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“I’m you, and you’re me.”
Yosuke has no idea what to expect when he accepts his Shadow. He was hesitant to do so at all, really, but Yu and his weird chimeric creature that appeared out of nowhere—Izanagi, Yu called it—had fought so hard for him, and even that dumb bear. If he failed now, Yosuke would just feel like the shittiest guy ever, even worse than he already did.
This TV World stuff with Shadows is already bonkers. Literally anything could happen. And yet, when Yosuke’s Shadow fades and leaves behind a ball-shaped, blue tadpole-looking thing with big wet eyes and a swirl on its belly, he finds himself lost for words. This is the culmination of his messy self-acceptance?
He’s about to ask what is this? before he feels something stir within his soul. Yosuke realizes he already knows this creature’s—no, Pokémon’s—name. This is Jiraiya.
Awestruck, Yosuke slowly approaches Jiraiya, kneeling down and scooping it off of the dirty pavement. It, he, is squirmy and slimy and frankly difficult to hold, but Yosuke holds Jiraiya close to his chest anyway.
”Wow, a poliwag!” Teddie exclaims, peering over Yosuke’s shoulder, nearly knocking them both down in the process. “Whew, I’m glad I recognize this one… If all of you got Pokémon that I had no clue about, I’d feel beary unhelpful!”
“Eh? What?” Yosuke holds Jiraiya away from Teddie’s waving grabby-hands, scrunching his nose. “Do you not know what Yu’s is?”
Teddie gives up on Jiraiya, shaking his head and drooping. “Nope, no clue!”
”…it’s Type: Null,” Yu finally pipes up, quiet as ever. Both Yosuke and Teddie turn to stare confusedly. “Izanagi is a Pokémon called Type: Null.”
The creature in question, despite its mismatching limbs, managed to be quite stealthy. Yosuke didn’t notice Izanagi approaching until he was already eye-to-eye with and peering at Jiraiya. The poliwag makes pleased little burbles.
“Heh, looks like they’re getting along,” Yosuke comments with a grin, glancing back at Yu. “Wonder what that says about us, Partner?”
“I don’t know. But I do believe that Jiraiya’s your other self. He’s so friend-shaped, after all,” Yu deadpans.
Yosuke stammers, face reddening while Jiraiya bounces gleefully. “Y-you can’t just say that!”
“You sure? I just did.”
Yosuke sighs, sure that he can see Yu smirking behind his collar. “I really can’t tell if you’re serious, man…”
Teddie is snickering, Yu is impossible, and Yosuke can feel his shirt soaking through.
And yet, he hasn’t felt so whole in a long time.
. . .
When they climb out of the TV and Jiraiya is still in his arms, Yosuke has already resigned himself to having a pet frog now. Well, if that pet frog was actually a magical creature born of his freed repressed emotions.
Whatever. Still a frog.
“Guess I need to get a tank or terrarium or something,” Yosuke groans. “Damn it, I don’t know anything about frogs! At least we’re already at Junes to get something.”
“Paludarium would be best, since Jiraiya seems semi-aquatic,” Yu suggests, as if a paludarium is a completely normal thing to know the word for. “As for food… pretty simple, I think. Algae and soft greens until he starts growing legs, then transition to a carnivorous diet like insects and worms.”
Yosuke squints. “How do you—whatever, I believe you. I think we probably have all that in the pet aisle. I’ll look some stuff up on frog care later. What’re you gonna do for Izanagi? Can he even eat with that mask thing on?”
Yu crouches down to stare Izanagi in the eyes for more than a few seconds, as if telepathetically communicating. Hell, maybe they are, Yosuke thinks. They’re certainly weird enough to.
Finally, Yu stands back up, tilting his head towards the infants’ aisle. “Neither of us have any idea what he can eat, so we’ve gotta experiment.”
“Ooookay, then. You two have fun with that,” Yosuke chuckles nervously. “I’m off to get a palo… palu… the thing! Guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Yu nods. He’s not terribly expressive, but there’s a subtle light in his eyes that wasn’t there earlier. “Yeah. See you then.”
Yosuke goes home with a few bags of tadpole algae, a tank, and enough stuff to fully outfit a paludarium. And, of course, a poliwag.
He has no idea how he’s going to explain this to his parents.
. . .
Turns out, Yosuke had barely any issues convincing his parents to let him keep his two-foot-tall tadpole. They saw that he had already bought food and shelter, and merely emphasized that it would all be Yosuke’s responsibility to handle.
It’s well into the night by the time everything is set up. Yosuke takes a step back to admire his handiwork, whistling a sliding note in approval. Pretty good for a rush-job by a novice. The water is flowing properly, the paludarium containing plenty of decorations and options for froggy enrichment.
“Hey, Jiraiya,” Yosuke calls to his Pokémon. “I’m done. Come take a peek, will you?”
When there’s no response, he turns around to find Jiraiya asleep, snug on Yosuke’s own pillow. He makes a face.
“Buddy, that’s where I sleep, ‘kay? I’ve got a nice place all ready for you here. You’re gonna dry out if you don’t get in somewhere wetter,” he points out.
Jiraiya either doesn’t hear Yosuke in his slumber or is simply ignoring him. Yosuke huffs and scoops the poliwag up, depositing him into the paludarium. Jiraiya looks thoroughly displeased and mildly offended for a moment, before realizing that Yosuke actually did a decent job. The poliwag makes himself at home, wiggling into a half-underwater position to go back to sleep.
“There you go,” Yosuke smiles at the sight. “Now we’re all good.”
—————
Things happen quickly after that, Yosuke caught up in the rush of combat and rescues. More and more of his friends face their Shadows and find their Pokémon along with them.
He first learns that Yu can gain more Pokémon than the rest of them. Yu doesn’t seem quite sure himself about the reason why, just something about a “Wildcard” and a “Velvet Room.” Nevertheless, he befriends creatures big and small throughout the dungeons, though he only seems to be able to handle six at once on his team.
Yosuke has no idea how Yu fits them all in the Dojima residence, but Yu assures him that only Izanagi comes back home usually. The others stay with the “attendants,” whoever those are. And even when they don’t, Nanako loves them, and they love Nanako. Yosuke would think that’s obvious—who couldn’t love that kid?
When Chie faces her Shadow, she gets her Pokémon partner. Thanks to that, Yosuke thinks it’s a pretty safe bet that accepting your Shadow is how finding your Pokémon usually happens. Yu is just weird in that regard. Typical.
Chie’s partner ended up being some sort of bipedal mustelid that Teddie identified as something called a mienfoo, and which Chie claimed the name as Tomoe. Yosuke could immediately see the resemblance between them, truly halves of the same whole.
They instantly became sparring partners, constantly honing each others’ skills and growing stronger together. Plus, they indulged in feasts of meat and protein together afterwards—too often on Yosuke’s dime from a lost bet or two.
Tomoe seemed warier and more introverted than Chie, head slightly cooler, and occasionally had to draw Chie back from a risky brawl. Yosuke’s just glad that being Chie’s impulse control is no longer his sole responsibility.
Practically confirming Yosuke’s theory was how Yukiko met her Pokémon partner once her Shadow was defeated and accepted. Sakuya appeared as a too-large white larva with fiery red spines circling her head. Uncaring of the radiating heat, Yukiko cooed and scooped up the Pokémon, which a bright-eyed Teddie called a larvesta.
Sakuya had a surprising amount of elegance for a bug, skittering around with grace. She even managed to find ways to help around the Amagi Inn, relighting fires and repairing torn cloth.
Just like Yukiko, Sakuya had a hidden tricksy side. The larvesta had taken to jumping out and scaring others, particularly Yosuke, then looking quite pleased with herself as Yukiko lost herself in a fit of giggles. Yosuke could do without that part.
Kanji’s scraggy is a perfect match for him, even if the boy was terrified of what would show up after he accepted his Shadow. Luckily, instead of something disturbing like what he was expecting, Take-Mikazuchi showed up with his own set of nerves.
Both of them looked intimidating, with the demeanor of hoodlums and delinquents, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yosuke had already figured out that Kanji’s a genuinely good guy, and Take-Mikazuchi seemed much the same, always pitching in whenever any of the other Pokémon were struggling during a fight, then bashfully accepting the following praise.
The cherry on top for Kanji was that Take-Mikazuchi had just as much appreciation for high-quality fabrics as he did, especially for pants. Kanji taught his Pokémon a few basic stitches, and before long, the scraggy was happily sewing alongside his partner.
Yu and Yosuke’s scrappy duo was quickly evolving into a capable Investigation Team, effectively rescuing those thrown into the TV and helping them accept themselves to find their Pokémon partners. As the appointed team leader, Yu seemed pleased at the progress, and Yosuke as his right-hand felt a sort of pride for their developing motley crew.
But as Yosuke watched everyone meet their own fantastical partners and grow stronger, something began to simmer.
—————
The headphones on his ears play a study playlist while Yosuke works on his math homework, fiddling with and spinning around his pencil more than getting any actual work done. He subconsciously taps his foot along with the beat, pursing his lips in focus. He thinks he’s getting somewhere when he feels a cold tap on his leg.
