Slice 11: Razor's Edge
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Nori was ready for any sort of reception at school on Monday. He was no stranger to being disliked; there was even a point in June when it felt like he was despised by almost everyone. He didn't think it would end up like it did back in Sunyshore, between his standing and the lower stakes. But if it did, he figured what he had planned might turn things around a little.

The young official arrived as early as possible, deciding to wander the halls in search of someone. To his relief, he received no more attention than he normally would. No harsh leers, no hushed whispers, and certainly not the entire school walking away from him all at once. Maybe they didn't care or forgave him. But he hadn't forgiven himself for his part in the matter.

Eventually, he found who he was looking for. He hustled to catch up with Chad right as he was about to enter a classroom; thankfully, it was not too difficult because of how slowly the platinum blond was walking. "Um, hey!" Nori called out.

The president of the battling club stood rigid. He slowly turned around, his expression blank. "Nori," he sounded. There was a faint sense of dread, but no other emotion.

No hostility. That was good. The young official shuffled his feet. He could hardly believe what he was about to say, but knew it was the right thing to do. And it was also what he wanted to do.

"I just wanted to let you know that…" He paused, catching his breath and going over what he wanted to say and how to say it one final time. "I changed my mind. I will join the battling team. I feel awful over what happened. You guys lost one of your best Pokemon because of me. Maybe even one of your best teammates, depending on how Anthony feels about continuing. I know it's going to be awkward having me there now, but I want to make it up to you guys."

The platinum blond's jaw had gradually creaked open. He stood in silence for about ten seconds after Nori had finished speaking. "Well…" His voice briefly hit a high register. "I did not see this coming." A mirthless laugh escaped his mouth.

"Yeah. I know." There were probably going to be people criticizing him for going back on things, like Reiko for sure, but he was ready to accept that. "I won't be able to be a full-time member, mind you. I'm still dedicated to the school newsletter and my club. But there's no rule that says I can't be a member of one club and the battling team at the same time. It doesn't say I have to join the battling club to join the team." He ruffled his hair. "Um, does it?"

"It does not." Chad bit his lip, hard.

That was a relief. The whole idea hinged on that one thing. He wasn't going to give up the newsletter if he had to pick one or the other. It was going to be a lot of work for him, but it was just for the rest of the year. He was willing to ride it out that long.

"Then I'll join you."

The battling team's leader emitted a heavyhearted sigh, holding and lowering his head. He muttered an f-bomb before saying, "Thankful as I am for the offer, I'm afraid it's not going to happen."

Nori put his hands on his hips. "Why not?" he demanded, taking a half step forward. "You were trying to get me with you guys ever since I came to school here!"

"Yes, well…things have changed. I'd still be glad to have you, but most of the others don't want you around. They feel uncomfortable at best, considering what happened."

"Oh," he blurted. Come to think of it, that made too much sense. "I guess I should've saw that coming," he echoed, internally shaking his head at himself for not doing so.

"Sorry."

"I'm the one who should be saying that," Nori said. "So, I'm sorry."

"Point taken," Chad said, a hard edge to his words. "Guess you got your wish to be left alone after all, though."

The irony wasn't lost on Nori. Under any other circumstances, he'd be relieved. But not now. He couldn't be completely happy about it. Actually, he was almost expecting Chad to try to guilt-trip him, or express intent to. Maybe he was, but the others' opinions settled the matter, whether either of them liked it or not.

Chad turned around. A thought abruptly occurred. While he couldn't join the team, he could still help.

"One thing."

He looked over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Eddie is a very strong trainer. He doesn't rely on any particular strategy, besides several Electric-types, but his Pokemon are tough. His strongest is his Magnezone, but watch for that Octillery. Both can do things you might not expect, like the last can use its tentacles to grab from anywhere. He's good like that."

Nori would need to think and reflect to give him more specifics than that. And it would only do him good to help prepare for one person. Whether it would be enough was up to them.

Chad nodded. "I appreciate the help."

"It's all I can give. Right now, at least."

With an understanding nod, Chad stepped through the door. Nori checked the time on the wall. 8:21. Better get to his homeroom too, he thought.

