Mornings at the Kannagi Shrine were fairly routine, a fact that did not change after they opened the branch shrine in Veilstone City. The residents who woke up the earliest would tend to the gardens and do any cleaning before visitors arrived. Those who worked but did not live there arrived and started their own duties after doing so. The day and night guards switched positions. Breakfast would be waiting for them and was available to whoever wanted it. They delivered some of it to local food banks. Leftover portions were given to the public.
It was uncommon, but not unusual, to deliver food to someone personally, and that was exactly what Prema found herself doing just after eight. She walked with poise through the hall to her father's office, carrying a tray with both hands. She stopped before the door and, as she was unable to knock, instead called to him.
"Father!"
There was no answer. Had he heard her? She counted numbers in her mind to pass the seconds. Ro~ku. Shi~chi. Ha~chi. When she reached fifteen, she spoke again.
"Father, I have brought you breakfast. It is admittedly not much; only tamagoyaki with rice porridge." Prema was somewhat embarrassed to admit that she had helped with the preparations. Yet she did so regardless. "I assisted with it."
She was again met with only silence. The Master of the Shrine had confined himself in his office for the past two days. It was not implausible that he had left overnight. But then, would Monk Naito not have reported seeing him? Father did not own a Pokemon capable of teleportation. Prema raised her voice, not shouting, but speaking as loud as she could.
"Father? Are you there?" Her heartbeat began to accelerate and her limbs tightened. Was he well?
"Sorry, I'm not hungry," he finally and immediately answered. It was like the tension had been cut with a blade, yet it also released a weight onto her back. His voice was low and droning. It did not sound as if he had slept much. However, he had made his position clear.
"I see. Then, I apologize for bothering you."
Prema squeezed her dampening eyes shut. She took a deep breath and emptied her mind in attempt to will them away. She did not want to be seen looking so lost. The heir to the shrine suppressed her feelings and departed.
The expectation from everyone was that Father would slowly improve. That had not been the case; he had been getting worse. Was this their fault? Were they not doing enough to help support him? Father was demanding his space and they had to respect that. So what could they do? Prema felt as though she was in a box with no escape. No matter how many walks she went on or how much meditation she did to clear her mind, it always came back around to this harsh reality.
There was one room in the shrine that still had the same use it did back when the building was the site of a radio station: a meeting room. The door had been left slightly ajar for her. She pulled it open with a foot and closed it behind her with an elbow. There was one other occupant within. Priestess Satomi turned to her as she shuffled in.
"Lady Kannagi?" Her eyes immediately went to the tray. She snorted and squinted harshly enough that Prema momentarily paused. "Did you actually try and deliver the food?" she demanded. Her tone shifted partway through the sentence, from contemptuous to disappointed and curious.
Prema placed the tray at the edge of the table before moving to take a seat across from Priestess Satomi. "No, Father simply declined. He stated he was not hungry." She began to dip her head.
The elderly woman scoffed and waved a hand. "My ass he isn't." Prema recoiled at Priestess Satomi's use of foul language. She did not swear often, and was always deathly serious whenever she did. "He needs to eat. You should have insisted he at least take the food for later."
That was a point that she had to disagree on. Prema shook her head firmly. "It might have been too disrespectful had I insisted."
"No one would have blamed you if you had," the elderly priestess replied, crossing her arms. "Respecting someone's wishes is all well and good, but if what they're doing isn't healthy for them, well. Sometimes the best thing to do is jump in and be a bit pushy."
Prema frowned in reply. It was not in her nature to act in that fashion. Even if she had, Father might have only taken the food to appease her. There was no guarantee that he would have eaten it after she had left. Father needed to eat, yes, but they could not force him.
Priestess Satomi's mouth contorted until it was as crooked as a hook. "But I suppose it's too late," she declared, throwing up her arms and shaking her head. "I'll take it over in a bit. Heh, good thing this is a cold breakfast, eh?"
Prema let out a long and low exhale. She hunched her shoulders and averted eye contact. She opened her mouth only to waver. The truth was, there was nothing she could say to dissuade the priestess. She could only concede, "Very well."
The heir to the shrine laid her head on the table, wanting to do nothing more than vent her frustrations. It felt like her throat was closing and her stomach was digesting itself. In the back of her mind, she knew that this was for the best. They had to try something different. If only there was more she could do.
The good news had been scarce lately. The Officials, governments, and Pete Stephen's own people had put out statements condemning the attacks on Sinnohian Qwilfish. It was a small thing off her mind to know others were doing that. Prema only wished they could have as well. She knew enough about maintaining a public image that staying silent was not a good look. Even the Mitsutris, their religious rivals, had spoken briefly on the matter. Yet even that fact was not enough to galvanize Father.
