A mournful sigh escaped the mouth of Prema Kannagi as she stepped back from the waterfront. She had fulfilled her duties, as painful as they were. Tasks of this kind often were, but today was particularly awful. To her left, Shu floated solemnly. She turned to her right, facing a crimson-haired woman who was holding an umbrella for her.

"Maiden Kaede, I believe it is time we depart," she said.

Kaede Minmei had been one of three who had accompanied her to Shiroisuna Beach. She was a trained ninja who often watched over her or her father from afar, but was no stranger to being out in the open. In a way, she said that was even more threatening to potential danger. A warning in plain sight. The woman gave a solemn nod as she adjusted her violet raincoat. "Yeah, let's get outta here," she mumbled. "Hopefully those two have cooled off by now."

The trio began walking back to Maiden Kaede's red sedan. As they did so, a pair of fishermen came hustling over to the docks. The duo paused in their tracks and observed them for three seconds before hurrying to meet their friend. Their conversation reached the ears of Prema.

"You talk to her, Brett?" asked one of men.

"A bit, yeah."

"What's Lady Kannagi here for?" the other inquired.

The fisherman known as Brett paused before giving his answer. "It was about the dead Qwilfish."


Prema Kannagi was at a loss for words over the atrocity she had witnessed.

She was sitting in the passenger seat of Maiden Kaede's car. She had returned Shu to his Poke Ball out of respect for the other occupants. Part of Prema's duties as a diviner was to monitor and mediate incidents between humanity and Pokemon; her role was not just that of a religious leader. There had been reports of people abusing wild Qwilfish around the region. She had gone to investigate on behalf of the Kannagi Shrine, escorted by Maiden Kaede and two Acolytes. In addition to finding some washed ashore, that fisherman had recounted hooking the remains of one the other day. It had infuriated the Acolytes enough that they had to step away while Prema administered their last rites.

The future head priestess had known what to expect from her briefing, but to see it for herself horrified her in more ways than one. Her fists clenched lightly as she recalled the grisly sight. How could people do such terrible things to innocent Pokemon? Those Qwilfish had done nothing wrong, and it was inexcusable behavior besides. Prema was praying that the authorities found whoever was responsible and punished them to the fullest extent of the law.

A low warble grew from behind her grew into a frustrated wail. Acolyte Warren's crimson eyes were alight. He adjusted his disheveled blond locks behind his ears. "As of today, my faith in humanity has dwindled a little more."

Acolyte Yoshiro, a short and unassuming man with light brown hair and blue eyes, placed his hands together. "I apologize again for having to step away, Lady Kannagi. It made me want to puke." His hands folded outward and covered his face. "I…might've actually done so. It just disgusted me that much."

Prema nodded at him. It disgusted them all. Warren gave his fellow Acolyte a pat on the back. "Excuse me for a moment here," he said, punching a meaty fist into his palm. "Who the FUCK in their right mind goes around fucking killing innocent Pokemon?"

"Agreed," Maiden Kaede chimed in. "It's not like they're the ones who did anything."

An uncomfortable silence drew over the four of them. There was an unfortunate implication in that statement. That was why Prema would never put it that way. She frowned at the redheaded woman.

"Uh, sorry," the ninja woman apologized, rubbing the nape of her neck with one hand while keeping the other on the wheel. "Just slipped out."

"No need to apologize over a fact," Acolyte Warren growled. Prema gasped, but before she could say anything, Acolyte Yoshiro spoke up.

"Yeah, it's that one Qwilfish with the Demon Tamer who did in the Krookodile Tracker."

"Why the hell did the Officials let them go, anyway? What braindead reason did they have?"

"Who knows? But if anything, those people should be taking it out on the one that did him in."

"Hell, they literally could. They're right here in Veilstone!"

"Wouldn't be surprised if it happens."

"My kid said someone challenged him, and damn if they don't deserve it."

"Acolyte Yoshiro. Acolyte Warren." Prema called their names with such intensity that she even startled herself. Prema turned back to look at them. The two men straightened immediately and snapped to attention. Her explanation was no less firm. "We should not be looking for who or what to blame. Nor should we be persecuting the one responsible for this accident. She does not deserve that, and furthermore, that is not what the Kannagi Shrine represents. We are in the position to make a difference, and we should be doing so by speaking out against the atrocity we witnessed today. Protecting Pokemon is one of our many duties."