Yosuke glances over to see Jiraiya looking up expectantly at him, eyes wide in hope. He wants attention, probably. Well, he has to get it from somewhere, Yosuke thinks ruefully.
“Sorry, Jiraiya. Got some work to be doing,” Yosuke gently nudges the poliwag away before returning to his homework, turning the music up slightly.
Less than a minute passes before Yosuke feels another nudge. He frowns, barely glancing towards his Pokémon. “Really, not now. You want me to fail math?”
Jiraiya lets out a sad bubbling noise before hopping off again. Yosuke sighs, gripping his pencil tighter. Just gotta get this done.
He groans in frustration when he feels another tap, swiveling in his chair to glare daggers at Jiraiya. “Will you just stop it??” Yosuke shouts, fists clenched.
The poliwag tries to get out some sort of apology, eyes somehow growing even shinier and wetter. For some reason, that’s what makes Yosuke snap, even if it seems cruel. He groans and stands up, kicking away his chair as he looms over Jiraiya.
“I’ve just about had it with you!” Yosuke shoves his headphones down to his neck, teeth bared. “All you do out here is bother me! And even in the TV World, everyone else has these crazy cool and powerful partners, and you’re just a damn frog! Hell, you’re worse—I’ve seen Yu with something called a ‘froakie,’ and it’s just like you, except better!” he hisses with venom he barely knew he had.
“Y’know, at this rate, you’re gonna be replaced! I’m gonna be replaced! You just leech off of me like you never stopped being a Shadow! I wish you were anyone else!”
Yosuke’s yelling has left him panting and almost shaky. His cheeks are hot and probably red, and at some point, a tear leaked from his eye.
Jiraiya doesn’t make any more sound, shrunken in on himself and trembling. He just looks up at Yosuke, wide-eyed and silently crying, little pink mouth quivering.
Yosuke’s stupid brain finally catches up with his words, and he suddenly feels the weight of what he said hitting him like a tidal wave, practically knocking the air out of his lungs. He laughs mirthlessly, putting a hand on his forehead, fingers running through his dyed hair.
“Holy shit,” he whispers, dumbfounded at his own malice. “I’m so awful. I’m actually the worst. What the hell is wrong with me?”
He collapses to the ground, bracing himself with his hands. “I—Jiraiya, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said any of that. You didn’t deserve that.”
Yosuke desperately wants to say that he didn’t mean any of that, but… he did. He did, because he was yelling at his own other self that just so happens to have taken the physical form of an innocent little tadpole.
“It’s not your fault I’m such a mess, Jiraiya,” he sucks in a breath through his teeth, feeling his eyes burn. “It’s just mine. Conscious, me-me, not other self-me, which is you. This whole thing is confusing, huh?”
He didn’t have the courage to keep his eyes on the poliwag, so when Yosuke is almost knocked down by Jiraiya leaping into his arms, he startles.
Yosuke smiles shakily, rubbing Jiraiya’s back. “I’m sorry, Jiraiya. You’re the best partner I could ask for. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
As Yosuke embraces his Pokémon, burying his face in Jiraiya’s damp skin, a bright white light shines through his eyelids. Yosuke opens his eyes, confused, only to see Jiraiya emitting that light, before becoming enveloped by it.
The Pokémon proceeds to rapidly shift, legs extending and tail shrinking, arms sprouting from his sides. Once the transformation halts, the light fades, and left in front of Yosuke is a changed Jiraiya. He’s still clearly the same creature at heart, just grown a bit, plus with arms now.
Yosuke stares wide-eyed at Jiraiya, mouth slightly agape. “Jiraiya? What just happened?”
Jiraiya makes a noncommittal sort of noise, but seems ecstatic. His voice is deeper now.
“Right. Weird Pokémon thing, probably. Wow, okay,” Yosuke scans his partner, taking in all the changes. “Guess we’re gonna have to move to that hybrid diet now. And hope you still fit in your tank.”
He takes another moment to process what just happened and admire Jiraiya’s new form before remembering that, oh yeah, he has no idea what the hell just happened. Teddie would probably know, but Yosuke isn’t about to hop into the TV at ten at night, so he calls up the next best person he can think of. Luckily, Yu picks up almost immediately.
“Heyyy, Partner,” Yosuke starts, unsure of how to put this. “So, Jiraiya just started glowing and transformed into a bigger version of himself with punchy arms now. Any idea what that was about?”
“Yes. It’s called evolution, even though it’s more like metamorphosis. It’s how Pokémon mature and grow stronger. Poliwag evolves into poliwhirl, so that’s what Jiraiya is now. Poliwhirl can evolve one more time after that,” Yu calmly answers.
Yosuke looks at Jiraiya, squinting. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Thanks for the info. See you tomorrow.”
“Good night, Yosuke.”
The call ends and Yosuke flips the cell phone shut. “Evolution, huh? You’re pretty amazing, Jiraiya.”
Jiraiya places his new hands on his hips, puffing his chest out with pride.
“I’ll do better from now on, I promise,” Yosuke swears, crouching down to the poliwhirl’s level, meeting eye-to-eye. “We’re in this together.”
Yosuke lets Jiraiya sleep in his bed that night, the math homework forgotten.
. . .
The next day, when the Investigation Team meets up in the TV World for training, Jiraiya is the center of attention, and Yosuke along with him. Kanji admires Jiraiya’s new boxing glove-like hands, Yukiko squeals over the hypnotic belly pattern which Chie briefly falls victim to, and Teddie appreciates Jiraiya’s newfound height while complaining about his own, all while Yu watches with a smile.
“Yosuke, this is so cool! Jiraiya can actually punch now! How’d this even happen?” Chie asks once she’s snapped out of the hypnotism.
“Yu called it evolution. Guess we’re the first to experience it, huh?” Yosuke smirks.
Teddie nods. “Yup, that’s right! Even if I’m beary surprised that Yosuke’s Pokémon evolved first!”
“Gh—dumb bear! What the hell do you mean by that?” Yosuke demands with a huff as Teddie blinks innocently.
“I’m not surprised, personally,” Yu chimes in with that monotone voice of his. “But we should probably get moving if we want to get any training in.”
Yosuke flashes a smile at Yu. “Yeah, we should. Jiraiya and I’ll show you how much stronger we’ve gotten!”
Jiraiya excels as they run through Yukiko’s castle, just as they had hoped. Yosuke himself is also on the top of his game, moves agile and knifework impeccable. A spark of confidence has been lit in their hearts, bright against the blizzard.
Almost as if emboldened by Jiraiya, Izanagi fights fiercely, too. But he also starts trying to eat Shadow goop, so maybe that’s not such a good thing.
“What’s gotten into him?” Yosuke asks as Yu drags Izanagi away from the remains of the defeated Shadow.
Yu shrugs. “We’re still trying to figure out what he can eat.”
Yosuke just sighs. “If he’s anything like you, then he can eat anything.”
They go home feeling exhausted but accomplished. And Yosuke finally gets that damn math homework done.
—————
When Rise finally accepts her Shadow, Yosuke is thoroughly relieved. Jiraiya’s boost in power certainly helped navigating through the dungeon, but it wasn’t enough to ease the strenuous nature of combat and sleuthing.
Yosuke can’t help but think that Rise’s Pokémon was somehow more clothed than her Shadow. A small humanoid with a green bowlcut, red horns, and a white dress-like lower half, which Teddie softly identifies as a ralts.
Rise calls her Himiko, who then proceeds to hide behind Rise’s legs, a shyness that wildly contrasts with the Shadow she just was. Even with that, there is a clear calm intelligence to Himiko that Yosuke thinks the team is sorely in need of—especially when a giant freaky Teddie shows up for another big fight.
Teddie’s Shadow is terrifying and ominous and not at all like the foes the Investigation Team has faced before, but they scrape by with Rise and Himiko’s help. Yosuke quickly adapts to the feeling of someone else’s voice in his head through telepathy, though it definitely caught him off guard the first few times.
Although despondent, Teddie still works up the courage to accept himself, emboldened by the rest of the Investigation Team, which finally puts the gauntlet to rest. A small brown teddy bear-like Pokémon with a crescent moon on his forehead appears, large eyes blinking up at Teddie, who shrieks joyously at the sight.
“My own Pokémon… and he’s a teddiursa! A bear, just like me!” Teddie picks up the Pokémon, hugging him to his chest, spinning around. “Oh, Kintoki, you’re absolutely bearfect!”
Yosuke thinks that Kintoki will be good for Teddie. He’ll have to learn how to care for something even smaller and younger than himself. Teddie could definitely use the dose of maturity involved with becoming a caretaker.
Himiko and Rise turn out to be good for each other, too. Rise helps Himiko get out of her shell a little bit, learning a love for the stage, while Himiko acts as a grounding for her partner when the idol gets a bit ahead of herself. Yosuke never noticed it before, but seeing Himiko really made him see that Rise, even without her Pokémon, had quite a keen, analytical eye. He supposes you can never judge a book by its cover.
The team is really filling out. A navigator is a huge help, even just during training, and Yu leads them all with a quiet, calculated grace. It feels like they’re ready for almost anything. The Investigation Team will succeed. And so will Yosuke alongside them.
