The meals at the Kannagi Shrine were wonderfully varied. The expansion into Veilstone did not change this. They grew most of their own food on or within the premises. Fruit, vegetables, berries, wheat, rice, and so on. The chefs occasionally served eggs from common chickens. Of course, meat was an important part of a healthy diet as well. They got theirs from the store or donations, and although it was not frowned upon in their faith, they made it a point to avoid consuming meat which was Pokemon-sourced whenever possible. Beverages were tea, water, berry juices, milk, and occasionally (though Prema could not yet partake), sake.
They served food to the public during festivals. Otherwise, it was for anyone with a title in the shrine as well as invited visitors, typically regulars and full-time members. Any leftover portions were given to wild Pokemon or charity (they donated produce in exchange for the meat) as appropriate.
Today, they had a low-key meal, which was typical in the wake of festivals. It consisted of a mixed berry medley (as the chef had dubbed it), rice balls wrapped in lettuce, and yakitori.
Prema had arrived with Priestess Satomi after the training and had taken a seat across from her father. There was not much more to the altered preparations; they talked about it over the meal. She and her Pokemon had a few sparring matches with members of the shrine, including with Monk Naito, who himself owned a Crobat. They also went over various techniques for handling spirits, both human and Pokemon.
She was nearly finished when the elderly woman glanced at her curiously. "Are you sure you don't want more?" she asked.
Prema had light portions along with a glass of spring water. "Yes," the young heir confirmed, gently wiping her lips with a napkin. "I want to get back to preparations as soon as possible."
"It's not good to overwork, y'know," Satomi remarked. "Or undereat. Two of your Pokemon aren't even done yet."
Shu and Taiyoko were still enjoying their meals; Pokemon usually ate at the same time as people. They were served as appropriate for their tastes and species. In their case, they received leafy greens, processed dirt (for Taiyoko), and nectar. But Yahata had finished his seeds and meat even earlier. He moved silently to her side in response and put a wing on his hip.
Abruptly, Priestess Satomi burst into laughter, though was cognizant enough to muffle it with her palm. Yahata lowered his gaze and seemed to squint at her, in the process looking like most of his species except less jovial. Anyone who knew them found his face unusual, and in one instance, unsettling, for it appeared like a perpetual glare. A normal Dartrix could see as well as a Makuhita or a Skitty, but Yahata had mentioned alertness and dignity as reasons for keeping his eyes wide open.
"Is something the matter, Priestess Satomi?" Prema asked, more for the sake of her Pokemon than her own curiosity.
"Oh, nothing bad." She brushed it off with a wave of her hand. "It's just that how serious he is reminds me so much of an old Pokemon of mine."
The elderly woman peered at a Blastoise over where the Pokemon were eating. Like animal turtles, they were known for their longevity. Still, her age was obvious. Her shell was a weathered beige with some stray cracks and rings in the scutes. The tortoise's skin, however, remained as vividly blue as the day she evolved. Otohime was one of two Pokemon Priestess Satomi still had. The rest had either passed on or were passed down.
Prema hummed. It was an unpleasant topic, even if it was a fact of life. Humans could outlive their beloved Pokemon. Pokemon could see their allies – or even their trainer – leave the world ahead of them. The modern Poke Ball can prolong lifespans by lowering metabolism while within, but not all Pokemon like to be in them.
"I miss them every day. I know she does too. In a way, you kind of have to envy that trainer," the elderly priestess remarked, shaking her head. "He and his partners got to go to the other side together."
Prema shook her head. "I would not wish that on anyone." It was far too grim a fate.
Priestess Satomi leaned back. "Then again, you're also right," she concurred after several seconds.
The green-haired girl looked around, noticing that they were getting more than a couple of uncomfortable glances. It was taboo to talk about death openly in the country's culture, and were it not they or others of equivalent respect doing so, they might not have gotten away with it. Their views on the afterlife were not as well-defined as in other faiths, with more of an emphasis on living this life. There was even a saying: born Kodo, die Gautama.
It is not to say they placed no focus upon it. Even among the Iseuan religions, it was known and acknowledged that spirits could remain on the physical plane after leaving their bodies. Therefore, the Kannagis and others honored their dead so that they might find peace. In turn, the spirits offered their protection. The nature of them varied. Those who passed suddenly or unfulfilled could return as onryō, vengeful spirits. Konrad Guhl and his Pokemon qualified.
