Chapter 4: Drive

Later on after the sun had long since dipped under the horizon, Nori found himself back in Connor's diner. His usual haunt, as it was turning out. In spite of being an hour away from its 11pm closing time, there were still about a dozen other patrons around. Among them was one very atypical guest.

The presence of champion Lance Cipris would be under normal circumstances be enough to make every head in the room turn as well as bring more inside. The people out for a late night meal gave him nothing more than respect and acknowledgement, however. Which worked for him, as he had actually come here to see someone himself rather than the other way around. However, that person was sitting in a booth in the corner by himself.

He briefly glanced over to the young man. "So do you have any idea why he's that way?" the champion asked the owner. He meant this not to pry, but out of curiosity and concern. He found it difficult to believe he was looking at the same in-your-face teenager from a day ago.

"Ain't got a clue for sure," replied Connor, shaking his head. "Just told me it's been a long day. Gave'em a plate of the wife's finest, but didn't seem to cheer him up none." The owner peered at the meatloaf. It was only served for special occasions, and he felt this was one of those. "But it's a fair guess it's related to that lass in jail right now," Connor continued, as he gave the champion's glass a refill. "He's been goin' to bat for her this whole time. Must be gettin' to 'em."

"That's what I came to speak with him about." The champion frowned at the sight of the young official. "I was hoping to have a chat with him to help him understand a few things."

"Well, if you don't get on over there, you might not get another shot at it," Connor advised, as he wiped a glass. "Say what you wanna say, before it's too late."

The champion shook his head. "I am unsure if I want to right now. It may only make things worse with the state he's in."

Connor shrugged. "If that's how ya feel, ain't gonna push ya."

"No, I appreciate it. I simply need to figure out how to word this to him..." Lance took a sip of his wine. White, as he preferred it. He glanced over at Nori again. He knew full well that the young official wasn't going to like what he had to say. There was no sugarcoating it. Yet he also felt that he had to say it for Nori's sake. Even if the truth was painful, it had to be said. But for the moment, he would let the young official have his space.

"This's about that detective, ain't it?" Connor suddenly spoke up. "What you got to say to'em, that is?"

The champion smirked a little. "Mostly, yes. You could tell?"

"Comes with the job," the former baseball player said. "When people come to ya talkin' about their life problems, you soon learn to know what's foulin' them up on instinct." He shrugged, glancing over at Nori. "Ain't like it's a secret he's got problems with that detective, either. Been talkin' about it a bunch, and the man's near the center of this."

The champion took another sip of his wine. "I have heard of Detective Holle before. Yesterday was my first time personally meeting him, however." He looked to his sides and leaned in closer to the owner. "Between us, I have to say he lived up to his reputation." He admitted to himself it was uncouth to say that in his position, but felt he needed to vent a little. He had dealt with frustrating people before, but few on that detective's level.

Connor made a lip-zipping motion. He put the glass he was cleaning away. "Been watchin' the news, lately?"

Lance shook his head. "I rarely get a chance to." With all his responsibilities, he found his personal time somewhat limited. There were moments where he found that frustrating, but he ultimately did not regret being the champion of two regions.

"He's been goin' on there a bunch, too." Connor checked the time. It wasn't quite the hour the news would be on. "Swear they're slantin' things though, and not in his favor either."

"I see." The champion considered this.

A pleasant chiming resonated through the diner. A rather large individual stepped through the door. His black hair was tied back into a greasy ponytail. He wore a black leather jacket over top a white shirt with extra large jeans. Arguably not the best image for someone in his position, but it was difficult to find any other clothes in his size. He spotted Nori and waltzed over to him, standing by the side of the table.

Nori had been poking at his meatloaf. The meal was delicious, but had remained half-eaten for a while. It wasn't that he wasn't hungry, he was simply eating so slowly that it had gone cold and he didn't have the energy to get up to reheat it. He glanced at the stout officer. "Officer Bunston."

"Sir!" he said with a salute. "It was a crazy day at the department today."

"I figured as much." Nori sighed and tried to eat another piece. He forced himself to chew it, warming the piece up with his mouth before harshly gulping it down. "What happened? To Julia's mother, that is?" He knew this was what it was about. He already felt what the answer was going to be, but held out hope. "She told me she was going to take the blame for this, but..."