He'd made the offer, and it seemed the bridge had been burned. The two questions now were, what else could he do? And the club hated him, but what about everyone else? Just because they weren't saying or doing anything didn't mean they didn't hate him.

Chad was doing all he could to contain his bitter laughter. He reckoned he would have cracked into hysterics had he not been self-aware enough not to cause a scene.

He was right! Nori Carino felt bad enough to want to join the team in penance! He had even approached and made the offer of his own volition! But it meant nothing. He doubted that anyone would be swayed by this fact. He was going to try, but only to tell his family that he had tried.

The battling club was one of the few that had a specialized space at the school instead of using a classroom. It had large tables, a television, school computers, and even supplies like Potions. The only thing that it lacked was a full-sized battlefield; they had to go elsewhere to do anything more than practice and sparring. But it was close to the battling cages, so they could easily go to them if needed.

When afternoon break rolled around, Chad got to the clubroom as soon as he could. He wanted to wait until the whole team was present before making his pitch about accepting Nori onto the team. These plans blew up like an Electrode upon Anthony's arrival.

While Anthony's favorite trainer was Kallisto Keravnos, he wanted to be more like the Wallaces and the Gashas of the world: a powerful trainer with a character. He conducted himself appropriately when it came to publicity. His boisterous demeanor was an exaggeration of his real personality as a suave, confident person who knew his own talent. He was always a light that shone on them and brightened their days. That was why seeing him walk into the room, clothes rumpled and hair disheveled with dark bags under his eyes, was perturbing enough to bring everyone to silence.

He stood in the doorway for several long, agonizing seconds. Kiara, a cobalt blue-haired girl with a deep respect for him and an even deeper crush on him, leapt to her feet.

"Tony, are you okay?!"

He didn't answer or even acknowledge her. Instead, he gazed in Chad's general direction. There was nothing in his eyes.

Soon he started moving toward him with a hunch and heavy gait. They all knew what was weighing him down. He came to a stop a meter before the team's leader, lowering his head.

"This is all my fault…" he whispered. His legs quivered; Chad got ready to catch him if necessary.

Blaming himself went over as well as expected. All around them, their clubmates protested otherwise.

"It's not your fault!"

"It's that damn Demon Tamer who did this!"

"He was the stupid moron, as he likes to say!" Emi quipped loudly. "Not you."

"Please!" Anthony shouted as he held up a palm in the air. The others fell silent as he covered his face. "I'm at least partially culpable. I knew the risks, I never should have agreed to battle that thing."

None of them said anything in response, except Kiara, who said his name and trailed off. Nobody knew what to say. A few of them had been aghast he had signed the waiver, but they weren't going to tell him that, let alone rub it in. Most of them had also expected better from Nori Carino. As for Chad, he felt that no one could have predicted that things would turn out so badly. But there was no sense in blaming anyone.

"I need some time away from the team," he finally said what Chad was dreading. "I don't know if I'll be back or not."

"I…" Chad choked on his words. "I get it. It's fine, Anthony."

"Thanks." Anthony stuck out his hand, and Chad rose to accept it. He bowed lightly before turning to leave, each step heavier than the last. Some followed him worriedly, but Chad paid them little heed.

After the rain, the earth becomes firm. Chad would leave the door open, and Anthony did not rule it out entirely. But Chad wasn't betting on his return anytime soon. It was as much of a hypothetical as this having never happened, and thus, not something to think about too much.

The captain of the battling team started to walk back to the tables, as his own feet started to falter. It felt like he was marching through deep snow. Somehow, he made it to where Emi was and took a seat next to the auburn-haired female.

"I'm gonna end him," seethed Emi, her hands gripping the table.

Chad sprang to attention. "Emi, don't."

"He deserves it," she snapped. She was always the first person to stick up for her friends, perhaps to a fault. "Someone needs to make him pay, since the Officials clearly aren't going to."

"Emi…" Chad gasped from the sudden pain in his throat. He leaned in close, giving a woeful stare. "He offered to join us," he explained, hushed. "He even offered advice on the side when I told him. You can't…"

She covered her mouth with a clenched fist. Her eyebrows lowered as quickly as they had shot up. "Go figure." She rolled her shoulders.