. . .
Yosuke is lying face-up on the ground next to Yu, bruised and panting and exhausted and feeling so, so free. Yeah, they just beat the shit out of each other, and the grass is honestly really itchy, but Yosuke doesn’t feel anything but a bubbling euphoria and sense of satisfaction.
He doesn’t know how long they lay there side-by-side, staring up at the drifting clouds and blue sky. The breeze rustles the grass around him and tousles his hair. Something about it, the clouds and the wind and the scent of oncoming rain… it calls to him, sings to his soul.
“Hey, Partner,” he finally pipes up. “I think I’m ready to evolve Jiraiya.”
Yu gets up first, sitting cross-legged. Yosuke follows his example as Yu rummages through his bag, previously tossed to the side, abandoned in favor of their impromptu brawl.
Eventually, Yu finds what he’s looking for, pulling out two items. One is a deep blue stone that seems to have bubbles suspended in it, while the other is a craggly, sponge-like rock in the shape of a crown. Yosuke recognizes the first item as a Water Stone, not terribly uncommon loot in the bathhouse dungeon, but he’s never seen the second.
“A Water Stone will evolve Jiraiya into a poliwhirl, while this King’s Rock will evolve Jiraiya into a politoed, with an extra caveat,” Yu explains.
Yosuke hums. He didn’t know that Pokémon could evolve into more than one thing. Or maybe not all of them can? Either way, this isn’t only his decision to be made.
“Jiraiya, c’mere!” He calls to the poliwhirl, who was lounging in the shade after a spar with Izanagi. Jiraiya blinks, at attention, before shuffling over to Yosuke, Izanagi not far behind. The Type: Null discreetly pushes some leaves over a pile of grass he was gnawing at. Yu looks over disapprovingly.
“Alright, buddy. You’ve got two options here,” Yosuke gestures to the two items in Yu’s hands. “Whaddya want?”
Jiraiya scrutinizes each item with stars in his eyes, belly swirling to show his deep pondering. Eventually, he makes his decision, grabbing the King’s Rock and placing it on his head, warbling happily.
Yosuke smiles. “Guess that’s settled, then. So, how does this work, Partner?”
Something almost like nervousness flashes over Yu’s expression before he turns to put away the Water Stone. “That’s the caveat. For some Pokémon to evolve, they need to have a strong bond,” he begins to explain. “But for others, the trainer needs to have that deep, unbreakable trust in someone. Poliwhirl into politoed is an example of that.”
Yosuke just blinks back, raising an eyebrow. “That’s it? Dude, we just had the world’s most emotional fistfight. Of course I trust you. With my life, with my soul, and with Jiraiya.”
Yu’s eyes widen minutely as a bright glow starts to emit from Jiraiya. Having seen this before, Yosuke grins, watching as Jiraiya’s form changes again. The Pokémon’s limbs grow more frog-like as he develops a proper head, a swirl sprouting from the top of his head to match his belly.
The light dims and Yosuke scoops up his evolved partner, laughing. Jiraiya hasn’t grown much taller, but he definitely got a bit heftier, and Yosuke is thankful for all the incidental strength training that fighting in the TV World turned out to be.
“Hey, you’re green and yellow now! Nice!” He thinks to comment, to which Jiraiya affectionately licks his entire face with a massive pink tongue. Yosuke instinctively cringes back, but he powers through, setting Jiraiya down, who proceeds to joyously hop around the grass.
“Congratulations,” Yu offers, standing to the side with an awkwardness that Yosuke hasn’t seen since Yu first arrived in Inaba.
“Thanks, but it wouldn’t have been possible without you. You’ve got my back, and I’ve got yours. That’s how this whole Partners thing works, got it?” Yosuke winks.
Yu smiles, a small, tentative thing. “Alright, Yosuke. I’ve got it.”
—————
Jiraiya being a politoed is a bit of an adjustment. Yosuke has had to do a little workshopping of his paludarium, and though Jiraiya still uses it to keep up the moisture he needs, Yosuke has resigned himself to sharing a bed with his frog more nights than not.
Like Yosuke himself, politoeds also seem to have a penchant for music. This would be great, except for the fact that Jiraiya… can’t sing. Like, really can’t sing. The best that Yosuke can say is that it’s sometimes an effective tactic against Shadows. Jiraiya just seems pleased to have an audience, ignoring the fact that said audience keels over upon hearing his song. Yosuke makes sure his headphones are on during those times.
Even besides his killer song, Jiraiya has proved to be a fighter in the TV World, despite his cute appearances. The politoed can bend the weather to his whim, happily clapping to summon storms and defeat Shadows. It feels great, honestly.
By the time the Investigation Team dives into Kubo’s dungeon, Himiko and Kintoki have evolved into a kirlia and ursaring respectively. Alongside Jiraiya, the three help the group rush through the dungeon, fervently seeking the truth of if Kubo truly was the killer they were searching for all this time. The one who killed Saki.
For better or for worse, Kubo turned out to just be an imposter, only killing Morooka, having no hand in the rest of the supernatural crimes. Kubo seemed to barely understand what was going on, only spiraling deeper into his empty delusions.
Kubo’s Shadow is more annoying than difficult to fight, though Teddie notes that it somewhat resembles a Pokémon called Porygon Z, with the same digital aesthetic and fundamental corruptions.
Yosuke wonders if, in another life, Kubo would have had the strength to face himself and gain a Persona. He wonders if, in another life, Yosuke himself never ended up in the TV World to face his Shadow, and just continued to stew in his boredom and bitterness until it boiled over.
He grimaces, gripping his kunai a little tighter, and throwing himself back into the fray.
The Investigation Team sends Kubo off to the police, and the hunt for the true killer resumes. There is more to find and more to be done.
During that downtime, Tomoe and Sakuya evolve for their first and last times. The mienshao and volcarona are noticeably stronger than their previous forms, tearing through Shadows together with the same synergy that Chie and Yukiko share. They’re catching up in strength to Jiraiya, even.
Once upon a time, Yosuke would have considered this to be a defeat, but now, he has the confidence to accept it as a challenge. He and Jiraiya work just as hard to keep improving because they hold faith that they can.
That friendly competition certainly came in handy for Naoto’s lab. Even with no leads, their training had kept them up to snuff, and they steadily worked through the dungeon.
Almost predictably by now, when Naoto accepts their Shadow, a Pokémon appears in its place. Based on what their Shadow said about their relationship with childhood, maybe Yosuke shouldn’t be so surprised at the sight of a crying blue lizard, but he is anyway. He still has an image of Naoto in his head that’s hard to reconcile with these recent revelations.
“A sobble,” Teddie points out. “They evolve into super-cool spy lizards, so this makes sense for you!”
“Sukuna-Hikona…” Naoto murmurs, crouching down to be closer to the sobble’s height before extending a hand to shake. “I look forward to working with you.”
Sukuna-Hikona bursts into tears and turns invisible.
. . .
Naoto is a little more open after that. Not by much, but it’s a work in progress. Yosuke is sure that Yu’s seen more, like he has with everyone, as well as the other first-years, but that’s none of Yosuke’s business.
Jiraiya gets along well with Sukuna-Hikona, at least. Given their shared natures, it makes sense. Somehow, the sobble even seems to like Jiraiya’s song. Yosuke wishes he could go invisible like Sukuna-Hikona in those moments, and he’s pretty sure Naoto feels the same. At least they can pull down their hat.
Yosuke is glad that Sukuna-Hikona has already evolved into drizzile to match the team’s baseline by the time Nanako is kidnapped, both because the extra strength is sorely needed in that twisted Heaven, and because Yosuke isn’t sure that Yu would have slowed down at all to help Naoto find their footing. Luckily, both Sukuna-Hikona and Naoto are quick to learn and adapt, keeping up with the rest of the determined Investigation Team.
They finally make it to the end of the dungeon, crossing that flowered rope bridge, and coming face-to-face with the killer keeping Nanako captive. Yosuke can feel his blood boiling, and Jiraiya looks angrier than he thought the frog ever could. The sentiment only grows as Namatame rambles some bullshit about “saving” everyone, as if he’s not the one trying to murder everyone.
He can’t take this a second longer. As Namatame starts emitting an unsettling aura, Yosuke and Jiraiya dart forth alongside Kanji and Take-Mikazuchi, striking Namatame and giving Yu and Izanagi a chance to save Nanako.
And then, it happens. Something begins to rise from the dark fog, floating behind Namatame, seeming to flicker in and out of existence. It is pale and jellyfish-like with a star-patterned, semi-translucent bell.
It emits a high-pitched noise before clamping down on Namatame’s head, subsuming him into its gelatinous form. There is a grotesque shift as the creature assimilates Namatame into itself, and Yosuke isn’t sure if the squelching sounds he’s hearing are jelly or flesh and viscera. Whatever the case, the Investigation Team is forced to watch as the unholy fusion stabilizes, the worst combination of man and other. Bloodlust freely radiates off of it.
Yosuke looks to Yu, expecting the first battle command, but the other boy is unexpectedly quiet. As Yosuke looks closer, he sees that Yu is pale, breathing shallowly and clutching onto Nanako.
Fine, then. Yosuke will have to play his role as second for once.