"So you know, huh?" Bunston didn't need to tell him. The look on his face already told Nori everything. "Well! It didn't go so well. She asked them to let her daughter go because it was her fault she did it. Buuut, they just put her in there with her."

Exactly as he feared. The young official found a brutal dryness rising up in his throat, threatening to suffocate him. He snatched his glass and rushed over to the counter with it in hand. The well dressed owner acted swiftly, filling it in a matter of seconds. No sooner was it back in Nori's hands than he was guzzling it.

The chestnut-haired teenager wheezed. "Gahh...I knew it. I just knew it. I told her it was a bad idea and she still did it." He uncontrollably belched from the carbonation of the drink, but didn't care.

Bunston followed along. "Holle gave her a good tongue-lashing too. He said things like, 'you threatened your daughter and caused this', 'you recommended a Pokemon that needed help be released', and stuff like that."

Nori suddenly felt disgusted with himself. "I wish I hadn't said those things to her too. I didn't give a good impression at all. If I did would she have listened to me?" He downed the remainder of his drink and slammed the glass down. "This is all that detective's fault," he complained. "If it wasn't for him pushing so hard, maybe people would have the sense to see how screwed up this is. A girl thrown in jail for trying help a Pokemon. Her mother now in there with her." He growled. "If that detective wasn't such a hardheaded clod maybe they wouldn't be in there."

"He is who he is," Connor remarked, filling the glass with more ginger ale without being prompted. He figured that Nori was going to need it soon anyway. "People get stuck in their ways. The longer they've been thinkin' a certain way the harder it becomes to change that view. Heck, even I got some habits I wanna kick but can't."

"That's about right," Bunston spoke, leaning against the counter. He made a motion with his fingers to be slid a drink, that went unseen or uncared for. "Sounds like it anyways."

"Still!" Nori gasped. "That's..." The words in his throat failed to come up, choking him. He took another gulp of his beverage to help with that, but by then he'd forgotten what he wanted to say. He hated that.

The large officer shrugged. "Oh!" he suddenly remembered. "And he also said, 'you are a negligent mother' too."

Nori clenched his fists, a fierce scowl instantly adorning his visage. "What?! Is that even okay for him to say that?" Admonishing is one thing, but that was a straight-up personal attack. In that one instant, any respect the detective may have earned earlier today vanished entirely. He couldn't believe he even listened or seriously considered anything that Holle said.

"I know, right? I was surprised too." The officer said this, but his tone indicated he was jaded about the issue. "He's spoken to parents who've came in to see their kids before. He's even scolded some of them for things, but not like this. Never seen him lay into anyone like he did today." The stout man shrugged. "Nothing came of it, so guess it was fine for him to say it."

Nori shut his eyes tight. Never mind being able to do so and get away with it. Why do so? That was rubbing salt in the wound. Just like he was before. The young official's limbs quivered. The detective's claims that they weren't so different from each other were ringing truer than he was comfortable with.

There was something about Holle that rubbed him the wrong way, besides this and all he'd seen. He couldn't put his finger on it, but whatever it was, it was something he didn't want to be himself. "It just doesn't make sense. None of this does! Is he really getting away with all this?" He looked over at anyone in particular, trying to get the attention of anyone nearby. "And what about Julia? Are they really going to condemn her for all this?!"

"Nori..." the champion suddenly spoke up, getting the young official's attention. After a thoughtful pause that Nori swore was hesitation, he followed up. "I think you should understand exactly what it is you're dealing with here."

Nori had barely noticed the champion was here. He rolled his eyes at first. Was everyone finding him here just from that interview? Well, he was here to see him. And he had tried to stick up for Julia himself. It seemed he had a better idea of what was going on. He should be able to help. "What do you mean by that?"

The champion's heart visibly weighed heavily on him as he prepared to speak. "Julia...she is in a very difficult situation right now. There are a lot of factors that are working against her. The circumstances behind her capturing the Gyarados is one of them. The opinion is that this never would have happened if she had not went into the Team Rocket base on her own. There is also the fact that the Gyarados took lives. That alone would be enough for a trainer to end up on the blacklist permanently. There are the victims' families to consider as well."