Maiden Kaede's mouth fell into an O-shape. They were at a red light, so she was able to turn her head toward Prema and flash a grin and a raised thumb. Prema nodded in return. She continued to eyeball the men in the back seat for their response. One of them lowered his head.

"I…understand," Acolyte Yoshiro replied, hanging his head low. "Pray, forgive me, Lady Kannagi."

But Acolyte Warren met her gaze with a curled lip. "Naïveté," he snorted, flying into an impassioned rant. "One thing is clear, that Qwilfish killed Pete Stephens. She could've swam away, she could've given him a sign to back away, but no. She attacked a human without so much as a warning! A human who was posing no threat! That much is fact! Who knows what else she'll kill? Is stopping a killer not protecting other Pokemon? In fact?" He leaned in with a tooth-filled sneer. The man lowly said, "I bet you're just blinded because of Nori Carino."

Prema was so stunned at his discourteous words that she was left speechless. No one had spoken to her like this before, not even her religious rivals. She was uncertain how to react.

"H-hey!" The other man tried to grab at him.

"Acolyte Warren!" Kaede scolded, tightly gripping the wheel.

But he continued on. "It is my understanding that the Kannagi faith stands for the connection between humanity and Pokemon. Just as there are humans who do not respect the bond between our species, there are Pokemon who do not. And Pokemon know better. They can sense our intentions. Only a monster would attack someone like Pete Stephens. And only an idiot would try to help her! If you care about that Pokemon Rehabilitator, you should stop him before–"

With every sentence he spoke, her muscles clenched and her throat tightened further. She was tempted to cut him off. Maiden Kaede did before anyone else could. "Hold it," she sternly spoke up. "You raise some reasonable points, Acolyte Warren. I actually agree with some of them myself. But you are acting out of line by making this personal."

"Agreed," Prema swiftly added, speaking as evenly as she could. "That is enough."

Warren looked to the two of them. "Fine," he conceded, leaning back. "But I'm not changing my mind about this. And you know damn well that Master Haruto thinks the same way."

Prema only shook her head at him before sitting forward. If Acolyte Warren had not already spoiled his chances of advancement in the shrine, that last comment was the end of it as far as she was concerned.

Maiden Kaede leaned over as they came to another red light. She whispered, "Hate to say it, but he's right about that." Prema eyed her warily. On what points did she agree with Acolyte Warren? "I'm just going to say this objectively, but your friend's in a bad spot right now. Not gonna be the last time, either. What if he has to rehabilitate something real nasty?"

Prema felt a shiver rush down her spine. That above all was what she dreaded the most. It was not a possibility but a near inevitability that there would come a time when one of Nori's assignments would cause a rift between them. She was uncertain how or what, only that the time would come via statistical averages. When it did, she could only pray their friendship did not change. That is, if it survived this incident. She did not think her father would hold enough of a grudge to permanently forbid his presence at the shrine. On the other hand, there was a lot she was learning about her father that surprised her. Priestess Satomi had advised her to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

"I understand that, Maiden Kaede," Prema made clear. She would deal with those fears when and if they came to pass. "However, I feel that this particular Pokemon is not one to protest." As far as she saw it, too many were judging the Pokemon before meeting her.

Kaede shrugged. "Your dad might think otherwise," she mumbled.

Again, it was like taking a blow to the face. That was the most difficult part about this. There was a possibility her father would not want to see Nori any longer. And then what? Prema only had two true human friends: Nori Carino and Nariya Yaznik. Both were people she could trust and confide in, who would undoubtedly almost always be there for her. However, Nariya's parents prevented them from associating after she got hurt trying to protect her from a phantom Pokemon. From the lack of response to Father reaching out to them, it appeared she might not ever see Nariya again. And if Father maintained his opinion…

Prema shook her head at herself. She was not about to stand around like a Slowpoke. Even disregarding Nori, Father's opinion on Qwilfish was just as wrong as Acolytes Yoshiro and Warren. She knew it, Priestess Satomi knew it, and others surely did as well. Prema admitted she had a lot to learn about the workings of the Kannagi Shrine, yet she knew for certain that unjustly condemning a Pokemon was not what they stood for.

"We all settled down now?" Maiden Kaede asked.

"Yes," Prema answered, which was echoed by Acolyte Yoshiro. Acolyte Warren foldsed his arms and looked out the window. He grumbled and nodded.

"All right. Let's head back."

A well of air rose up in her lungs. There was a report to deliver to Father about the excursion. That was the time to talk to him about her concerns.