“Rise, Himiko! You two keep watch on Nanako, will you?” he shouts to the pair of navigators. Rise nods stiffly, gently retrieving the girl from Yu’s arms as Yosuke shakes his shoulder.
“C’mon, Partner. We’ve got a killer to beat!” Yosuke helps Yu to his feet, taking his usual spot on Yu’s right. The other boy is still silent.
Himiko’s telepathy chimes in their heads, projecting Rise’s voice clearly. “What is that thing that got Namatame? Is it a Pokémon..?”
Teddie sniffs, looking downtrodden. “I… I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like this bearfore.”
“Guess we’ll just have to—”
“It’s a nihilego,” Yu suddenly interrupts, voice low and steely. “And that… is Kunino-Sagiri.”
Izanagi takes the first strike, bursting forth and slashing through one of Kunino-Sagiri’s many limbs with the blade on his head, growling with fury. Yosuke and the rest of the team follow up, though they don’t seem to do as much damage as Izanagi.
Eventually, the tides of the battle turn, and the monstrosity that is Kunino-Sagiri falls. It unfuses, the nihilego woozily emerging from a now-unconscious Namatame before vanishing back into the fog.
Everything’s a blur after that. They rush Nanako out of the TV World, dragging Namatame along with them. Then it’s statements for the police and the hospital, resorting to pure hope that Nanako will pull through.
Yosuke grits his teeth and forces himself to play optimist with everyone else, even as Jiraiya looks up at him with concern. When they get home that night, Yosuke talks to Yu over the phone for hours, trying to keep them both a little saner after what had happened. He’s not sure if it works.
. . .
Nearly a month passes with a visible weight on everyone’s shoulders. Even their Pokémon partners are downtrodden.
It’s not all bad, though. The rest of the Investigation Team’s Pokémon evolve into their final forms, save for Izanagi, who they’re not even sure can evolve. Nanako is stable, so they all agree to have a little celebratory meet-up after Sukuna-Hikona evolves into inteleon.
Eight sizable Pokémon all together certainly cause some mayhem. Tomoe nearly punts Jiraiya into the sun after his song, only stopped by Izanagi breaking it up while Sakuya watches, as amused-looking as a volcarona can be. The mienshao’s whiskers twitch.
“You know, Sakuya is kind of like the sun,” Yukiko points out. “If Tomoe kicked Jiraiya to her, then it’s almost like punting him into the sun, right?”
Kintoki eagerly joins the fray, the ursaluna sniffing around before seemingly readying himself to participate, rearing back up onto two feet.
That’s how a curled-up Jiraiya ended up being used as a living football. The frog is surprisingly okay with it.
The first-years’ Pokémon are more relaxed, at least. Take-Mikazuchi inspects the clothing-like aspects of Himiko and Sukuna-Hikona, as if the scrafty is brainstorming a new outfit based on them. The other two don’t seem to mind, the gardevoir and inteleon having some sort of high-brow discussion while sitting gracefully in the highest branches of a nearby tree.
At some point, Izanagi must have gotten bored of Jiraiya-ball and wandered off somewhere. They only notice when Naoto says something about it.
“Err… forgive me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think Izanagi should be eating that bench?” Naoto points out to Yu, gesturing towards the Type: Null gnawing on the wood and nails of the bench.
Yu sighs deeply. “No, you’re right. I thought we were over wood, but the nails must make it more appealing. Maybe I’ll try a sprinkling of metal shavings next meal.”
Naoto doesn’t even bother following up, which Yosuke thinks is wise.
“Partner, when I said you two had stomachs of iron, it wasn’t meant to be literal,” Yosuke huffs. “I wonder if we’ll ever find something Izanagi can’t eat.”
“Hope so,” Yu grunts. Yosuke notices Yu’s deep eye bags and bone-deep exhaustion, and decides not to press it. Izanagi relents on eating the bench, however disgruntled.
It’s a good day, all things considered, a bright moment when the hours of daylight are noticeably waning and the chill of the approaching winter is beginning to set in. Yosuke idly wonders if he should get Jiraiya a heating lamp or something, the frog clearly more sluggish in the cold.
Jiraiya is half-asleep by the time the team disbands in the evening. Yosuke borrows a fiery scale from Yukiko and Sakuya before carrying Jiraiya home, setting the frog and the still-hot scale gently on his bed.
When Yosuke eventually gets to bed that night, even if he’s half-falling off the bed thanks to his froggy companion, he sleeps better than he has in a while.
—————
Nanako flatlines.
The Investigation Team looks on in horror. There’s a shadow looming over the room, the silence ringing.
Something snaps in all of them.
They’re all shouting in Namatame’s hospital room, two sides forming, the team split in half. Yosuke can’t believe that this is an argument at all. Naoto just said that the courts wouldn’t give them justice, but someone has to. Namatame killed that reporter, killed Saki, killed Nanako, and they just want to let him go free?
Jiraiya looks nervous, softly warbling, but Yosuke doesn’t notice him over the roaring of blood in his ears and the tension in his body.
“If any of you want no part in this, just leave the room. I’m not gonna force you to stay,” Yosuke declares with a barely-maintained calm. “But before we do this, I want to hear what you think”
He turns to Yu, hands curled into white-knuckled fists. “What do you want to do… Leader?”
Yu is quiet, but in the same way he always is. It is something more deafeningly profound, his lips pressed tightly together.
Yosuke presses further, furious statements spilling from his mouth. Izanagi rumbles, pacing around Yu like a guard dog, the sharpness of his blade shining under the fluorescent lights.
“Give me a straight answer! Are we doing this or not?! That’s all I give a damn about right now!” Yosuke hisses, practically ready to lunge. Izanagi’s hackles rise.
“Calm the hell down!” Yu suddenly barks. Something flashes in his eyes like silver and gold. “We’re missing something.”
Yosuke thinks he’s perfectly calm, thank you very much, but the force and aggression which Yu shouts with catches him off-guard enough to back down, Jiraiya’s slimy hand clutching his own. Yu never yells like that.
So he and the others take a breath and regain their composure. Naoto does their thing and points out facts and logic, and Yosuke is forced to concede that they might be right. There are still open ends and unanswered questions.
By some divine gift or stroke of luck, Nanako comes back to life, as if the universe is thanking them for their mercy. Yosuke almost scoffs at the idea.
Even with that miracle, he’s still so angry. And who else, if not Namatame, can he direct that rage towards?
Turns out, Adachi. And he’s even worse than Namatame, just doing it all for love of the game, so Yosuke doesn’t have any hesitation about letting his fury lock onto the bastard.
They tear through Magatsu-Inaba with more precision than Heaven, collective wrath funneled into focus instead of panic. Naturally, Adachi’s dungeon is awful, but every time Yosuke feels the exhaustion getting to him, Jiraiya gets a critical hit on the Shadow they’re facing, and Yosuke feels the energy return to him. It’s hard to lose hope when a joyous frog is cheering you on and fighting alongside you.
The Investigation Team finally makes it to a snide Adachi, who proceeds to make asinine comments about fault and righteousness. Yosuke wants to punch that smirk right off his face, even when that same unsettling aura as Namatame manifests around him.
“You’re just a worthless criminal!” Yosuke shouts. Jiraiya croaks in agreement.
Somehow, that’s what does it. Adachi snarls and rushes into battle, calling forth a creature from the fog.
It’s shrouded in a dark mist, with only blood-red claws clear to see. It looks quadruped with some sort of short tail. Its eyes glow a toxic neon green, radiating malice.
Izanagi tenses, and Yu grips his blade tighter.
It’s only when the creature attacks that Yosuke sees the flash of a scarlet axe-like crest and realizes that this is some sort of twisted, shadowy Type: Null. Adachi looks cruelly amused at the resemblance.
Empowered by the fog and Shadows, Magatsu-Izanagi is no easy foe. It matches and even gains ground against Izanagi in a head-on fight. But Adachi and Magatsu-Izanagi are alone, whereas Yu and Izanagi have Yosuke and Jiraiya and the rest of the team. Little by little, they push back against the onslaught.
Magatsu-Izanagi finally falls, dispersing into the darkness as Adachi collapses to the ground. Yosuke thinks they’ve won until the malice returns in full force, shadowy fog surrounding Adachi and lifting him into the air. His void-like silhouette only features clear golden eyes.
“What’s with this guy all of a sudden..?” Yosuke hesitantly asks, reaching for more of his daggers. Even without Rise and Himiko’s cue, he can tell that this isn’t Adachi anymore.
The new presence calls itself Ameno-Sagiri, a name similar to the creature that Namatame and that nihilego became. Yosuke doesn’t like this at all, especially as it goes on and on about the origin of this world and the will of humanity.
“I will consume your world, that which causes suffering, and replace it with the hollow forest,” Ameno-Sagiri asserts. “Mankind has craved false images, and as such, your desires shall be fulfilled...”
“To hell with that!” Yosuke bares his teeth. “When did we wish for that crap anyways?!”
