A/N: Happy fourth birthday to this series! Had to update for it when I noticed. Kind of a good chapter for a birthday update I feel given the callbacking and expositing here, as well as a new perspective.
Before he went to sleep on Friday, Nori had considered his course of action for the weekend. He had come to two conclusions. The first was that he needed to take Qwilfish somewhere where she would feel comfortable. That meant…water. He didn't want to. But the second thing he admitted to himself was that the sooner it was out of the way, the sooner he could stop dreading it.
After breakfast, he stepped out into the crisp morning air. It was a pleasant day, at least. The sun was out, and there were only a few scattered clouds in the sky.
"Greetings, Norcar!" He looked to see his next door neighbor, Rashid al-Bahar, who was taking out his garbage. The older tan-skinned teenager was clad in a white shirt and plain blue jeans. "How are you doing today?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine," he insisted for some reason. His reaction was somewhat spontaneous.
Luckily, Rashid wasn't the type to push and ask questions. "Good!" He clapped heartily. "So how goes the rehabilitation?"
Nori winced at the logical follow-up question. Even Rashid, with all his airheadedness, would be able to see through that reflexive movement. He gave an honest answer. "Well, I've made good progress on Pawniard. I haven't started on the new one yet."
"I cannot blame you, friend." Rashid patted him on the back. He was privy to Nori's phobia despite not knowing the context. And if that was not a factor, even he would realize how screwy this was. "It is good you are fine because of it. I am hoping it stays that way."
"I'm not confident. Oh!" Speaking of which, he had an idea! "Rashid, would you mind if I used your phone internet for a bit later on?"
Nori owned a laptop, which had been a birthday gift from Volkner back in July. He didn't have any sort of internet, so at home, he could only use it for writing articles and playing some card or logic games. But his neighbor had shown him a trick that let him get internet from a phone. A hotspot?
Rashid rubbed his ragged black hair. He considered the question for far longer than Nori was expecting. "Well, okay," he conceded. "But it must be quick. I have limits on data."
"I'll just need to check my email," he assured. The site wasn't that big. He would prefer to check it from the comfort of home, or as close to it as he could get, rather than going to a public place.
"Oh, that is easy then." Rashid stood tall, proud to be of help to his famous friend. "Would you like to check now?"
"Later on," he said, waving off the offer. He had a plan for today, one he had been thinking about all night, and he didn't want to be tripped up by anything there. "I have to feed my Pokemon now." It would be a good chance to brief the two on the situation as well.
Pachi already knew about Qwilfish, so there was no need to have him out for this. The squirrel was eating in the trailer anyway. It helped that he ate with his hands, so there wasn't much of a mess to clean up. But the Demon was more sloppy and there was no way Nori would let Pawniard out inside. For all the progress he had made, he was not that confident the bladed Pokemon would cooperate.
The Demon Nidorina, as she used to be called and what Nori effectively adopted as her nickname, was a huge specimen. On top of that, her spines were more pronounced, her teal body was muscular, and she even had a prominent horn when most of her species wouldn't even have a little one. By contrast, Pawniard was more average, aside from a chip in his horn. The red-and-black Pokemon almost always wore either a psychotic grin or an arrogant smirk, but it wasn't uncommon for him to have a plain cold expression. Which is what he had upon emerging.
The Nidorina took a step away from her comrade and turned her nose up at him. Pawniard only chuckled and rolled a blade. Both had been infamous for their violence as a wild Pokemon and willful helper to a serial killer respectively, but their personalities and how far they would go set them apart.
"Well, we have a new teammate," he said to the two.
Both turned to him with interest. Pawniard had a sick grin plastered on his face, whereas the Demon stood more neutrally.
"I can't introduce you now, though. But she's a Qwilfish who…" His throat dried up. "Probably accidentally killed a celebrity."
Pawniard reacted by cackling and clanging his blades together in applause. It didn't completely surprise Nori. What did was the Demon's response. He was expecting her not to do much but give stoic acknowledgment, so it was disconcerting when she squinted and gave an aghast bark.
"She's not like Pawniard here!" he sputtered in a desperate bid to clarify. The last thing he needed was having his Pokemon to turn against her. "She got abandoned in Johto and's really scared!"
That got the Demon to tentatively ease up, but she muttered something while rolling her eyes and stamping a paw. Pawniard, however, huffed and shook his head while scraping his nails against the dirt.
"Just don't scare her if and when you meet her, okay?" he requested of the two.
The Nidorina nodded and said something that was probably "yes," before shooting a glare at Pawniard. With a chuckle, he half-turned away and flippantly waved at her. He then winked at Nori and added something more that made the Demon growl.