A wing tapped her on her knee. Yahata was glancing up at her, his beak half-open and a wing curled up like a fist ready to strike. It was the body language he always gave when he was preparing for a battle. He was communicating that he was ready to get back into it.
"I believe we are finished with battling for the day," she said to him. "I will be studying the findings Nori made in further detail."
He relaxed into a neutral position, understanding the situation. There was a time when he would have slouched in disappointment, but he had moved beyond that phase.
"Good idea," Priestess Satomi approved. "Just make sure you get a plan going while you're at it."
"Of course." There was a saying about knowledge without wisdom, after all. She rose and turned to the chef. "Thank you for the meal, but I must be on my way."
"Of course, Lady Kannagi." He bowed at a 45-degree angle. "There's plenty left if you get hungry later on."
"Thank you," she repeated, before turning to her Pokemon. "I will be in the common area. Come find me when you are finished." Shu chirped merrily in acknowledgment, and Taiyoko flicked her antennae.
As she was moving to leave with Yahata following in behind, her father called out to her.
"Prema," he spoke neutrally, looking up from his plate.
She stopped and turned to him, giving a light bow. "Father."
He said but two further words. "Wednesday evening."
"Understood."
That was somewhat sooner than she had been expecting. But even if it was tomorrow, she would be ready before the time came.
With a scant two days before she would return to confront Konrad Guhl, Prema felt it necessary to prepare as much as possible. In addition to training herself and her partners, she would need to prepare academically. It would be folly to not do so with the resources at her disposal.
She sat in the foyer of the shrine to do so. It was partly a matter of convenience for her Pokemon to be able to find her after dinner, but also for a change of scenery from her room. If it were not so late, she would have gone outside for fresh air. The chill of night notwithstanding, it would be difficult to read Nori's research in the dark. Everyone who passed by wished her luck, silently or otherwise.
The pattern continued until a ruby-haired woman stopped mid-stride. After a moment of being frozen to the floor, she hustled to her side. "Lady Kannagi," Maiden Kaede stammered with a measure of alarm. She put her hands together and bowed fervently and unsteadily. "I want to say sorry again for not doing enough to stop that guy."
"Maiden Kaede." Prema could not help but look up from the pages. "This was not your fault."
"Nah," she brushed off. "As the senior member, it was my job to step up. Couldn't do that."
Prema hummed. Maiden Kaede had always been an optimist. Not only had she maintained her smile in the aftermath of the disastrous first outing, but she had also consoled and encouraged everyone else. To see her acting like this was disconcerting. Had the situation changed? Or was the pressure of awaiting judgment catching up with her? Everyone had their limits, after all.
"In any event, it is good that you are here," the future head priestess changed the subject. Perhaps there was a means to help improve her mood. "I wanted to get your opinion on this."
She stood vacantly, eventually putting a hand to her mouth. It took her a moment to recover. "That's the thing the Demon Tamer found?" she slowly asked, leaning over top. There was still some uncertainty in her irises.
"Yes," Prema confirmed. "I have been meaning to hear your personal thoughts on it."
The word had spread, primarily confined to the upper echelons of the shrine. Some had dismissed it, but when asked, they could come up with no better alternative. Monk Naito had outright admitted that he hoped it would turn out to be false. Of course, three others had the advantage of having met the spirits with her, but only one was in the condition to give an opinion.
"A'right," she breathed, a rural accent slipping through as she sat across at the other side of the chabudai. The woman glanced at the ceiling for a moment.
"Let's go over what happened. We walked in. You did your meditation, waited a bit to see if they'd approach and let our presence sink in, then called to them. They didn't want to answer. Jack steps in, wants to feed his Pokemon. That's when they attacked." She paused there. "I don't get it."
"What do you mean?"
Kaede didn't answer initially. She thought some more before she spoke again. "Maybe they wanted to strike when our guard was down. But they left when Fohoshi and I were ready to go." The woman crossed her arms. "Cowards. Maybe smart. Still don't know what their deal is."
That was part of what was so puzzling. What happened on Friday did not line up with the other attacks. Guhl and his Pokemon typically assailed everyone present, either into either submission or unconsciousness. They had left them with only words, albeit mocking ones.
"I am looking for a pattern behind the other attacks," she explained. That would go a long way toward discovering their motives. Unfortunately, Guhl had refused to speak about it. It was not surprising; spirits were capable of belligerence. The only thing that was clear was that he had injured far too many trainers and their Pokemon. He could not be allowed to continue.
"Can't we just get accounts from people who got attacked?"