“Yes… that I did not foresee,” Ameno-Sagiri admits, almost considering. “The ability to master your Shadow that emerged to kill you, and use its power… It must be tested…”
A dark mass takes form from the fog, with Ameno-Sagiri at its core, swelling into a bloated creature that emerges from below. Yosuke squints, trying to make out anything about it, but all he can see is a wide, glowing blue abyss that seems to lead to nothing.
Then, that abyss snaps shut with golden teeth, and Yosuke realizes that they are staring into a gaping maw.
“Leader, what’s our move?” Yosuke calls, instinctively looking to Yu for direction. He doesn’t like what he sees.
Yu is wide-eyed in horror, mouth slightly agape. He takes an unstable step back as if about to run, something he’s never done. His mind seems paralyzed by a primal, animalistic fear.
One of Ameno-Sagiri’s black mouth-like pincers takes the opportunity, shooting towards Yu for an easy strike. Yosuke grits his teeth and dives, shoving Yu to the ground and feeling the rush of air above him, the limb narrowly missing.
“Snap out of it, Partner! We’ve gotta beat this thing!” Yosuke cries.
Jiraiya hops over too, expression cheerfully determined. He sings a few notes, surprisingly on-key, an anthem of battle.
“It’s guzzlord,” Yu whispers, almost inaudibly. “The Glutton.”
Yosuke isn’t sure what to make of that, so he just helps Yu to his feet. From Yu’s wobbly legs, Yosuke almost thinks that he’ll be down for the count during this fight, but that same metallic sheen flashes in Yu’s eyes, and Yosuke knows their leader has returned to them.
Yu sends Izanagi forth for a vicious opening strike, hesitations seemingly lost. Ameno-Sagiri cries out in pain, then… laughs.
“The imperfect Beast Killer…” the guzzlord’s rumbling voice resounds. “Yes, this shall be a worthy test..!”
Yu’s expression hardens, and his battle commands grow sharper, quicker. It’s what they need to battle against this monster, and even then, it’s only just. Ameno-Sagiri has insane bulk, feasting on many of their misaligned attacks, and countering with immense strength in return.
There comes a moment where Yosuke isn’t sure if this thing even can be beaten, but Jiraiya never wavers in sending his storms, so Yosuke decides that he won’t, either. Together, fighting ‘till the very end.
One last strike from Izanagi’s blade sees Ameno-Sagiri’s mouth slide half-shut, as if the act of consumption itself has become too demanding for its body. It speaks words of concession before fading away, a golden light enveloping it as it dissipates and scatters on the wind.
Adachi reemerges from the light, dropping prone onto the ground. Jiraiya croaks an exuberant cheer.
A not-insignificant part of Yosuke wants to leave Adachi here to die, to be torn apart by Shadows and share the same fate that he gave to Saki. But that won’t help anything. It would just be giving into the same cruelty that Adachi did, what they had just fought so hard against.
Jiraiya wraps his tongue around Yosuke’s hand, as if affirming his choice. Yosuke doesn’t wipe away the froggy saliva before helping drag out Adachi, the pettiest personal revenge.
Yosuke takes a deep breath of the fresh air as Adachi is taken away, the sun shining bright, the blue sky free of fog after so long. Jiraiya does the same, humming a pleased note.
They did it. They really did it.
“We’ve won,” Yosuke murmurs, breathing out a startled laugh.
The Investigation Team fails on their weird little group huddle cheer thing, but their Pokémon seem to do something similar with far more success, various cries echoing in celebration.
Finally, it’s over.
—————
Even when he was its only occupant, Yosuke would never have called his bedroom big. Above average, maybe, but anyone calling it large would be lying to everyone, including themselves.
Now, with a frog, a bear, and a boy-slash-bear, it’s more than a little cramped.
When Teddie decided to make the whole “living outside the TV World as a normal human” thing more permanent, Yosuke somehow ended up saddled with him. Naturally, that also brought Kintoki into the equation, and even if Teddie’s human form is rather slight, the ursaluna’s absolutely isn’t.
Somehow, in some way, Yosuke’s parents agreed to hosting Teddie and his massive bear if they helped out at Junes. Teddie and Kintoki were more than happy to oblige, so suddenly, Yosuke has an extra two roommates that are both much harder to handle than Jiraiya.
It definitely took a bit to sort out. Teddie took up residence in Yosuke’s closet, while Kintoki claimed half the remaining floorspace for himself.
When rich people say they have bear hide rugs, I don’t think this is what they mean, Yosuke couldn’t help but think as he stared at Kintoki curled up on his floor.
If nothing else, Jiraiya seems pleased with the extra company. The politoed frequently shows his affection for the two bears with offerings of dead bugs as if he was giving them chocolates. For better or for worse, unlike the vast majority of individuals, Teddie and Kintoki are thrilled by this display of love. At least Yosuke no longer has to worry about bugs around the house.
Slowly but surely, the quartet learn to live around each other and adjust to the new company. Yosuke teaches Teddie how to act like a functional human being, and Teddie stops nearly killing everyone with his dysfunction. Jiraiya shows Kintoki how to be lighter on his feet so as to not shake the entire house with a single step. Yosuke feels like the new housemates are just now reaching the bare minimum of behavioral courtesy, but he’ll take wins where he can get them. Jiraiya seems pleased once Yosuke starts snapping at them less, too.
The nights get quieter. At this point, even though Jiraiya still uses his paludarium plenty, the frog has started sleeping in Yosuke’s bed with him nearly every night. Jiraiya snores—croaks?—and pretty loudly at that, but Yosuke’s trusty headphones keep him from throwing something or someone.
So, when a long pink tongue snatches away those headphones in the middle of the night, Yosuke is more than a bit grumpy. He sits up, bleary eyes barely open. “What?”
That’s when he hears a whimper, the high-pitched voice telling him that it’s from Teddie. The guy is curled up on the ground, smushed against Kintoki. Teddie’s bright blue eyes almost seem to glow in the darkness. Weird Shadow thing, probably.
“Y-Yosuke..?” Teddie ventures, a hint of hope in his tone. “I had a nightmare… Everyone left me, and I was alone in the TV World again…”
Yosuke wants to snap back something like you’re fine and go back to sleep, but Jiraiya is holding his headphones hostage, and the politoed looks very expectant. Teddie’s puppy-dog eyes somehow work, alongside Kintoki’s mildly threatening unblinking stare.
“Fine, fine,” Yosuke grumbles, grabbing his pillow and blanket before sliding onto the floor to join Teddie and Kintoki. “You’re not alone, I promise. We’ll be here the whole time. So sleep tight, ‘kay?”
Jiraiya hops down from the bed, returning Yosuke’s headphones with a self-satisfied chirp. Yosuke takes a moment to get comfortable, arranging his pillow and blanket, but has to restart the whole process when Kintoki pulls him towards Teddie.
Between the body heat and bear fur, Yosuke is just glad that it’s already gotten chilly for winter. Otherwise, he thinks he’d be melting already.
Finally, everyone is comfortable, all squashed together on Yosuke’s bedroom floor. Yosuke sighs, slipping his headphones back on so he can sleep, begrudgingly resigning himself to the snuggle pile.
He sleeps better than he’d like to admit.
. . .
“Happy new year!”
The Investigation Team breaks out into cheers and excited conversation as the clock strikes twelve, the date officially ticking over. Everyone is all smiles and bright eyes, wishing for a good next twelve months.
The new year is always special, of course, but Yosuke thinks there’s something particularly enchanting about this one specifically. After so many close calls in the bowels of the TV World, fighting for their lives, he’s glad that everyone made it to 2012 at all. It’s a sobering thought, but doesn’t diminish the levity at all.
An “ahem”-like croak comes from Jiraiya, bundled up in as many coats and scarves as they could manage. Being cold-blooded certainly wasn’t going to stop him from coming to the celebration.
“What’s up, Jiraiya?” Yosuke prompts.
Jiraiya unzips the upper parts of his jackets, then does the sort of throat-clearing equivalent for a frog, throat sac puffing out as a clear warning.
Oh no. He’s going to sing, Yosuke realizes, rushing to shove his headphones over his ears. He barely gets them on before Jiraiya opens his mouth and begins to sing. Even with the headphones, Yosuke can feel the rumbling in his bones.
The other members of the Investigation Team wince, trying to cover their ears. The Pokémon with more sensitive ears are brought low, clearly in pain.
By the end of Jiraiya’s song, everyone has suffered enough. Jiraiya zips the jackets back up, looking extremely proud of himself, froggy hands on his hips. Yosuke hesitantly removes his headphones, checking that the audial coast is clear. He sighs in relief afterwards.
“Gh… at least you had headphones! You could’ve warned us, man!” Chie groans. For once, Tomoe looks too beat to even complain in turn.
“Sorry. Only barely saved myself,” Yosuke exhales. “If he suddenly puffs up his throat sac like that, odds are, he’s about to sing. Probably wanted to participate in the new year’s fun.”
Jiraiya looks utterly oblivious to the misery he just caused. Not helping is Izanagi, sitting on his haunches and clapping his front claws to mimic an audience’s applause. Yosuke can’t tell if it’s just to be nice or if the Type: Null genuinely enjoyed the performance.
Rise shivers. “I’ve heard a lot of bad music in the business, but that might just take the cake…”
“Any chance you can teach him to be less soul-crushing?” Yosuke asks.