Well, he wasn't planning on it, the latter especially, but it seemed they both agreed for the most part? "Anyway, time for breakfast." He picked up the feed bag and poured some out for the Demon, then Pawniard. He also set out some nuts and lettuce; the red and black Pokemon wasted no time gobbling up the latter.
As he watched them eat, Rashid walked over. "So, how will you go from here?"
He glanced at his older friend, somewhat surprised he was taking an interest. "Well, Maylene has one of those little portable pools. I was thinking of borrowing it so Qwilfish has something to sit in." He could handle that much. As long as he stood far enough back.
Rashid rolled an ankle and looked away. Nori turned around, only for Rashid to speak up. "Why do you not use the bathtub?"
Nori's eyebrows lightly raised. He hadn't thought of that! And that could work. It still wouldn't be a lot, and it'd be way more convenient than trying to find their pool, dragging it out, and filling it up. Plus, it'd be way more private!
"That…" He spun back, at a loss for words. How did he not think of something so simple?! Sure, he didn't have a bathtub in his trailer, but still! Maylene's place should! He slapped both sides of his face. He needed to focus here! "Yeah, that's easier. Ugh, why didn't I think of that?! Thanks, man."
Rashid made a goofy salute. "I am glad to help you!"
He nodded and smiled. Help. Nori knew he was going to need as much help as he could get for this one. So he'd take it from any source. He turned to see that the Demon had already finished eating. Pawniard looked over and shook his head while enjoying the rest of his meal.
Nori laughed a little. Food was food to the Demon, and she was often quick to finish so that she could get into training. "Well, we can get a bit of practice in. How's that thing coming along?"
She answered by shrouding her front claws in a ghastly black aura. She swiped one and then the other, maintaining the typed effect for a few seconds after.
"A new move?" asked Rashid.
"An old one," he said. "Just different." She'd always known Shadow Claw since he caught her, but they'd been practicing to make it even better. She might not have had much move variety for her level of strength, but the Demon was very good at using the eight or nine moves she did regularly use.
"Well, I have to get back inside. Good luck today, my friend." Rashid clapped him on the shoulders.
"Thanks, Rashid. I'll be by tonight or tomorrow for the email thing." He nodded and saw his friend off before turning back to the Demon with a hand on his hip. "Okay, once Pawniard's done, we'll run a bit around the trailer park before I leave to do that thing."
The Demon stretched in anticipation and looked over at the Dark and Steel Pokemon. Pawniard visibly slowed down as her gaze fell upon him. He methodically pierced a kibble with his claws, traced it around his mouth, and flicked his tongue out to take a lick. She barked in annoyance, to which he shrugged and popped it in his mouth, chewing loudly with his mouth open.
The thought of just going despite Pawniard not being finished eating occurred, but Pachi would want to join in too. And he wasn't about to leave Pawniard unattended under the watch of just Pachi or his mom. So he just patted the teal beast.
"Don't let him get to you." She huffed, but continued to shoot daggers at the Pokemon which once belonged to a serial killer. Pawniard snickered at her and continued to eat slowly. "And don't waste too much time," he mediated. There were limits. With a calm response, a nod, and a wave of his claws, Pawniard resumed eating at a normal pace. That made the Demon roll her eyes. She pointed, Nori gave a thumbs up, and she went off on her own. He trusted her, and he'd get his exercise later.
He watched her disappear around the bend. It was a good thing he wasn't being graded on how well Pawniard got along with his other Pokemon, because they both hated him for different reasons. Though today was mostly going to be about his new assignment. How would his other Pokemon take to Qwilfish? And what would Qwilfish herself think of them once they finally got a chance to talk?
It was a nice cool day. Pachi liked those. When it was too hot, he sometimes wished he could shed his fur. But it was nice. The sun wasn't even in the sky.
When he heard they were running, he went out as fast as he could! It was good not just for training speed, but practicing moving quick too. The crimson blade didn't join them, which didn't rustle his tail at all. So Nori had to stay and keep watch. It was just him and his friend, two Akeresa having fun! Well, her friend was actually growling and grumbling. Not really having fun.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong, Demon?" he asked her.
Her harsh eyes glared at him for a fleeting second, but she kept her eyes on what was forward. "That epafasu pisses me off," she explained. Demon spoke in a rough voice, but also a strong and regal one. It was strange comparing the two! They didn't have a word, but people did. What was it, Jukatopes? "Don't like calling things rekuradh, but that's a damn rekuradh."
"A what?" There were words in their languages that couldn't be easily translated.
"rekuradh," she repeated. Hey, fun little fact! Capitalization was important! Lack thereof was too!
"Rrr-ekk-uhr-add." He sounded the word out. "What's that? And what epafasu?" He didn't see any animals around here that could be annoying her.