"What about her?!" Even given that, the young official felt that was very wrong. With Pokemon such an integral part of society that was essentially condemning a person for the rest of his or her life. It would be one thing if it were an unapologetic person ordering a purposeful attack. But an accident? "She had nothing to do with it rampaging!" he argued. "It happened under such obscure circumstances, too!" He only knew about it due to having to study every facet of the law as it pertains to owning Pokemon. To wit, every patron in the diner who was willing to lend an ear to him didn't know you could be charged for actions a released Pokemon takes. Some even said it was absurd, like that reporter.

"Yes, that is a good point," the champion conceded. "However, there are those who do not see it that way. Detective Holle in particular." He shook his head. "He's been with the Mahogany police for over three decades, working in juvenile services for most of that time. He's well-respected. Even other districts sometimes turn to him for advice in matters."

"How can anyone respect a man like that?!" the teenaged official snapped. "It's like he has no sympathy at all!"

"Yes, he does have a reputation for being harsh. However, he did not get to his position because of that." Nori rolled his eyes at that. You can earn your spot, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want from there. "People say his harshness is him sticking to the book, and not allowing his judgment to be clouded. As you saw, even my own intervention did not amount to much. I put in a recommendation to her through the officials, but the case remains in his hands for now." Nori tilted his head. That was possible?

The champion placed a hand on his chin. "I suspect the department put Detective Holle on this case to deal with it decisively, what with the problems with all the captured Team Rocket members. It's unfortunate. The charges for this can vary, but with him heading things, Julia will be lucky if she only gets put on the blacklist."

The young official almost spoke up, but the words came out as just a grunt. This was ridiculous. So it really was that detective responsible for all this.

Lance paused. "I hate to say this..." he slowly said. "But there's not much that can be done for Julia."

"No." Nori's response was immediate. "You're wrong! I don't believe it!" he yelled. "There has to be something I can do!" He didn't care that he was drawing attention. He wanted it that way.

"Sir..." Bunston said, unable to find any further words for the rehabilitator. The chubby officer had not expected such a strong reaction from him. Connor remained silent, a worried look on his face.

"I know this is difficult to accept." Lance tried his best to comfort Nori with his tone, but didn't want to lie to him either. "But the department supports Detective Holle's decisions. If there was something more I could do, believe me, I would have done it already."

"Quitters can't win!" he fired back. "I refuse to accept that there's no options! There's a way out of anything. A solution to everything! You just have to find it!"

The young official slapped payment for his food down in front of Connor and ran out the door. Getting away from there was a priority. As far as he was concerned, the diner was not a healthy place to be at that moment, and he needed to be away from it.

Nori had chosen to stay at a small local hotel during his extended time in Mahogany. He had wanted to be in a place that was more private and quiet than the typical Pokemon Center some travelers might rely on, yet felt no need to break the bank either. It cost him a bit of money he had to pay from pocket, sure, but it was money that would've gone into other expenditures anyway. May as well use it to make staying here a bit more comfortable.

The Kunoichi's Rest got its name from allegedly being the site of an old ninja hideout. The town's motto stated that it was home to ninjas, but he hadn't seen anything to suggest that. Even this place he was staying felt more like a modern day lodging establishment than repurposed ninja hideout. He had no complaints about it, that said. Packed into one little room was a sofa bed with green and white quilts, with lamps and a clock radio on cabinets beside it. He heard there were futons here, but that was either a lie or they were only in certain rooms. Also in this room was a small black television with basic cable and built-in VCR, a tea table and mat, and a small bathroom with a shower. About as much as he could ask for.

Nori plopped down on the bed with a huff. He thought that Lance was a valiant champion. Someone who would always fight for what is right, putting that even before his position if need be. A true representative of not just one, but two regions. Yet hearing him say those words in the diner betrayed his expectations.

"There's not much that can be done for Julia."

Nori thought that was the same as giving up. How someone who gave up like that could ascend to the level of the best trainer in two regions was a miracle. "If that champion wasn't so defeatist about this..." Maybe then he would have a better shot at saving Julia. The young official shook his head at himself. No, he had to take his mind off that. That's what he came here to get away from.

He laid back on the bed, trying to think about anything but the incident. He figured if he could just clear his thoughts, maybe he'd be able to see things from a different angle.