Prema shook her head. "Unfortunately, we do not have time to seek out the victims. Some may not be willing to speak with us. Others may not be able to remember much information, given the time that has passed and trauma."
"What about the construction crew?"
"Perhaps." She supposed it would be easier to get in contact with them. Getting statements from them was an avenue they could pursue, though it had already happened to a certain extent. "One who was in the condition to give an interview said that the spirits began with pranks, namely pushing over stacked boxes."
"Wait, falling boxes!" Kaede exclaimed. "That's the connection!"
"I already thought of that," Prema said, letting the air out of the trained kunoichi. "It is inconclusive."
"But that's how he went!" she insisted. "Maybe he was trying to be ironic!"
Prema smiled. "Yes, I believe it proves that he and his Pokemon are the spirits of the warehouse." It felt like too much of a coincidence to dismiss. "But it only has a connection with his identity. It did not happen in other incidents, so it has little to do with his motivations."
Maiden Kaede sighed and sat down again. "So what do we have? You come up with anything?"
"Yes, there is one consistency. Pokemon were attacked in every incident." It felt like nothing. After all, it was not unusual for people to bring out their Pokemon. But Prema could not rule out a connection due to their emergence coinciding with Acolyte Jack feeding his Pokemon. "And while he attacked their trainers, he left none of them with lasting physical injuries." Which eliminated some possibilities about his intentions.
She snorted. "Maybe he wanted a battle."
"I am uncertain if that is the case." It was not impossible. Priestess Satomi had said they would end up battling, but if it was a battle he wanted, why did he leave? Their experience with him was so different from anyone else that it felt a clue in itself, but what it meant eluded Prema.
"Was being sarcastic anyway. We were gonna give'em one, but they ran away." The woman threw up her arms. "Could just ask the guy. Again, I mean."
"I might have to try." Perhaps knowing his story would make him more receptive to conversation. Though the conclusion Prema had drawn from her elderly mentor's words was that, whatever his motivations, it was going to come down to force.
The woman rose. "Should get heading back home now. Glad I could help, even if it wasn't much."
"Before you do so, is there anything else you can think of?" Prema was at an impasse in her thoughts.
Maiden Kaede wrapped a finger in the curls of her hair. "One thing, actually."
"What is it?"
"The Demon Tamer ran in to help those workers, right?" she said. "Knowing him if he didn't have his Pachirisu out with him, he would've brought out the Demon. He had Pokemon and he was in there. So why didn't they go after him?"
Yes, that was a good point. Prema had not even thought of asking Nori if he felt any unusual presence. But it was a fact that the spirits did not attack him or the others who had helped to investigate. Come to think of it, Guhl had not attacked anyone in a similar situation, according to the reports. It was as though he wanted his victims to be found and helped.
"Thank you, Maiden Kaede." Prema nodded her appreciation. "That is something I will need to think about."
"Really?" the woman puffed and took a step back. A faint hint of her usual swagger returned. "Well, you're welcome. Catch ya later."
"Until next we meet."
Maiden Kaede set off, a spring in her step. Prema could not help but find it amusing. It was for reasons as these that she did not anticipate Father extensively punishing her. She was too loyal and reliable to not be granted the title of Priestess one day. If anyone, Acolyte Jack would receive the brunt of the blame. It would be a formality, if not a public scapegoating. He was already bearing the shame by isolating himself. If he was fortunate, Father would see his role in unwittingly drawing out the spirits as she did.
With a new thought to consider, Prema decided to retire to her room for the night. In a way, the point Maiden Kaede had brought up only raised further questions. Yet the picture was becoming clearer. The answers would come to her eventually, be it through revelation or from the source. It was not worth stressing overmuch.
Encaged by cruel tragedy.
The whispers of emptiness cry out.
A promise left broken like a body.
Time never waits.
Strength waxes and wanes.
Memories fade and turn to dust.
What cruel twists, what cruelties inflicted!
Let this be his memory.
But the path is never ending.
And so he sits, waiting for the next chapter.
A sensation lies within, ready to burst forth like a sneeze.
The proof of his memory.
What new cruelties will be wrought?
Will the promise be fulfilled yet?
Time never waits, but it tells.
A/N: There were actually quite a bit of foreshadowing about this plot twist before the reveal. The points brought up here are just some. To name just one not mentioned here, way back in the first chapter the humanoid spirit was mentioned to have eyes plural. It couldn't have been the cyclopian Dusclops!