"Your species is from land, don't you know anything?!" she snapped. "Didn't your friends or family teach you the language before you got yourself caught by some greedy manh?"
"I was born from an egg in the Sunyshore Gym and raised there!" he bragged, trying not to puff out his chest too much because they were still running. "It's the first I'm hearing that term!"
"I should've known from your verb order." Pachi whined a bit, but mostly teasingly. Saying things like 'Nori loves us!' was accepted, even if the standard way was literally 'Nori us loves!' Demon explained, "It's a term of familiarity that means one who is not welcome. And I mean that Pawniard thing!"
"Ohhhh. I learned a new word!" He liked learning new words, no matter what language they came from! "And I agree. He's mean!" He wouldn't go as far to call him epafasu though! That was too rude!
"He's a psychopath." Demon was always super blunt. "He'd fakynota things for the fun of it."
"vv-ack-ein-oht-ah? What's THAT?" That's two words he didn't recognize just now!
Demon was much less belligerent about explaining this one. In fact, she was a little angry. "The act of killing slowly and painfully. Often used as punishment for bad rekuradh no less."
"That's awful!" he cried. Who would do that?!
"The wild life can be hellish, Fenadh." Pachi smiled a little on hearing that word. Not a friend, but the next best thing. It was nice to hear her openly say that to him. "Maybe you're lucky you didn't have to experience it."
Pachi asked, "Did something happen to you?"
"You're nosy." She growled. Pachi always wondered about his friend. She had to have a big history before she became the Demon, right? But she wasn't willing to talk about it. Instead, she changed the subject. "Carino's got a new Akeresa."
Pachi smiled that she called him that instead of leader or something. It was a start! Now she just needed to call him Nori! "Yes, I met her. She seems okay."
Demon stopped so suddenly that Pachi almost crashed into a green metal cylinder while trying to react and stop too. "What?" Her tone was deadpan. "Are you sure your head's okay?"
"It's true!" Pachi insisted, clapping his paws. "She's a spiny sphere, they called her a Qwilfish. But she's very scared. Her trainer abandoned her, and she accidentally killed a famous manh." That was all he got from their meeting and overhearing Nori and Prema. She was mostly screaming and wheezing when they met, and he couldn't understand any of her words.
"Well, it better be a damn accident!" Demon loved to fight, but she hated murderers who do it on purpose. And well, a lot of other stuff. But she had a big problem with it for some reason.
"It's true! It's true!" He did a little dance. Nori repeated things for emphasis a lot! He could too!
Demon's eyes rotated. "I'll see for myself." After a second, she stomped a paw. "And thought of something."
"What did you think of?" he asked, swishing his tail.
"Carino fears water. Those spiny spheres are aquatic." As expected from Demon, she knew what species he was talking about! "That's a problem if she isn't used to being out of it."
Pachi knew that. But he'd come to change his mind after some thinking! "I'm sure he can handle it! He's Nori! He can do anything!" He did get that crimson blade Pawniard thing a little under control! When he met that mean Akeresa, Pachi thought he was a goner for sure! He was still mean, and he still killed and hurt stuff, but he wasn't hurting them. Physically, at least.
The big spiked beast turned her snout up. "If you're trying to cheer me up with your naive optimism, it isn't working."
"But we gotta believe in and help and support Nori! He's our friend! You agree, right, friend?" He leaned in. "Fffffffriend?" Demon called her friend at least once before! He wanted to hear it again!
She shoved him away with a paw. "Not saying it, you rodent."
"Hee hee!" It was funny just how she could be sometimes. Didn't they have a word in another human language for that too? Sundery? Anyway, he clapped his paws. "But if he needs help, we should help!"
"Already said I would. Now shut up and run." She crouched and started running again without waiting.
Pachi was right behind her, using some of his super speed burst (Nori just called it Agility) to keep up and do some tricks. That was a nice talk. He hoped he cheered her up a little talking about stuff! It did for him, too! They were gonna do this!
Louis knocked at the door of his girlfriend's apartment. It opened after five seconds. She must have been waiting.
"Glad you're here," Mariko said. "We need to talk about Carino."
Louis nodded as he stepped inside. Her parents were thankfully tolerant of their activism, so they could openly discuss it. "Yes, I've heard the news about his new Pokemon."
"I think now's going to be the best time to take action," she said as they went to the living room. "Since you know as well as me that people are going to want to fight him."
Louis did not answer straight away. He considered it as he sat down. "Yes, you're right," he admitted. "We'll have to pay him a visit soon. And the sooner, the better."
"Talking like me now," Mariko snorted.
"As you are thinking like me." He had to resist a quick kiss on the cheek because of her parents. Not because they did not accept it, but Mariko reserved intimacy for when they were alone. With that, they began discussing possible avenues of attack.