"Can I ask you a question or two, Lady Kannagi?" Prema looked up. Priestess Satomi was looking over, her lips pursed and her eyebrows drawn together. "It's important for the future of the shrine."
Dread gripped Prema's heart, slowing it. A question about the future of the shrine? Had she concluded that this incident was going to consume Father entirely? Prema braced herself. Her hands trembled from the chill running through them.
Satomi continued after a few seconds. "I'll take your silence to mean you have no objections with this. If you had to choose between your family and your friends, what would you pick?"
A hypothetical question? Prema sat up. "That is a simple question to answer," she plainly replied. "I cannot abdicate my duty. Unfortunate though it may be, should an irreconcilable divide arise between my faith and my friends, the answer is set." Saying that made her press her hands to her stomach to contain the knot that formed. It did not change facts.
"You say that. But!" Priestess Satomi snapped her fingers and raised one to the roof. "What of your own feelings? What if the shrine would do just fine without the Kannagis?"
Her toes curled. What was this about? Prema frowned and cast a glare at the elderly woman. "Are you insinuating something, Priestess Satomi?"
"Nothing in particular." Priestess Satomi flashed a smirk and tossed her head. Why was she acting so arrogant?!
"What is the purpose of this question then, might I ask?" She tapped a finger on the desk.
"Lady Kannagi." The elderly woman's expression suddenly changed. She wrinkled her nose. After a second, she leaned forward and leveled at her. "There is nothing wrong with thinking for yourself. There are times when what you want to do – or even what you must do – is not what others expect from you. And other times?" She paused and let out a little sigh. "The right thing to do isn't going to make people happy."
She had thus far stated two things. That the shrine would do just fine without the Kannagis. Now she was saying to think for one's own self and do something that might not make others happy. The conclusion made Prema shrink away. She gagged before she managed to lean forward and snap, "Priestess Satomi, are you suggesting I leave the shrine?"
"Nothing of the sort, Lady Kannagi. But I do have to say." Her eyes went down for a moment before she gave a frank look. "These kinds of outbursts are not like you."
Prema's mouth fell open. She leaned back into the chair. That was pure disgust and anger she was feeling for a moment there. Why was she jumping to those conclusions? Priestess Satomi had never wanted anything but the best for her and the shrine. Satomi Kurusu had been with it since birth, and so would not seek to tear it down. How could she think otherwise?
"Yes, you are right. I apologize. I cannot do so enough." With a sniff, she stood to bow heavily and formally. When Prema sat down again, she clutched at herself and lightly curled up. It was just the two of them in here, so she allowed her insecurities out. "I suppose the stress of the situation is getting to me, too."
"It's getting to all of us." Priestess Satomi rose, walked around the table, and gently patted her on the back. Prema sighed, leaning into it gently. "Gotta admit, I've been running on 'help everyone else' energy for a while now myself."
Prema had that impression. It was uncharacteristic of her elderly mentor to snap and act as bitterly as she did when hearing that Father was not hungry. Even some of their Pokemon were starting to feel it. All of them wanted to help Father, but what could they do?
Satomi took the seat to her right. The elderly woman only smiled at her. Prema nodded, yet something kept gnawing at her mind. She turned her head and asked, "Might I ask what you truly meant by considering my own personal feelings?"
"Yes, let me be more clear." Satomi cleared her throat and began to explain what she had been trying subtly to get at. "One thing you'll have to keep in mind when you become Master: the Kannagi Shrine has always been about breaking new ground and paving new paths. You could say that we evolve just like Pokemon! Your father is one of the Masters who chose to make a difference by branching out into the world, even if it meant alienating traditionalists who wanted the shrine to remain exclusively in Celestic Town. As you know, it has proven to be successful. So do not be afraid to forge your own way forward. And I do not only mean when the time comes for you to take over. I am speaking of the present."
"The present?" Prema repeated after Satomi remained silent for a couple seconds.
"And not just breakfast!" She raised her head and cackled. Prema smiled a little as well. There was certainly more to the question than what was immediately in front of them. "It is an example, of course. It might not make him happy at first, but he would understand in time. But there's much more at stake than this."
More at stake? Wait! Prema felt a jolt run through her spine, straightening her posture. "Priestess Satomi. Are you saying I should defy Father's wishes and do what I can about this situation?"