Rise just looks him dead in the eyes as if her spirit has left her body. He’ll take that as a no.
“I don’t think I’ve even ever heard a voice like that, song or speech,” Yukiko adds. “It’s very… unique.”
“Uh, at least it’s useful for fighting Shadows?” Kanji offers.
Teddie whines. “Can confirm, beary effective on Shadows..!”
“It’s a miracle that you yourself have some musical talent, given that your other self has quite the opposite,” Naoto comments, shaking their head. Yosuke will take the backhanded compliment, if nothing else.
Yu shrugs. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”
The group immediately zeroes in on their leader with a collective look of horror.
“Dude. I’m sending you my playlist later. Let me show you some real music,” Yosuke insists, already mentally cataloging the songs he thinks Yu would like. Then again, if that was his reaction to Jiraiya’s singing, Yosuke doesn’t think he can do much wrong there.
“Ooh, me too!” Rise jumps up, as if suddenly revitalized.
With everyone else joining in on the music-sharing, Yu is going to end up with a lot of songs to go through. Hopefully that educates him a bit musically.
Yosuke isn’t going to hold his breath on that. But, if nothing else, he’s glad Jiraiya will always have one fan in the form of Izanagi. The frog deserves it.
. . .
“Get back here!”
Yosuke had been looking for Chie’s Trial of the Dragon copy for literal months before he finally found it. He was on her doorstep, ready to return it, when a too-familiar tongue wrapped around the case and yanked it out of his grip.
He turned around to see Jiraiya swallowing the movie case whole. Yosuke paled as Chie grew red.
That’s how he ended up being chased around by an angry mienshao and even angrier martial artist, a frog in his arms, because there is no way Jiraiya is outrunning them.
“Stop it, I didn’t do anything!” Yosuke shouts over his shoulder, turning a street corner and nearly bowling over a pedestrian.
“You show up almost a year late with it, then your dumb frog eats it! You’re gonna get it this time!” Chie yells back, finishing with a war cry. Tomoe huffs in agreement, chasing alongside her partner.
“Hey, he’s not dumb!” he shouts back, offended on Jiraiya’s behalf.
Yosuke might be the most agile member of the team, but he doesn’t like his odds while also carrying a frog weighing the same as an average eleven-year-old. He needs to figure something out, and fast. Maybe he can lose them in Junes? He knows that store better than anyone at this point, and Teddie is on shift, so maybe he can distract them.
He slips through the store’s automatic doors, weaving through aisles and customers. Yosuke finds the most isolated nook he can and hunkers down, putting a finger to his lips to indicate that Jiraiya should stay silent.
Minutes pass with nothing but the distant squeak of shopping cart wheels and the sound of his own breathing. Yosuke exhales in relief, shutting his eyes and leaning back. He’s lost them.
He opens his eyes to a furious Chie and Tomoe looming over them.
Yosuke lets out a shriek which he would describe as very manly.
“Nowhere left to run,” Chie growls, stalking forward. Tomoe blocks off the exits, eyes narrowed.
Jiraiya warbles and tries to hide behind Yosuke, though it doesn’t work as well as the frog would have hoped.
“Now,” Chie cracks her knuckles. “You’ve got two choices here. Either you accept your fate, or you go buy me the full special edition Trial of the Dragon movie set right now. Got it?”
Yosuke groans, knowing how expensive that box set is, but he’d also rather not die today, so the choice is clear. “Fine, I’ll buy your movies.”
He trudges over to where Chie leads, Tomoe taking up the rear like this is some sort of prisoner transport. He ends with a smirking Chie and a much lighter wallet.
“See, that wasn’t so hard. Thanks, Yosuke!” She waves and runs off with her new goodie, her Pokémon following.
Yosuke groans and melts into one of the outdoor chairs. “Thanks a lot, Jiraiya…”
He could’ve sworn that Jiraiya responded with a froggy “you’re welcome,” but Yosuke could also just be losing it. Equally as likely at this point.
Having a frog is way harder than it looks.
. . .
Yosuke watches Chie, Yukiko and Rise do their work in the kitchen with a profound sense of dread.
“Partner, you really want to do this?” he asks. “I know you said this was the last resort, but c’mon!”
Yu sighs, looking towards Izanagi. “We can’t stop until we’ve found something that Izanagi can’t or won’t eat.”
“Hasn’t he eaten, like, actual raw metal? And extremely moldy substances from the back of the fridge? Oh, and a half-decomposed rat?” Yosuke responds skeptically.
“Yes, yes, and yes,” Yu confirms. “And he’s been fine for all of them, somehow. So, I’m having to pull out all the stops.”
“Wh—how? You know what, I don’t think I want to know,” Yosuke gags. “It’s your bed to lie in.”
Save for Chie’s movies specifically, Jiraiya is pretty picky, which Yosuke is suddenly feeling thankful for at this moment.
Yosuke still has no idea how Izanagi even eats, actually. He must have a mouth, but nobody’s ever seen it, save for maybe Yu. Yosuke gets the feeling that he doesn’t need to know that answer, either.
“Okay!” Rise claps her hands together joyfully. “Dinner is served!”
The girls dish out a portion of Mystery Food X, setting it on the kotatsu for Izanagi to access. Yosuke gives barely a glance before he’s unable to stomach it anymore. It looks like a technicolor gloop with mysterious chunks, and it smells like a mix of a rotten egg and rancid fish doused with a too-strong hot sauce.
“Maybe someone will finally like our cooking,” Yukiko says hopefully.
Good luck, Izanagi, is all the support he can give.
“Alright, Izanagi! Go ahead!” Chie invites, patting the Type: Null on the back.
Izanagi approaches the bowl and recoils slightly, eyes narrowing the way they do when identifying a threat. But with the bravery of a soldier, he leans down towards the bowl. He must have eaten some of it, since Yosuke can see the substance’s level go down a bit in the dish, but it’s hard to tell with the Pokémon himself.
There’s a moment of tense silence as Izanagi swallows. It’s broken by Izanagi turning tail and sprinting upstairs, refusing to be anywhere near Mystery Food X for another second.
Rise pouts. “Aww… I guess it’s really that bad. I always thought Yosuke was just exaggerating.”
“Wh—no!” Yosuke vehemently shakes his head. “Trust me, it’s really that bad!”
Chie, on the other hand, looks triumphant. “Nah, Rise, don’t worry! It may not be, uh, edible, but it’s practically a weapon!”
“And we’ve finally bested Izanagi’s stomach,” Yukiko points out with clear satisfaction. “Nobody else has been able to do that so far.”
Yu nods in agreement. “She’s right. Of all things, Mystery Food X has finally stopped Izanagi’s hunger. Hopefully now he’ll stop trying to eat random objects.”
Rise curtseys. “Happy to help! Good to know our cooking’s good for something.”
“I think we need a hazardous waste disposal unit now, though,” Yosuke points out, eyeing the remaining pot of Mystery Food X.
“Sakuya could incinerate it,” Yukiko offers a little too eagerly.
“Ooh! Or Himiko could put it into a black hole!” Rise perks up.
Chie raises an eyebrow. “Just a hunch, but I think the dumpster might be better for this one.”
“For once, I agree,” Yosuke crosses his arms. Rise and Yukiko look disappointed. “We don’t need more hazards on our plate, literally or metaphorically.”
Yu pours the remaining Mystery Food X from Izanagi’s bowl back into the main pot, lifting it off the stove and making for the door. “I’ll handle it.”
“You’re no fun,” Rise huffs. “Oh well. So long as we were helpful!”
“Let’s just leave the cooking to Yu,” Yosuke says with a sigh.
The stir-fry that Yu makes for all of them after he comes back easily reaffirms Yosuke’s assertion tenfold.
Even hours later when Yosuke heads out, Izanagi hasn’t yet returned from his self-imposed exile.
Yeah. Safe to say Mystery Food X really is a crime against nature, he concludes. and not just me being dramatic.
Feels good to be right.
. . .
Winter hits Inaba in full force during February, snow piling inches upon inches deep on the ground. With the fog gone, it’s really quite beautiful, the pristine whiteness sparkling under the sunlight.
The Team decided to hang out together and enjoy the snow after they’re free from exams, so Yosuke swaddles Jiraiya in every available blanket, deposits him onto Kintoki’s fuzzy back, and heads over alongside Teddie. Even before they get there, Kintoki seems happy, frolicking in the snow, thick fur well-suited to the weather. Jiraiya leans into the body heat.
“He seems pretty energetic. Don’t bears hibernate?” Yosuke points out to Teddie.
“In the wild, sure,” Teddie confirms. “But that’s because it’s always so cold out! Kintoki here has a nice warm house to sleep in, and so do I, so we don’t need to.”
Yosuke wasn’t expecting an actual scientific answer from a mascot bear-turned-human, but it makes enough sense, so he lets it go. He’ll leave the science and facts to Yu and Naoto.
Thanks to Kintoki’s distracted playing on the way, Yosuke and Teddie end up being the last of the group to arrive. Take-Mikazuchi and Himiko are already building a snowman, the former gathering the snowballs and the latter psychically constructing the perfect form.