Maiden Kaede parked her vehicle in a lot near the base of the shrine. After making the climb up the hill and returning to the grounds, Prema hardened her resolve. She greeted the individuals who were outside waiting to welcome her back, purified herself at the chōzu-ya, and after saying hello to Acolyte Jirou who was standing guard, stepped into the building. She went straight to see her father.

His office was formerly one of the soundproof studios in the old radio station. It was a place where the head of the shrine could do paperwork, hold private conversations, or just have time to himself. In the days since the passing of Pete Stephens, he had been spending most of his time locked in there. Though he was not closing himself off, he admitted that it was partially a matter of needing time to grieve and not wanting their followers to see him openly do so.

Prema knocked politely. A response came immediately from the other side. "Who is it?" The words were both sharp and terse.

"It is I, Father," she replied, undaunted by his tone. "May I enter?"

He grunted. It took three seconds for him to confirm, "Yes, you may."

Prema reached out, twisted the knob, and pulled it open. As she stepped inside, she felt her legs lock up as she caught sight of the man at the desk near the back of the room.

Had she not heard his voice and known that no one else was in the room, Prema would not have believed the man slumped there was her father. The Master of the shrine was in the violet jinbei he usually wore to bed instead of his robes. He was tightly gripping the handle of a white mug, arm shaking from the tension inside. He typically combed back his receding dark hair to give himself a professional appearance. Ungroomed as it was, it stuck out wildly like the hair of a wild Furfrou. It was his eyes that unsettled her the most. They were the same aqua color as hers, yet his were puffy and lifeless. The skin beneath each was swollen and red, likely from wiping them so much.

Quickly realizing that the door was still open, Prema whirled around. No one had come by to see this, nor had she heard anything. She swiftly gripped the door handle, shut it tight, and locked it behind her.

"Father, are you all right?" she asked while approaching the desk. She leaned over it slightly.

"For now," came his reply as he gradually sat upright. He did not snivel, but Prema was certain he had been crying. This was hitting him far harder than she imagined.

No matter. She would stay the course, starting with the business she needed to attend to. "I am here to deliver my report."

Haruto Kannagi gestured with his wrist as if to say, 'Go on.' It was something he often did, which was why Prema instantly noticed how listless it was.

For now, she went on as instructed. "The reports we heard about Qwilfish abuse were entirely true. We went to Shiroisuna Beach, where we found some washed ashore." Her voice unintentionally raised in pitch and fervor as she explained. Prema took a moment to hold her chest and compose herself before continuing. "I spoke with a fisherman, who did not witness anything, but he recounted a story from a day ago of hooking the remains of one. Including that, there were five in total, and undoubtedly more unaccounted for." Her own shoulders slumped. She shut her eyes and folded her hands, solemnly sighing. "All I was able to do was give them their last rites."

"Hm."

Her arms and legs quivered and her pulse intensified. There was no way around it, this angered her. Prema stated what she felt went without saying, in a stern tone. "As I see it, we cannot allow this to continue. It would be for the best if we put out a statement condemning this behavior."

Father nodded robotically. "Let's just hope this is the last of it."

That was all he said. It caused her to take pause and purse her lips. Usually, she would expect her father to say they would need to put out a statement on the matter. Even among those who were not exclusive practitioners of their faith, people respected their family as some of the first to make bonds with Legendary Pokemon. He did not directly deny her request, yet not accepting it outright may have just as well been that. Was he too out of it, or did he not wish to? Either way, it was not a good sign for his current state of mind.

She allowed a light exhale to escape her lips before she went on. "As for our prospects," Prema began. Her father was looking away, off in his thoughts. Prema did not doubt he was listening, so she went on. "Acolyte Warren's behavior was unacceptable. He feels as strongly about this situation as you, but his personal insults toward myself prove that he is not responsible or respectful enough for a higher position. He may not even be worthy of being an Acolyte."

He nodded. "Okay."

"I will leave the final decision in the hands of you and Maiden Kaede." It was not her decision to make. It was clear enough by her words that were it the case, she would have removed him from his position already. If he did not respect her now, he would not when she was Master. "She did well, as did Acolyte Yoshiro, who also lashed out initially yet contained himself."

"Fine." Her father groaned a little. He leaned back in his seat, looked up, and let his arms dangle slack. He muttered something unintelligible before peering at her and asking, "Is that all?"

There was a part of Prema that wanted to leave him be. But she knew that leaving the situation as it stood was not acceptable. It was part of what she wanted to address anyway, and she was not about to back down from that.

