Nori waved to the two people standing in front of the doors into the Kannagi Shrine. Maiden Kaede gave a friendly wave back. Acolyte Jirou crossed his arms and harrumphed.
"Hey, I'm here to see Prema," he said.
"She's right in the back waiting," Kaede told him, pointing over her shoulder with a thumb.
"Thanks," he said. Then he turned to the man who had really helped make the difference. "And thank you for helping me see her on Friday, Mr. Jinnai."
"It wasn't for you. I was only doing my duty," he sharply stated. From how he crossed his arms and glared, he wasn't being tsun about it. He hated those types.
"And you did a good job!" Ms. Minmei flashed two thumbs up. "You didn't let your bias get in the way. The Master knows that."
He nodded to the acolyte. Who might be promoted to Monk soon, by the sound of it. "Yeah, and I really appreciate it."
"Go see Lady Kannagi already. She's waiting." The man waved him off.
Nori just laughed to himself. It was still a mystery to him why Mr. Jinnai didn't like him. It felt petty. But from that, Nori knew he could count on the guy to do the right thing.
True to his word, Nori came by to visit on Sunday afternoon. As she had promised, Prema prepared tea for him. It was a simple herbal blend, yet there were moments where simplicity was the best option. This was one of them.
"So everything's good with your dad?" he asked after finishing his drink. They had been avoiding the subject prior, only talking about how they had been in the past two days.
"As far as I am aware," Prema said. Father was still spending much of his time alone, yet was social when anyone spoke. "What of Qwilfish? Have you heard news from the Officials yet?"
He leaned back and held himself up with his hands. "Just before I came here, actually. She's rehabilitated." Her friend glanced up. "Not that she needed to be," he remarked under his breath.
She thought it was inevitable from the reaction the audience had given him. "Well done," she congratulated him with a smile.
"The gamble worked." Nori sighed and fell onto his back. He stared blankly into the sky. "And all it took was embarrassing myself in front of hundreds of people."
Prema was surprised. She thought that would not be a problem for him. She knew what to say to console him regardless. "It speaks to your character that you were willing to do so. I am certain that there are many who will come to understand that." As for those who did not, he would put it more succinctly than she would: they were not worth his time.
That all told, there was a difference between rehabilitating a Pokemon and truly connecting with one. As much as Friday highlighted why Qwilfish was indeed good at heart, it also served as a reminder of the main problem that she and her trainer faced.
"With that in mind, you have only taken the first step. Do you have any plans on how to move forward?" She had full confidence that he did.
Nori sat up, placed his hands on his knees, and opened his mouth. It took a few seconds for him to begin speaking. "I had one thing in mind. But I don't know…" He shook his head and looked down.
"If you need advice or a second opinion, then I am listening."
Aside from squeezing his leg and squinting, Nori had no reaction to her offer. He sat there with a frown, uncertain of speaking his mind. It was a little jarring.
Prema wasn't sure why. But she reached over and grazed his shoulder with a hand. As he turned to face her, she gave him a bright beam. "If there is anything more I can do to help you, do not hesitate to ask me. I am in your debt, Nori. So long as it is a reasonable request, I will do my best to fulfill it."
He swallowed. "Okay. I don't know if this is reasonable, but…" His hand slipped into his pocket. When it came out, he was holding a light blue Dive Ball. Then he held it out. "Here. Take her."
A tingling sensation ran through her very core. Her heart pounded. "You are asking me to…" Her voice left her as her mouth hung agape. That explained why he was uncertain about saying it!
"I know, I know!" he yelped. He pulled the capsule back and held it tight. "It's asking a lot. But I honestly don't think I'm going to be able to give her the care she deserves. You…" After a moment to pause, he squinted and forcefully shook his head. "I know you saw how I do around water. I don't want to force her or myself to adapt. It doesn't feel right. Especially since it could take forever. And especially when I get more Pokemon I need to rehabilitate."