“Yo! Sorry we’re late. Turns out Kintoki’s a big fan of snow,” Yosuke calls, waving at the others.
“Hi!” Teddie says exuberantly, scampering over and plopping himself between Yukiko and Rise on the bench. Yukiko snickers at Rise’s pout at being smushed by Teddie.
A chorus of greetings ring out at their arrival and they begin to chat. Yosuke watches the Pokémon as they do.
Sukuna-Hikona is sticking close to Sakuya, no doubt the volcarona radiating enough heat for the inteleon to tolerate the cold. The snow around where Sakuya is hovering has practically already melted. Seeing this, Jiraiya hops off of Kintoki’s back and shuffles over to share in the warmth. He croaks contendedly in his pile of blankets.
Tomoe opts to make a snow angel, and she barely has to do any waving of her arms to make the wide wings, elongated flaps doing most of the work. She admires her imprint proudly. Kintoki seems eager to copy it, dive-bombing into some nearby previously-undisturbed snow. Instead of a snow angel, he just makes a giant, vaguely bear-shaped indent. He still looks happy with himself.
“Oh, hey, they’ve finished,” Rise points to Take-Mikazuchi and Himiko, adding the final touches on their snowman.
It’s genuinely really impressive. The snowballs are all perfectly spherical and proportional to each other, sitting cleanly one atop the other. Yosuke isn’t sure where, but the duo found many articles of clothing to adorn their creation with, and it’s decked out in a genuinely fashionable outfit.
“Damn, they make a good team,” Kanji smiles. “Wonder if we could do any better.”
“Let’s try!” Rise stands up, dragging Kanji over to start making the snowballs.
They could not do any better. Their snowman ends up being a pale imitation of their Pokémon partners’ masterwork.
“Wait, we should go sledding!” Chie suggests as Rise and Kanji lament their failure, desperately trying to improve their snowman. “The snow’s perfect for it! Who’s in?”
“Of course!” Yukiko rises to her feet. “You know I love to sled.”
“Oh, me, me!” Teddie raises his hand and waves it around. “I will!”
Yu shakes his head. “I’ll pass.”
“Same,” Yosuke agrees.
Naoto seems conflicted. “Perhaps. I’ve never tried it before.”
Chie gasps exaggeratedly. “Never? Well, clearly we have to fix that!”
“First, Chie, do we even have a sled?” Yukiko asks after looking around.
“That feels like it should have been step one,” Naoto comments dryly.
Chie blushes. “Um! We can just make one!” she frantically looks around. “Tomoe! Could you make us a sled with a Stone Edge?”
Naoto blinks. “That doesn’t seem like—”
Tomoe proceeds to make a perfect sled-shaped stone. She looks smugly proud.
“…I stand corrected,” Naoto concedes. “So, how do we do this?”
The sledding group trots off to a better hill nearby, Chie and Teddie excitedly chattering about the activity. Naoto listens very seriously, and Yukiko watches on with amusement.
“Not a sledding fan?” Yosuke asks Yu, leaning against a bare-leafed tree.
“I don’t hate it, but it’s not my thing,” Yu responds. “It's hard to find good spots in the city, anyway. I prefer skating.”
“Guessing you mean in a proper rink and not just slipping around on frozen water? Since that’s kinda all we have out here.”
“Yeah. But I think you’d be good at it. You have the balance and dexterity for it,” Yu notes.
Yosuke hums. “I think I tried when I was a kid, but I don’t remember much. Maybe I’ll visit you in the winter sometime and you can take me.”
Yu is quiet for a moment. “Sure. If it works out.”
“We’ll just make it work out, Partner,” Yosuke flashes a grin. “Not like we haven’t beat worse odds already.”
“Yeah. You’re right.”
“When am I not?”
That’s when Yosuke gets nailed in the face by a snowball.
He sputters, wiping the snow off and rubbing his cheek. Yosuke spots Chie grinning devilishly and immediately recognizes his assailant.
“What the hell was that for?!” Yosuke shouts.
Yukiko’s smile is wide, and she starts snickering before devolving into a full-blown giggling fit, unable to hold herself together. “Y-your face!”
Chie tilts her head towards Yukiko. “That.”
Yosuke exhales, utterly exasperated. He sees movement from behind Chie, green and yellow and mismatched fabrics. He has to hide his smirk.
Without warning, Jiraiya leaps up and socks Chie in the back with an Ice Punch. She yelps, arms pinwheeling as she falls forward into the snow. Somehow, Yukiko laughs harder.
“Snrk..! Your arms! The way you—snrk!” Yukiko can barely get her words out, doubled over, face red both from the cold and the laughter. Yu guides her to the bench, having her sit down before she passes out.
Jiraiya returns to Sakuya’s side as if this never happened, asleep in his cocoon of blankets.
Chie brushes snow from her hair and off her clothes as she jumps to her feet, scowling. Yosuke blinks innocently.
“I haven’t done anything,” he raises his hands disarmingly. “You’re the one who hit me out of nowhere.”
She huffs. “Whatever. I’m going to go make sure Teddie hasn’t killed Naoto on that sled. They both wanted to keep going.”
Chie stomps away, chunks of ice still flaking from her back.
“Guess Naoto likes sledding, then,” Kanji chimes in, him and Rise finally giving up on trying to out-snowman their Pokémon. Take-Mikazuchi and Himiko have somehow made their snowman even more stylish in the meantime. “Maybe we should get them a proper one.”
“Mhm, one that isn’t a literal rock might be good,” Rise agrees. “Ooh, we could make it so cute! Maybe with lights or something!”
Yosuke winces. “That feels like an electrical hazard and an explosion waiting to happen.”
“Yeah, maybe not the lights,” Kanji agrees. “But we could totally add some paint and decals to one.”
Rise nods sagely, putting a hand to her chin, clearly already brainstorming.
Naoto, Teddie, and Chie return a minute later. Naoto has a small but genuine smile on their face, while Teddie’s grin is just as wide as usual. Chie still looks miffed.
Teddie waves his entire arm. “We’re back! Sledding was great!”
“It’s quite exhilarating,” Naoto agrees. “I can see why you all were so eager to do it.”
“Where’d the rock go?” Kanji asks, leaning around to look.
Teddie chuckles nervously. “Um, don’t worry about that!”
“Somewhere in the Samegawa, I reckon,” Naoto answers.
Yosuke’s not even going to ask.
“We’ve been out here for a quite while now,” Yukiko notes, finally calmed down from her laughing fit. “We might want to head inside before the cold really starts getting to us.”
“Mm, yeah, you’re probably right,” Rise agrees. “Himiko would tell us if we were getting hypothermia, and Sakuya’s basically a fire, but we probably don’t want to risk it.”
“Fine with me,” Yosuke shrugs. “Where should we go?”
“We can head to my place,” Yu offers. “Dojima’s out, but Nanako’s home. Izanagi’s been watching her, but I’m sure she would love to see you all.”
“A hangout with Nanako? Sign me up!” Chie pumps her fist.
Naoto nods. “It seems we have decided, then.”
The Investigation Team spends the rest of the day at the Dojima residence, cozying up indoors with hot chocolate and a happy Nanako. She’s thrilled to see everyone, and even more thrilled to see all their Pokémon. They all do well with her, luckily.
Yosuke sits on the sofa armrest next to Yu while Kanji, Teddie, and Chie sit on the floor, Naoto sits on a chair they pulled up, and Rise, Yukiko, and Nanako squeeze onto the rest of the couch. The Pokémon are scattered around the place, Jiraiya opting to sit in the sink for the moisture. Some sort of movie is on, probably Detective Loveline, which has Nanako’s full attention.
“You good, Partner?” Yosuke leans over and whispers to Yu. He knows the team has stayed longer than they were probably welcome for, the sun having already set.
“Yes,” Yu answers without hesitation. He looks content. Peaceful, maybe.
Yosuke just nods.
By the time Nanako needs to go to bed and everyone heads out, it’s plenty dark outside. Yosuke can’t see too well, but luckily, he’s heading home with a frog, a bear, and a Shadow, all of which have excellent night vision.
As he lays in bed, he reflects. It’s been a long day, but a good one. Yosuke hopes the Investigation Team can have more days like those, of just teenagers goofing off and having fun as friends without worrying about problems much bigger than them.
And without…
Yosuke’s thought doesn’t finish before he drifts off to sleep.
—————
March wasn’t supposed to be eventful, let alone the day before Yu’s departure from Inaba. It’s surreal, for sure, but was meant to be spending their last precious time with their leader and making sure he was prepared, not pursuing a mystery that everyone thought had been solved for months. Not finding out that there was a mastermind behind the scenes pulling at everyone’s strings. Not learning the truth and battling through a strange new dungeon to end things once and for all.
Not… this.
The Investigation Team can barely see through the dark haze, but as it clears just enough, they are able to identify their foe. A towering pitch-black prismatic creature who casts a deep shadow that seems to swallow the light. Its proportions are horribly off, limbs on backwards and spikes jutting out from all the wrong places.
“Humanity will have as they wish. An obscuring darkness to guard from the blinding light… this I shall grant,” Izanami declares.
“Necrozma,” Yu breathes out, frozen for a moment.
