didn't you? So you didn't have to have a legendary Pokémon help you locate me?"
Guzma opened and closed his mouth, as if to say something, before he quieted and gave a little nod. Guzma didn't seem to be able to look Nanu in the eyes, or any of the Meowth, MaryAnn especially, from where it was still trembling in Nanu's shirt.
"I'll wait in that Pokémon Center in Haoli city, if that makes things easier." Nanu didn't hear Guzma's quiet acquiescence as he walked away, all of his Meowth trailing along after him, until the older cop was out of sight.
Nanu needed a drink, but he would have to settle for a non-alcoholic one. He knew his Meowth were going to be excited over the prospect of visiting the Pokémon Center, and in particular, the café that was there.
20 Meowth…
Greedy little creatures were going to clean out his pockets for treats and drinks.
Nanu supposed he could make sure Guzma had something.
-x-x-x
Guzma, his father, and Solgaleo are all quiet until Nanu is out of sight, and with the situation still changed, Guzma struggled to make himself get through it.
"What are you up to?" Guzma's father asked. "Why are you bothering a kahuna of all people?"
"I..." Guzma straightened up out of his slouch, and stood alongside Solgaleo, a hand in its mane for whatever support he could draw from it, before he responded. "I am doing something useful. I don't need your approval for the choices I've made in my life."
"I hope that doesn't involve harassing people." Guzma's father prodded.
"It isn't your business of I do." Guzma bristled. "It also isn't your business if I choose to keep Nanu company." The talk punk glared at his father. "Nanu doesn't seem to have anyone around much, apart from Acerola and a whole lot of Meowth." Guzma has his hand into the mane of the Solgaleo. "I don't have much to do right now, after Team Skull, but if Nanu doesn't mind me around. I don't give a shit anymore that I didn't become a trial captain. I think I figured out along the way why."
Guzma's father is annoyed that Guzma is bothering Nanu from the sound of it.
"We're fucking." Guzma snapped out irritably, not actually thinking very well with how upset he was. Upset that Nanu had seen this confrontation. Upset that Nanu had gone off to the Pokémon Center alone. Well, with his cats, but alone as in with no other human. Upset that MaryAnn thought he might have hurt it.
"I'm not gonna hang around here and argue with you about the choices I'm making." Guzma snarled at his father. "It's none of your damn business any longer what I do with my life. And because you didn't ask or just don't give a damn, one of Nanu's Pokémon just died to an attack that hurt one of my his own Pokémon. I'd rather be with him."
Before Guzma's father can say anything in return, Guzma turned to Sogeleo.
"Get me outta here and take me to where Nanu is." Guzma held tight to the mane after he swung himself up onto the Pokémon's back, leaving his parent's home behind them in a matter of minutes.
-x-x-x-
Guzma arrived at the haoli Pokémon center, a buzz of whispers from onlookers as he slid off the back of Solgaleo.
-Gruffly thanks the Pokémon for lettin' him hitch a ride with it, and playfully fends off a wet lick from a yellow tongue. Laughs a little and tells it to go back to those brats. Heard they were meeting up with Lillie.
-Watches Solgaleo leave, before Guzma glowered at the people within range, and scatters them. Swears under his breath as he shoves his hands into his jacket's pockets and stomps over to the doors of the Pokémon Center, before entering inside, and nearly walking into/stepping onto the Meowth racing around the inside of the building.
Guzma wrangled two of them, saying they're being a trippin' hazard, and carries the purring felines, along with a few other's that cling to his legs. The punk goes over to the café area, where he had spotted a familiar head of gray hair hunched over the counter. At first concerned that Nanu may be drinking, and catches sight of a mug instead.
"Coffee?"
Guzma made a face over the strength of the Komola coffee in the cafes, before plopping himself into a stool alongside Nanu. Before Guzma can even order anything, the server slid a mug to the punk, before refilling a bowl of milk and one of Pokebeans for the Meowth. Guzma cast a sideways glance at Nanu, who was staring down at his mug, before looking down at the mug in front of him. Something squeezed inside of Guzma at the sight of the Tapu Cocoa.
"The Meowth heard you outside." Nanu said, looking up from his mug.
"You probably did too, with Solgaleo letting out that roar of its' as it flew off." Guzma took a sip of the cocoa. "How the hell does that Pokémon even fly? It has no wings!"
"Solgaleo is part psychic, isn't it?" Nanu asked.
"So it's using psychic powers to fly itself around?" Guzma tapped his foot against the floor. "Still weird as hell."
"Some Pokémon physics defy logic." Nanu dryly pointed out.
-More lighthearted exchange here between the two of them, Guzma pointedly avoiding speaking about his father.
MaryAnn apparently was asleep with some other Meowth. Both men decide to stay the night at the Pokémon center before heading out in the morning.
Guzma grumpily agrees to go patch things up, but only because Nanu asked him to.
"When you're done, you can find me back at the station?" Nanu told Guzma, as he let Honchkrow take him up into the sky. "I'll leave door unlocked."