With a heavy sigh, he looked up at her with a quivering lip. There was an emptiness in his soft red eyes. "I'd rather she go with someone she's met instead of another stranger. I know you'll take good care of her. And she likes you just from that one meeting. It's way more than she thinks of me."
He clutched at himself for a second, yet sat up straighter and started speaking with faux confidence. "I have already filed the necessary paperwork for a transfer of Pokemon ownership. The Officials allowed it now that I've rehabilitated her. You will simply need to take her to the nearest…any Pokemon Center or similar facility to get it electronically confirmed." Nori reflexively made to hand her the capsule, only to drop his arm after a fraction of a second. He squeezed the sphere. "If that's okay, that is. If it isn't…" He looked down and sighed. "That's okay too."
Prema listened intently, though still in shock. Judging by his movements and tone, it had not been an easy decision for him to make. She knew why. He was not asking her to help, but to take over. The more she heard, the more it confirmed that Nori was not giving up on Qwilfish impulsively. He was all but saying he felt he could not continue. It was a lot to ask, perhaps more than was reasonable. Particularly given Father. There was only one thing to do. It was her duty as a Priestess of the Kannagi clan to help any trainer or Pokemon in need. And it was her duty as a friend as well.
"It takes a lot of courage to admit when you are unable to care for a Pokemon, Nori." There were many trainers out there who did not understand that, and he came to that conclusion by himself. "I understand what you wish for her and fully support it. I will take care of her."
Nori gasped. His eyes widened as he processed what she had said. His legs trembled as he hyperventilated. Finally, he gave a huge smile. "Th-thank you, Prema!"
He offered the Dive Ball once more, and Prema graciously accepted. The green-haired teenager gave it a solemn look. She always had a way with Pokemon, so she had no personal experience to draw on when it came to not getting along with one. Only stories from visitors looking for guidance. Prema had always encouraged those individuals to try understanding one another. So this was not one, but two firsts: a case where they could not, and the first Pokemon she was given to care for in their stead. She did not even think about motivating Nori to keep trying. Maybe it was the trust they shared. Nori was almost surely selling his ability to connect with Pokemon short.
In the end, though? If he was not yet ready to look after something aquatic, there was nothing more to it.
"And again, I'm sorry to push this on you," he said with a vague bow of his head which was closer to hanging it with shame. "I know in one sense, you're the last person I should be asking."
"But I am also the only person you could ask," she finished the thought for him, smiling comfortingly. She was sure of his motivations now. Part of it was being certain that she was well looked after; what better way than to give her to someone he knew? "Do not worry, Nori. I understand your position, as well as the responsibility and risks I am taking on. However, with regard to your primary concern, I believe it is unfounded."
"Yeah, well." Nori rubbed the nape of his neck and glanced over in the general direction of the shrine. "Priestess Satomi just ran off with a horrified look."
Prema blinked. Priestess Satomi was eavesdropping? And she was shocked? Was she aware of something that they were not?
Haruto rolled his head in the direction of the door. The hollow knocking continued. Now that he was fully awake, it was evident what it was. He rose from his futon as Priestess Satomi called to him with a frantic alarm that he had remembered hearing maybe twice before in his whole forty-four-year-old life.
"Master Haruto Kannagi? Are you awake?"
He calmly walked to his bedroom door, unlocked it, and opened it. "I am now," he said to the elderly woman, whose silvery-green eyes were wide with horror. Her arms and legs were taut. "Is there something troubling you?" he asked, somewhat rhetorically.
"Sorry to disturb you." She paused, then bowed belatedly. "We have a situation on our hands."
"Oh?" he vocalized with a smile. He was uncertain why he felt compelled to smile. Perhaps it was the dream. Pete's visit had put him at peace. And that was causing him to immediately see the logical fallacy of her coming here. "It can't be too big of an issue if you had time to come get me instead of dealing with it."