Izanagi growls, staring defiantly at her.
“Right… We’re going to end this,” Yu firmly states. Yosuke can notice the stifled wavering in his voice, the snubbed fear.
Izanami laughs, the sound of shattered glass and breaking bones. “Then come, Beast Killer! But remember that you would be nothing without me.”
The battle begins, and as much as they try, none of the Investigation Team’s Pokémon seem to be able to do much. Even Izanagi isn’t having any luck, unable to even scratch Izanami’s obsidian body.
When Yu reveals his secret weapon, some sort of bright orb in his hand, Yosuke thinks that things will finally turn around, that this impossible fight will suddenly become winnable.
His hopes are dashed in a blinding flash.
“Well then… Allow me to show you my full splendor…”
The ebony creature transformed from a black hole to its quasar, pieces of the body rearranging themselves into an almost more natural form. Izanami-no-Okami now shines with a golden-white light, individual pieces attached to the core prismatic body through radiating energy. It’s as though all light in the world is drawn to that form, being consumed utterly.
The odds only seem worse. And yet, they persist. As Izanam-no-Okamii’s blinding assault rains down on them, threatening to swallow them whole, the Investigation Team fights back.
Sukuna-Hikona’s shots are precise, bullets of water finding the slightest chinks in the crystalline armor.
Kintoki’s barrages are sweeping and brutal, dirt-crusted claws finding purchase in photon membranes.
Himiko’s directions and brief foresight are clear, granting much-needed insight into this great foe.
Take-Mikacuzhi’s strikes are steady and his defense even more so, extra skin absorbing damage.
Sakuya’s flames burn almost brighter than Izanami-no-Okami, charring and turning to ash all in their path.
Tomoe’s hits are swift but strong, fracturing quartz and dodging the retaliatory light.
Jiraiya’s weather reigns hell, stormclouds dampening the radiance and contributing to an onslaught of thunder and lightning.
Izanagi fights with everything he has, blade and claw and body all in unison against his destined foe.
Finally, it seems like they’re doing something. Then—
“The time has come for us to end this,” Izanami-no-Okami hums, air rippling in wavelengths of infrared and ultraviolet.
They keep fighting, because that’s all they can do. Move after move, second after second.
Yosuke blinks, and suddenly, Izanami-no-Okami brings forth a Heaven-Scorching Light of Destruction, aimed directly at Yu and Izanagi, radiating malice.
He doesn’t think before he acts, heart acting first. In tandem with Jiraiya, Yosuke leaps in front of the attack, the two of them taking it instead.
You can keep going… right, Partner? Even if it’s without me…
Everything burns, his body feeling as though it has been atomized in a mere millisecond, consumed by a supernova. It is only a moment that lasts an eternity before everything turns a blinding white.
Something in his soul stirs, the feeling of encouragement. It’s a warm feeling. Not the chill of icy rain nor the searing heat of the sun, but like the aftertaste of a good dream and the blooming flowers of spring. A warbling song joins in the reassurement.
Yosuke drifts between light and dark, clarity and fog. Time is an instant, an eon, a minute, a lifetime. There is another half to himself, immeasurably close yet far too distant.
A flash of gold and silver. Yosuke can see a regal ivory Pokémon standing in front of Yu, like a Type: Null broken free of its mask, grand head crest in glistening rainbow hues. Yu throws away his glasses, giving one last whispered command. Izanagi-no-Okami ends the struggle with a single brilliant attack, cleaving his opposite in twain.
As Izanami-no-Okami is once again reduced to the dark husk of herself, overwhelming light returning to the world, Yosuke finds himself on his feet right next to Yu, just where he left him. Jiraiya is right in front of him, as he should be, flanking Izanagi-no-Okami.
The goddess pleads one last time, for her goals and for her life, before finally conceding.
“Children of man and monster… well done..!” Izanami-no-Okami praises as she dissipates in a flurry of golden light, completely vanishing from sight.
The final dungeon fades, leaving behind a beautiful landscape in its stead.
Turns out, the world inside people’s hearts is pretty nice, Yosuke can’t help but think with a hint of surprise. After all they’d seen and done, it’s a huge relief to know that it was all worth it, that they were fighting for something better.
After today, Yosuke can truly leave behind any regrets for tomorrow. He can say to his Partner with confidence, we’ve won. And for now, that’s enough.
. . .
As Yosuke helps Yu and Dojima bring Yu’s luggage to the train station, he thinks about how surreal it is to see Yu carrying that full duffel bag, Izanagi-no-Okami by his side. Yosuke still hasn’t gotten used to the silvally, and now, he’s not sure if he’ll get the chance to.
No, that’s stupid. He’s sure that Yu will still send pictures of Izanagi-no-Okami at the shittiest angles, and Yosuke will do the same for Jiraiya, except the frog somehow manages to look good in photos no matter how hard Yosuke tries.
“Thanks for the help, kid,” Dojima tells Yosuke as he checks the last of the luggage.
“No prob,” Yosuke replies easily. The guy still scares him a little sometimes, but he’s learned that Dojima is a good man.
He glances over to Yu, who seems to be staring off into space, more than a little distracted.
“What’s up, Partner?” Yosuke prompts.
Yu looks back, humming. “Just thinking, I guess.”
Izanagi-no-Okami starts to nudge Yu, and there’s a flash of understanding. ”Right,” he murmurs, bending down to quickly rifle through his bag, taking out a small rectangular box.
“Here. A gift,” Yu offers the box to Yosuke.
Yosuke raises an eyebrow. “A parting gift?”
“No. Just a thank-you gift,” Yu smiles, a little cheeky. “Besides, can’t partners give each other presents?”
Yosuke chuckles. “Yeah, yeah.”
He carefully opens the box, sliding off the cover to reveal a silver dagger, the same color as Yu’s eyes and Izanagi-no-Okami’s crest. The weapon is masterfully crafted, the hilt etched with swirling storms, and the blade itself is gleaming sharp. It’s exactly the size that Yosuke prefers, and when he holds it, it feels like a natural extension of his hand.
“I commissioned it from Daidara,” Yu explains, shuffling his feet a little. “Do you like it?”
Yosuke balks at him, putting away the dagger. “Dude. This is literally the best gift I’ve ever gotten. I’d’ve gotten something for you if I knew you were gonna go crazy like this!”
Jiraiya seems to agree, so he takes matters into his own hands. He hops towards Yu and Izanagi-no-Okami, giving them both massive affectionate licks. Yosuke snickers.
“A fair trade,” Yu says sagely. “But… I’m glad.”
“Of course, Partner. Have a little faith in yourself,” Yosuke grins. “Show that big city who’s boss!”
Before long, the whole Investigation Team is gathered at the Yasoinaba station, surrounding Yu. As much as Yosuke is going to miss Yu, and for all Rise’s tears, seeing Nanako tearfully hugging her older brother hits him the hardest. Something in his chest clenches, but he shoves away the feeling.
“Don’t worry, Nanako,” Yosuke crouches down, winking at the girl. “Me and Jiraiya’ll come over to play all the time.”
“Oh, me and Kintoki, too!” Teddie jumps in, waving his hand around.
Nanako seems a little happier with that, especially once Jiraiya gives her a high-five and Kintoki nuzzles her.
It’s not like Yu is going to be gone forever, anyways, so… “I don’t feel like saying goodbye either,” Yosuke declares. “Hey, you got any plans during the long holiday in May? If you’re free, come over and visit.”
With the floodgates open, everyone jumps on the bandwagon, already planning for Yu’s return. It settles some of their collective nerves. Yu might not be living in Inaba anymore, but that doesn’t mean they won’t all stay friends and meet up again.
There’s a call for Yu’s train, and the group starts drifting over towards it. Yosuke is reassured by the “see you later”’s in place of goodbyes and farewells.
Yu gets on the train at the last possible moment, and the Investigation Team starts walking beside it as it gets moving. Then they’re running, shouting their well-wishes, hearts beating fast.
“Distance doesn’t matter to us!” Yosuke reminds. “Even if we’re separated, we’re still friends!”
The smile and nod of acknowledgement from Yu will have to be enough.
Yosuke is almost out of breath by the time they reach the end of the platform, but he still waves the train off. There’s a feeling of emptiness as they stand together without their leader, a key piece of their team now missing.
“He’s really gone…” Yosuke murmurs. Jiraiya leaps into his arms, tucking his head into Yosuke’s chest.
Yosuke is surprised when Teddie begins speaking, surprisingly wise insights coming from the once-immature former Shadow. Maybe Yu did teach him a thing or two, after all.
It’s not like Yu was solely Yosuke’s Partner, either. He was a friend and a mentor and a teacher, too, and who knows how many other things. He’s left an undeniable impact on this small town, forming bonds that will last a lifetime.
A year ago, Yosuke would have been jealous of how easily Yu slotted into the role of hero, becoming everyone’s favorite. But now, after everything he’s learned, Yosuke knows that wouldn’t have done anyone any good. He’s much better off now than he ever could have been without Yu’s presence.
Even as he watches the most important person in his life leave him, with Jiraiya in his arms and his friends by his side, Yosuke knows that he is finally, truly happy.