"No, there is one other issue I wanted to speak to you about," she said. The man at the desk made a long and slow blink. "Father, I believe we should make clear up matters regarding the Qwilfish–"

It was like a jolt of electricity shot through him. He had been slowly sinking into his chair during their conversation, and in a second he was sitting fully upright. "I do not want to talk about that," he snapped, loud and powerful. "The only thing I know is that Pokemon took one of my best friends from me." He scrunched up. "I cannot…" He trailed off.

Prema leveled with him, maintaining a neutral expression. "I am also speaking of the species in general. We cannot abide by what I saw today. And with all due respect, Father, I believe your friendship with Mr. Stephens is serving to cloud your judgment on the Qwilfish responsible."

It was the obvious thing that needed to be said. He did not respond as expected. Instead, he tilted his head and curled his lip.

"You cannot say that you do not have a stake in this either, Prema," were his cold words.

She froze up. It was one thing for Acolyte Warren to say it. It was another for Father to do so. That was a fact. Her friend had ended up involved through some cruel twist of fate. Prema did not want this to be the end of their friendship. But even if that was not the case, Father would still be in this state. No, her personal feelings meant nothing.

Strength returned to her limbs, more of it than ever. She stood tall and spoke on. "Nori has bearing, yet that does not matter. While it is true that I wish to maintain my friendship with him, this is more about preventing you from straying from the right path. In that sense, I would have a stake in this regardless." Her father did not waver, aside from his eyes looking away very briefly. A point conceded. "From what little I was able to witness, this Qwilfish acted not out of malice but fear."

Her father narrowed his gaze. "When did you?" he demanded. "How long did you see it for? Under what circumstances did you see them?"

It. That is what be called her for a moment before catching himself. He really thought that ill of her. The shrine normally used singular them when a Pokemon's gender was unknown, reserving it informally for those without any biological anatomy.

Prema shook her head to dispel the shock. She spoke clearly and concisely. "The meeting took place on Friday in the trail behind the shrine. Nori wanted my opinion on her before the news broke. He had to swiftly recall her when she began to lash out at our Pokemon. I suspect it was out of panic due to not being in water. H–"

Her father interrupted. "Then at best, it was rendered inaccurate due to the circumstances. At worst, it is indicative that this Qwilfish will act this way under any scenario in which she feels fear. I'm sorry, but I cannot accept your judgment."

But that was…! She could not even finish the thought! A dryness formed in her throat. "Father, I–"

He cut her off. "Moreover, there will still be those who say you are doing this for Nori Carino, regardless of what you say your motivations are. It will not be a good look for you or the shrine. I ask that you drop this subject moving forward."

Prema could only nod and lower her head. It was not what she wanted to hear. A point she could not dispute and a request to not speak of it. Despite what Father wished, there would be no avoiding this. She folded her hands. There was no choice but to respect his request. "Then I will only say one more thing."

His face contorted at once. "I said…!" he snapped and raised a hand as if to slam it on his desk. Then his eyes widened and he locked up. He shook his head, more at himself than anything. "No," he rasped, lowering his head. "I apologize. Not now. It can be difficult to separate opinion from fact when the matter is personal."

Prema hummed quietly. Some, but not all the weight lifted from her. Father was not too out of it. The thing was not about Qwilfish, but she did not want to test her luck. Instead, she patiently waited for him.

Haruto Kannagi sighed heavily, wiping his brow with a handkerchief he retrieved from within his desk. "I can only pray our followers can understand how I feel."

It was a difficult emotion that Prema herself was all too aware of. The public expected so much of her own behavior. It was only natural that Father would have it much worse. He was better at conducting himself to where it was second nature. Yet everyone had their limits. There were often times when Father or Priestess Satomi would have to comfort and ease her own concerns. Now it appeared that it was her turn to do the same. But what could she do?

One thing came to mind. It was strange on paper, yet she could not deny its effectiveness on her. They would speak the first part of one of their faith's sayings. It helped her, so would it help Father? She took a deep breath and said the first relevant quote that came to mind.

"The Great Mesprit has given us both positive and negative emotions." She looked, no. Rather, her eyes locked upon her father, pleading with him to finish the rest, or at least respond.

Her father did, non-verbally at first. He pushed himself upright and stared at her with raised eyebrows. He let out a weak and high-pitched cackle. "In the end, the good must be taken with the bad," he resumed near the end. "That is what gives us life."