"It was nothing that required my immediate intervention, but this is an issue that will need to be addressed imminently," she explained. After a moment to compose herself, she said, "The Demon Tamer asked Lady Kannagi to look after that Qwilfish. And she accepted! It is close to legally being her Pokemon!"
Nori Carino was giving the Qwilfish to Prema? Haruto smirked. Then he burst into laughter.
Priestess Satomi took a step back. "Master Haruto?" she asked, tentatively pulling away.
"I see. So that's what he meant," he mused. The best eyes watching over her. Haruto had to agree. Prema had been going above and beyond for that Pokemon. Nori Carino had certainly seen that as well. He must have done so out of an honest doubt of being able to continue taking care of her. Haruto was certain his daughter would indeed give her the best care possible.
"What who meant?" Satomi asked. It was a very reasonable question.
Haruto simply waved it off. "Don't worry about it too much for now." She would understand the situation if he explained it to her, but it would take too much time. From how tense she remained and the dark look on her face, there was still more on her mind.
"But Master Haruto," she indeed protested. "You do know that this might lead to negative press for the shrine."
"I am well aware of that, Satomi." He had thought about both the good and the bad from the very beginning. He used the latter as an excuse due to his bias. The time had come to rectify that mistake. "It is no matter. If there are those who take issue with Prema taking care of a Pokemon in need, then they are not welcome here. It is not what the Kannagi Shrine stands for. And not what any good person should be saying. We will make the public know that."
The elderly woman placed a hand over her chest. She turned away and exhaled sharply. "Okay," she rasped.
Haruto tilted his head at her. "Did you think I would not like this?" he teased.
Again, the mouth of hismentor fell agape. "Master Haruto Kannagi, are you sure you are feeling okay?" she asked once she recovered from the shock.
"I could not be better. An old friend paid me a visit," he vaguely explained.
She subtly nodded, though it was unclear if she understood completely. "I did not think you would approve of her having the Qwilfish that caused you grief. She's going to be around here on a regular basis."
Haruto crossed his arms. He got where Satomi was coming from. "I am in no position to criticize her decision, for multiple reasons. She was the one standing up for that Pokemon while I was closing myself off. With that being said, I will speak to her and make sure she understands the gravity of this, though I suspect she already does."
Prema would need to know that there would be those who would disapprove. It was something Satomi herself made clear to him when he made the choice to open this branch shrine. Damned if she wasn't right. That was the other reason why Haruto felt he had no right to criticize his daughter's decision. But Haruto did not regret it for a moment.
"Gods. Heh." Satomi chuckled nervously, once more clutching at her chest. "My heart almost stopped when I heard them talking about this."
Haruto only laughed. Of all the things. He had only seen Priestess Satomi that stunned twice before. Considering that those two incidents were the takeover of the Silph Building by a criminal organization and Prema nearly dying, that was saying something about what she thought of this.
"It is good that you came to see me," he changed the subject. It would do her good to get off of it. "I have preparations of my own to make. A speech about this Qwilfish. Would you be willing to help me?"
The elderly woman gave a swift nod. "But of course, Master Haruto."
Well, it did not matter. Prema had already committed to this, and had no regrets. "We will see what comes of it."
Nori flicked backward with a measure of surprise. "I wasn't expecting you to take a devil-may-care attitude here," he remarked with a toothy grin.
"A devil?" she asked, pulling back involuntarily. Prema was aware that she may be seen as flippant, yet was this truly that improper?
"Carefree, in other words," he clarified. "It's good to see you like that."
So it was only a colloquialism. She relaxed. "It is more that I am prepared to accept any consequences. This is something I must do, and I believe that Father will understand that. More than anything…" Prema paused for a moment, suspecting this part was part of what made her appear carefree. "I am prepared for things to return to normal."
"I know, me too. Me too." He nodded at her. "And they will."
They silently smiled at each other. This incident had nearly torn them apart, yet it had ultimately brought them closer together. Nori had done well in getting this lost Qwilfish as far as he had. Now, Prema was prepared to take her the rest of the way and give her a new place to belong.