The Pokemon rehabilitator sat in silence for several minutes before he began to shake. Was it cold in here? He grabbed the covers and wrapped himself in them. No luck, he was still shaking. He snapped to his feet and made a beeline for the thermostat. He flicked the heat on and marched back, again cocooning himself in the bedsheets. After about a minute, warmth began to circulate through the room. But that did not help either. There was something wrong in there.

Agitated. He got up and turned the ceiling light off, figuring that what was bothering him. He sat down once more. He didn't even bother with the covers this time. The shadows and lack of light did soothe him momentarily, but he still felt something tugging at his mind. He fell over on his side, struggling to get comfortable. He couldn't. This was environmental. It wasn't the temperature. It wasn't the light. And it wasn't that the bed wasn't cozy, it was. He just couldn't find comfort here. "Ugh, why can't I relax?" he asked aloud. The silence that answered pierced his ears, and only then did he realize what the problem was.

It was too quiet and too lonely in here.

Stumbling to his feet, he switched on the TV to see if a bit of background noise would help. It took about ten seconds for the clunky box to flicker to life, and when it did he found it was already set to channel 3. Given the late hour, it came as no surprise to him that the news was on. He had tuned in to see what seemed to be the tail end of a report. The content of it wasn't apparent from the very end, but the backdrop of the largest city in Johto was unmistakable. It was one of the places he would've visited, given some of its similarities to his hometown.

It was not even half a minute before the scene shifted back to the studio. A bald anchorman in a dark blue suit segued into the next report, "New developments tonight in the Red Gyarados case. The mother of the suspect, Kassia Parisa, turned herself in to police earlier today after admitting she ordered her daughter to release the Gyarados. Reporter Nadia Schrader-"

Nori immediately jabbed the channel up button changing onto static. He did not need that shoved in his face right now. He continued to search through channels, most of which were white noise. He skipped over one that was playing commercials, eventually landing on a channel playing what looked to be a late-night sitcom.

The scene could have come from the beginning of any aspiring trainer's journey. A lab drenched in white, an old professor, an aspiring young trainer who hadn't hit his teens yet, and what seemed to be a young female lab assistant a few years older than him. He rolled his eyes at how the last of them was dressed. More than likely trying to appeal to a certain demographic.

"Professor Maple!" the lab assistant complained, tightly clutching her chest. "That boy tried to touch my Poke Balls!"

"Oh, come on!" the trainer pleaded. "I was just trying to get a Pikachu."

Nori glared deadpan. Those were jokes a six-year-old could've made. When an obnoxious laugh track followed that tried to make it seem like the most hilarious thing ever, he just turned the TV off.

He sat back down with a sigh. There may as well have been nothing on. Nothing to take his mind off things. He was hoping to clear his mind and hopefully see things from another angle, but it seemed there would be no such luck. Lance's words once against played back in his mind.

"There's not much that can be done for Julia."

That's what they had said about his Nidorina. That's what all the so-called experts said about her. They said she was beyond helping, that certain things needed to happen to protect society. But when Nori first saw the light blue Pokemon, hiding beneath his house's porch, he didn't see a dangerous beast. He saw a creature desperately trying to survive, despair that she might be facing her final moments.

That's when he knew what was the right thing to do.

They made all these threats, tried to dissuade him from even making the attempt to help her. He didn't care and stood his ground. And now he found himself in much the same situation. Someone facing a dire fate. Those seeking to sentence her to that fate. And people saying to him he was fighting a hopeless battle.

Back then he didn't have a problem in the face of adversity. He knew what he had to do and he did it. He had no doubts, and his insecurities just weren't a factor. What was different between then and now? What could he apply to this situation? Memories of that day played through his mind.

He had been standing in a room darker than the one he was in. A hallway that was pitch black, the only light being faint and off in the distance, the ones illuminating the stands in the arena. Just enough to tell where he was going, but not enough to see properly. His Nidorina stood beside him, displeased at the ridiculous spectacle this was turning out to be. Nori had a general idea, he knew from hearing about it what he may have been in for. Even regular trainers were subjected to the fantastical presentation of the battles here. But this was more excessive than he ever could have imagined.