"Ding-ding-ding!" she declared, miming the ringing of a bell. "You needn't go out of your way, of course. But if and when the opportunity presents itself, yes. You know as well as I do that Qwilfish is a good Pokemon caught in a bad spot."
"And it is the duty of the Kannagis to aid such Pokemon." That was a fact. She knew that fact from the very beginning. It did not matter what that Qwilfish had done or how she had affected them personally. It was the duty of the Kannagis to help a Pokemon in need.
"And hey, he might not need anything more than moral support, but you never know. Just be there for him." Satomi shrugged. "Besides, what else are friends for?"
She nodded. For a moment, she wondered how she could even do so when Father had given his edict on the matter. It would be difficult to sneak away to help. Then she thought about it some more. Be there for him. Priestess Satomi was telling her that Nori was going to come by at some point regardless of what he was told. That made sense. Particularly given the new concerns about the nature of his profession.
Still, that would not change their situation. Prema wanted nothing more than to help Nori and save his Qwilfish even before Priestess Satomi had given her the blessing to go through with it. "But the more pressing concern at the moment is the future of our shrine," she stated. "If Father is unable to perform his duties, then I…" She would have to–
That would make her by far the youngest Master in the history of the shrine. If it was even permissible; she had not even undertaken the Rite yet, so there was also a question of worthiness.
"That won't happen," Satomi cut in with cold and steely determination. "We will make sure he comes out the other side of this."
Prema placed a hand on her temple to contain the sudden headache. The teenager hummed. She was sure that was a sentiment shared by everyone else in the shrine. She held an elbow and covered her mouth, shaking her head. But what if it all went wrong? What if they somehow made things worse?
"I can tell you are conflicted, Lady Kannagi," Satomi said, gently patting her back. "But let me boil it down for you. That's the source of Master Haruto's grief. He wants to blame something for what happened to his friend."
It was like everything fell into place at that. Prema had an inkling it was something like that. But the notion seemed absurd, that Father would allow personal feelings to cloud his judgment so badly. Hearing Priestess Satomi say it let her accept that conclusion. "People often try to," she stated. Father was logically no different. "He needs closure to move beyond this."
"Exactly. So helping the situation along will help him too."
By helping to save Nori's Qwilfish, she would also be saving Father. Would that work? Prema was sure that no matter what happened, Father would be able to move on. He was strong. The best-case scenario would be if Nori were to succeed on his own. But Prema was still concerned he would not be able to overcome his fear. Whenever she thought about that, her heart tightened. It took effort to care for an aquatic Pokemon. If he could not care for Qwilfish, that would severely impede his ability to rehabilitate her.
Priestess Satomi remained quiet, smiling as Prema processed the matter. The elderly woman eventually stood and picked up the tray. "Well, in any case, you should follow your heart here. It's what your mom would want."
"Mother?" she slowly asked. Lisa Kannagi. Prema had never known her mother personally. She had only seen pictures; Mother was an archaeologist who had a radiant smile, a tall and fit figure, and the same forest green hair color as hers. Everyone who knew her spoke highly of her; Priestess Satomi had gone as far as saying that Father was never the same after her disappearance. Someone who acted upon what her heart told her.
"It's the code she lived by." Priestess Satomi flashed a wink and turned to leave. "I'll leave you with that while I take this over to Master Haruto."
Prema looked up at the ceiling after the door shut. Was Mother watching over her from wherever she was? She could not feel anything. Prema sat back and thought for what felt like hours. Maybe this was one of those situations where there was no right answer.
For some reason, her thoughts drifted to something that initially seemed strange and unrelated. Her absent friend Nariya had once told her something in June, shortly after they had properly met. She had been dissatisfied with Youths Against Mistaken Society for a long time. Yet she never had the courage to step forward and make a change in her life. She was worried that things would only get worse if she chose to do so. It was only when Prema had confronted them and intervened that she found the strength of heart to step forward and get out of the situation. If she had not done so, Nariya might still be with Louis Trussel and Mariko Urusai, being dragged along with their toxic schemes, without the will to escape.
Change was difficult. It could be daunting to go from the certainty of what you know into the unknown, particularly when that could be worse. And yet staying in a bad situation was not the right answer. A case in point, Nariya had decided to try to become more involved in the shrine. It had backfired in a way that they might never see each other again. But there was a saying that Priestess Satomi had told her after the incident. If you want to capture a joey, you must face a Kangaskhan. There was still hope for them, and hope here.
Would Father be angry if she defied his orders? Most likely yes. But she would not know unless she tried. He was reasonable. Maybe he would understand in time. Mother would want her to follow her heart. And her heart was telling her…