As he leaned back, he noticed everyone else. They were all despondent, shaken, irate, or some combination thereof. Chad suddenly wanted to throw up. "Can we not talk about him?" he asked.

Emi conceded. "Fine. I don't want to either." She crossed her arms. Whenever she dropped her usual attitude, it was a sign that she was really ticked off. "So Pete Stephens is coming to Japan."

Her sudden change of subject barely registered. "Uh-huh," he sniffed.

"Yeah, he's going on a filming tour across the four big regions. Some of it's going to be shown live." She sat a little taller, even managing a faint laugh. "Can't wait."

Chad forced a smile. He was glad she had something to look forward to. Something besides battling, even if it was something as simple as the Krookodile Tracker. Chad wished he could do that. But Pokemon were his entire life. His family expected it of him. At this point, he was not sure what to do or where the team would go.

Suddenly, an arm was on him. Chad froze as Emi gave him a half-hug.

"Don't worry, we'll make it through this." She patted him. "We owe it to Quade and Anthony."

Chad leaned into it slightly. He needed that. "I hope so."

"You son of a bitch!"

The moment Nori walked into the small computer lab of the newsletter club, Reiko was up in his face. The fiery orange-haired girl flew into a tirade.

"How could you do something so damn stupid?! Do you have any idea what you've done?! You really call yourself a Pokemon Rehabilitator? You aren't even–"

"Reiko, stop it."

Adelle interposed between them. She stood in front of Nori like a vanguard, arms lightly outstretched and feet planted firm.

"Get out of my way, Richards!"

"Reiko, calm down. You're acting immature."

For a few seconds, Nori thought a fight might break out. He gave Reiko a sad frown. The young official was expecting her to be the one to yell at him about it, but not right as he walked through the door and not so aggressively. Actually, he was more worried about what the others would think. He didn't want to be kicked out of another news club.

Reiko leered for a second before letting out a single violent sob. "Damn it!"

She stormed over to the corner of the room. She slumped into a chair and pulled out her mobile phone, still glowering as she started using it. Terrance kept glancing between her and the rest of them. It looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he only squinted and sniveled.

"Should ask you, prez," said Mitsu, still engrossed in typing. "Do you want us to write an article about what happened?"

His casual tone put Nori's concerns to rest. As for his question, Nori had thought about it. He almost thought about asking Arumi what to do, but he was confident what the right choice was. "Yeah," he said. "It's still school news, even if it involves me. If we don't, it'll look bad, like we're trying to avoid the subject. So just make sure it's unbiased and make clear I had no part in the article. That way, there's no conflict of interest."

"Will do!"

"You know what the funny thing is?" Yasmin said. "Most people are blaming Anthony."

The young official felt strange, like a nagging sensation was poking at his mind. "Really?"

Adelle confirmed. "He knew the risks when he signed that waiver. He shouldn't have done it."

"And I shouldn't have offered in the first place!"

Adelle frowned. "I don't know what else to tell you. If you feel bad, do something to make up for it."

"I tried, they wouldn't let me in the team. So all I could do was give Chad some advice."

The duo nodded. "Well, we will get to working," Yasmin said as they went to help Mitsu with the article. "Just take it easy."

Reiko was still leering from the corner, and Terrance was shrinking away from the whole situation. He decided to sit alone at the smaller table and think.

Nori was very unsure what to feel about the revelation. No one would have let him get away with it if he wasn't Nori Carino, the Demon Tamer. It didn't sit well with him. What made it worse was that in the past, people had gotten away with doing malicious things to him because they were popular. Well, maybe there was a difference in how he didn't mean it, but still! He didn't hate this outcome, since it was better than the alternative. But it still bothered him. Maybe all he could do at this point was to rehabilitate that Pawniard.

The door to the room slowly opened. "Nori?" came a soft voice.

"Oh, hey Yumi," he greeted the light brown-haired teenager as she entered. He looked around at the others. They probably weren't going to say anything about what had happened just before, so he wasn't going to either.

Yumi sat across from him. "So how did your studying go?"

"It went fine. Thanks again for the help." She grinned, wildly. "I found out a few things about Pawniard behavior and the Blackout Killer that might be useful. Prema, Prema Kannagi offered to help when she gets done with her own business. But I don't know how long that will take, so it's up to me before that."