"Ladies and gentlemen," boomed a voice over the PA system, "You are about to bear witness to a very special gym battle here. Today the stakes are not about a badge. They aren't about pride. They aren't even about Pokemon beating each other up for the fun of it!" The crowd roared, and Nori figured from the sounds of it, a full house had gathered. "Today is about survival. Today is about proving a point. The challenger has promised to defeat the gym leader today in a one-on-one match, in a battle of Poison Pokemon! He has vowed to prove the Demon Nidorina can be reformed. There will be drastic consequences for the two of them if he fails to show this."

The light blue Pokemon chuckled on hearing what they had been calling her. "Are you ready?" Nori asked. She gave a determined snort in response. She knew it was do or die, and certainly did not intend to die here.

"Coming in first, the young man here to challenge, and the one who made this ridiculously bold claim. A resident of our fair city, Nori Carino!"

On cue the pair walked out. A chorus of boos serenaded them into the arena. Nori's march turned into a walk, which slowed to a crawl as the crowd unleashed their visceral hatred on him. He had heard the gym leader had her fans who would attend every match and boo all her challengers on the basis of being her opponent. But this was beyond that. There were all sorts of people here. A class of young children, the news media, a youth protest group, several official looking types, the aforementioned fans of the gym leader, and various random spectators.

Nori was prepared for hostility. He'd seen the reports about himself, many people deriding him as an insane kid throwing his life away, a horrible human being for daring to defend a monster, and so on. But he was not prepared for hostility of this magnitude. All he was able to do was stare at the people shouting and hissing at him.

"You suck, Carino!"

"Prepare to lose the fight and your freedom, kid!"

"I can't believe you would support a defect like that!"

So bothered was he that the hated Pokemon actually stood in front of him to see if he was all right. He wasn't. He thought he could push it all to the back of his mind. But with all this, he found it difficult to do so. All manners of negative chatter from direct insults to disappointed comments were being thrown around.

"He should've given up while he could."

"I never thought someone could be this stupid..."

"My mommy says you're a bad kid!"

"That Pokemon is a menace."

"He's a menace, too!"

The young trainer drooped. He'd heard of gang leaders and criminal masterminds getting a warmer reception than he was getting. He thought it'd be mixed at best. But as he scoured the crowd he saw countless people rambunctiously rallying against him.

That's when he saw that person. A serene picture of stillness in a raging ocean. Looking his way and giving him a warm smile. The only person who supported him through his training. Here as promised, and unafraid to express being one of the only people cheering him on.

Nori felt a surge of confidence rising within. He did have support here. He was not alone. Mustering his mischievous side, he fired back at the crowd.

"We're going to win this, whether you idiots like it or not!" He punctuated it with some boisterous gestures that only made the crowd madder. The Demon Nidorina grinned twistedly at this. His friend in the crowd was bemused by this defiant or even rebellious response. He nodded and grinned to both his friend and his Nidorina. Even if he was hated for it, he came here to fight. And fight he would. Nori stomped to his place on the battlefield with a renewed determination and knowledge that he had support behind him.

(End flashback)

That's what it was. Support.

That day was his first real step towards becoming a Pokemon rehabilitator. He defied the doubters by not only earning a passing grade with his efforts, but exceeding expectations as well. It was what led him to his position. And as a sort of reward for the training and lessons he underwent, this trip.

But that was several months ago. Right now he was a lone vacationer in Johto in a situation he never imagined he'd find himself in here. All his friends were back home, including that person. The worst part about it was that he actually had the chance to invite someone along for this vacation. He asked that friend, but she had to decline because of her duties taking priority. No one else took him up on it, either.

That meant there was no one to lean on during this all. Sure, this time he had a couple other people helping him, but it wasn't the same. And back then, his only opponent was a gym leader to prove himself to. Here he had enemies seeking not only destruction of that which he hoped to protect, but to undermine him as well.

There was no denying to himself that the pressure was starting to get to him. The odds were not in his favor here. There was help and support back then, even if it was just a little. But he was on his own for this. Most importantly, he had one day left before he had to return. One day left to make a difference. And he still had no idea how he was going to do that.

He retrieved the Poke Ball of the one-time demon, gazing at it thoughtfully. His loyal companion since that day. He had helped her, but he had no idea how he was going to help Julia.

"What am I supposed to do...?"