Prema smiled at him, feeling a sudden lightness. At least he was not so lost that he did not understand. Adversity bred a drive to overcome and improve oneself. This was an ordeal to surpass. She could only pray to the gods that Father could come out of it stronger than before.

Although he slumped into his seat, there was a faint beam on his lips and proud glint in his eyes. "You may go," he said, gesturing to the door.

It was like having a heavy bag strapped to her shoulders. He still wanted to avoid talking about the real problem at hand. It was true that sometimes one could never get over grief. But…

Prema exhaled shakily. She would respect his wishes. Furthermore, she did not wish to risk pushing further and undoing what she had accomplished. She hung her head low and started to drag out of the room. As she was reaching for the door handle, her father called out to her.

"Prema."

She shifted to face him. "Yes, Father?"

He gave a subtle nod of approval. "Thank you for this chat," he said with sincerity.

Prema sniveled a little, but kept her tears to herself. "You are welcome." She bowed respectfully before leaving.

As soon as she was out the door and was certain no one was in the hallway, she let it out. She slumped so much she ended up sitting down with her head lowered. How could one feel so accomplished and yet so useless? That she got through even a little was something, yet how much was it really? Seeing Father like this felt was like she herself was being pierced by a Qwilfish's needles. It hurt that bad.

Prema stewed for what felt like an hour, reflecting on the situation. What could she have done differently? How could she move forward from this? How could the shrine move forward?

"Aw, why the long face, Lady Kannagi?"

Prema looked up to see an elderly woman in casual attire: a black leather jacket with a Raitora on the back and black leather pants to go with it. The tips of her hair were soaked; she was likely riding her motorcycle in the rain.

She quickly stood. "Priestess Satomi!" she said, bowing lightly. "Forgive my unseemly behavior. I simply needed a moment to myself."

"No worries, it's been rough for us all." Satomi was her closest confidante, not factoring in her two friends. Her advice was always sage. However, Satomi was not going to be with her when the time came for Prema to become Master. "So, how'd it go at the beach?"

"The reports were true," Prema said simply.

Satomi did not waver. "Thought they might've been," she lamented.

"I just finished speaking with Father about it. I also…" The future head of the shrine paused. "…wanted to talk to him about how he has been feeling."

Satomi's eyes widened and lit up. "You spoke up to him?" she asked, leaning in slightly.

It was a gesture of marvel, yet Prema could not help but falter beneath her gaze. She turned away and lowered her head.

Her mentor's hand clasped around her shoulder. "Didn't go well?"

"He did not want to speak on the issue," she spoke quietly. They were just a few steps outside his door. His office was a soundproofed room, but there was no telling if he was overhearing them through the door. "He thanked me for talking with him, but cut me off at a point."

It was not like Father to behave that way. Even Priestess Satomi blinked when she mentioned that part. She mumbled something under her breath, but motioned for Prema to continue speaking.

"It is especially disconcerting because there are others who share his sentiment, including in the shrine itself. Acolyte Warren is one, and went as far as insulting me over it. We should be taking a firm stance against what is happening. It is not right to cast blame in this fashion, particularly onto a Pokemon that does not deserve it." She was before then the only one who was privy to her meeting with Nori. Unlike Father, Priestess Satomi took her word.

"It be that way sometimes." Priestess Satomi threw up her arms with irreverence. "But don't worry, I'm sure you helped Master Haruto a bit. Just going to take a lot more than just one pep talk to get him out of the dumps!"

Her stomach churned. She groaned lightly. What would it take then to bring Father out of this? And what about those Pokemon that had lost their lives?

"How did your little adventure go?"

Prema stared up at her. "It was horrible. We must do something before more Qwilfish get hurt. But Father did not want to address that, either."

Satomi shook her head and moved towards the door. Her furrowed brow and lowered gaze said more than any words could. "Well, sorry to cut this short. I have a report of my own to deliver to the Master. Just get some rest for now, Lady Kannagi. I'll talk to you more after if you need to."

Whatever it was, it was evident that there was nothing more she could do for now. "Yes, that would be advisable. If I may ask, what did you go out today for?"

"It concerns the source of all our troubles lately! I'll let you know the details after." She stood tall and knocked with the end of her fist. "Master Haruto, I'm back from my little tête-à-tête!"

Prema left the elderly woman to her duties. It sounded like she had gone and met with Nori. It was sensible. Someone had to tell him he was currently not welcome on the grounds of the shrine. Her stomach was still churning about that. Yet it sounded like there was more to it than just passing a message along. Prema was not going to dwell too hard. She would find out in time.