"Right, her. That's good to know." She lightly tugged at her pink shirt. "What are you going to do next?"

Nori paused before speaking. "I don't think I'm going to be able to avoid battling with Pawniard. I could, but I don't think he'd like it. I might just unwind and try to bond with him over the next couple days and try more training on Wednesday. Preferably with wild Pokemon, just in case."

That was the plan he came up with. Suddenly realizing every one of his clubmates was staring at him, he hastily added, "Um, does that make sense?"

"You're the so-called expert around here!" Reiko shouted. "You tell us!"

"What's your problem?" he fired back, beginning to get annoyed by the almost irrational behavior of the slightly overweight girl. "What did I ever do to you?"

"You…" she started, before pausing to think about it. "You're not a good trainer if you let them get out of control like that! Seeing that just pisses me off, hydrophobic attack or not!"

He eyed Yumi, who had opened her mouth. But she said nothing. Neither did anyone else. Maybe they didn't know what to say. Nori could admit, she had a reasonable point. It was what was expected of most trainers. But he wasn't like most trainers. That was part of how he got his position. Also, it was aquaphobic, because people used hydrophobia for rabies, but no point in bringing either of those points up.

So he just chuckled. "Well, thank you."

That only set her off more, probably more than he would have by arguing with her, though that wasn't his intent. "Why the hell are you thanking me for being pissed and insulting you?"

"It makes me feel a little better that some people are," he earnestly said. "If everyone uninvolved was just glad and willing to forgive me just because I'm Nori Carino, that wouldn't sit well with me." Sure, there were probably others who weren't saying anything besides the battling team, but she was doing it to his face.

That caught everyone off guard, Reiko herself being the most unsure how to interpret it. It was weird to say, for sure. But Nori had been called weird before. Everyone was weird in their own little way.

"It is fine if you are upset at him, Reiko," said Yasmin. "Just do not keep hating him. It would not do well for our club."

She grumbled and went to sit down next to Terrance. She did not otherwise give an answer.

He flashed her a thumbs-up. "It's all right, Reiko. And I know, I won't say you're completely wrong. I'm working on Pawniard in my own way though, that's what a Pokemon Rehabilitator does."

Yumi agreed. "You'll find few others who could get as far as Nori did, Reiko. Just leave it to him." The young official had to admit, while he didn't like people defending him to the point of being able to get away with things, it always felt nice having people stick up for him.

"Fine, but I still don't like this." He smiled at her and breathed a sigh of relief in the same lip motion. Situation diffused.

"So…what now?" Terrance was the next to speak. "Will you…be fine?"

"Me?" asked Reiko. "Or him?"

"You…"

She grumbled, but uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her knees. "I guess I'll get over it," she admitted, far more gently than before. This pleased Terrance to no end, although his smile was very restrained and barely noticeable. It also relieved Nori. He appreciated the criticism, but he'd prefer her not to hold a grudge.

"Well, getting back to it. I think your plan makes sense, Nori," Adelle said. "Just be careful not to rush things."

"Yeah," Reiko chimed in. "Case in point. You shouldn't have even let it fight that guy."

The other girls glared at her, yet Nori laughed it off. "Believe me, I know. But let's get off this subject and get to working. And eating."

Everyone agreed on that. He was finally able to bring out his lunch. It was only some rice balls with an apple and a bottle of water, but that would change near the end of the month when he'd have more money on hand than what he'd saved from Volkner.

He turned his attention to Yumi, who had taken out a vacuum flask. She noticed his gaze and smiled. "Miso soup," she said.

"Delicious." Simple, but still delicious.

Yumi pulled out a spoon. She started to unscrew the lid of her flask, only to pause. She set it down on the table and looked right at Nori. "Um, hey?" she said, gripping the spoon tightly.

"Yes?"

She hesitated a moment before whispering, "Be careful."

He nodded gently, closing his eyes. "I will. Thanks."

A/N: So this is how I handle the issue of Anthony signing a waiver. Differing opinions in-universe, but ultimately, not to the significant detriment of Nori's reputation...although he doesn't feel completely good about it.

Style on the chapter title is odd because of FFNet having heart failure over the formatting, it's intended to be three lines in a row. Did it different because of it.