The morning sunlight streamed softly through the overcast clouds and through the curtains as Ishi woke up, the new day wiping clean the slate of yesterday's frustrations. He rolled out of bed, not quite with the same fever as the day before but still with a sense of purpose fueling his movements, as he got himself dressed and readied for the day. His eyes briefly caught sight of the five Pokéball shells from the previous day’s efforts, resting silently on his desk. On a whim, he scooped them up and tucked them into his satchel's inner pocket. ‘Perhaps Senpei and Ivy could offer a fresh perspective,’ he thought, recalling his mother’s advice about talking through the issues sometimes with those who would offer sympathy and their honest thoughts.
With the Pokéballs safely stowed, Ishi made his way downstairs, finding his home buzzing with the urgency of the day’s responsibilities. His parents were already preparing to head out, each focused on their part in the village's recovery efforts.
"Morning, Ishi! Eat up and take care today," his dad said, giving him a quick pat on the head before grabbing his tools and heading out the door.
His mom was close behind, her face set in determination as she reviewed a list of tasks on a scroll where she had set up a plan for her students. "See you tonight, honey. Help out where you can," she said, kissing him on the forehead before following Haku out.
Ishi nodded, feeling the weight of the day ahead. He quickly ate his breakfast, the house strangely quiet without the presence of his parents. Once done, he grabbed his things and stepped outside, ready to meet up with his friends.
Confirmed. Quest Created:
Your wonderful mother has decided to enlist your village's kid genin to the cleanup crew. Help them with the task of boosting morale the way you do best!! ;)
Rewards: 50 Exp
As he walked through the village, he was just reading the quest he’d received and thinking up all the pranks he and his friends could pull off, with an evil grin. When he looked around he noticed the aftermath of the storm was evident, the paths were waterlogged, leaving the earth soft and muddy beneath his feet. Debris littered some corners of the village - broken branches, scattered leaves, and the occasional piece of damaged thatch from the roofs. But despite the mess, the rising sun promised a swift return to normalcy, its warm rays slowly drying the dampness and highlighting the resilient spirit of the village.
The air was fresh, washed clean by the storm, and as Ishi made his way to their usual meetup spot, he could see small groups of villagers beginning the cleanup. There was a sense of community and cooperation that filled the air, everyone pitching in to restore the village.
Reaching the spot, Ishi found he was the first to arrive. He took a moment to appreciate the peace of the early morning, the sun’s warmth slowly erasing the chill of the night. Soon, Senpei and Ivy would arrive, and he could share his attempts and gather their insights. The freedom of an unsupervised day stretched before them, full of potential for adventure and perhaps a bit of mischief. The evil grin returned to his face.
As he waited, Ishi fingered the Pokéball shells in his satchel, hopeful that today would bring him closer to solving the puzzle of their creation.
Ishi hadn’t been waiting long when he saw Senpei approaching, a bounce in his step and a mischievous grin on his face that promised tales of adventure - or at least, antics - meh who can tell.
“Hey, Ishi!” Senpei called out as he jogged the last few steps, shaking off the last of the morning’s dampness. “You should’ve seen what I got up to yesterday. The storm was howling like a Exploud, but me and my brothers took that as a challenge to outloud the loudness!”
Ishi’s curiosity piqued, he leaned in. “Oh? And how did you ‘out loud the loudness’? You didn’t like… destroy your entire house or anything… right?”
With a flourish typical of his dramatic nature, Senpei launched into his story. “We played Pokémon Pictionary and guess which Ninja trick! It was epic. Every time the thunder cracked, we’d jump, and whoever was drawing had to add a random line to their drawing. Made for some pretty weird Pokémon guesses! And sometimes the thunder would make our tricks go a little wonky so we kinda have a new entrance to our place now…” with a sheepish grin he rubs the back of his head looking as bashful and proud as can be.
Ishi laughed, imagining the chaos, picturing the house full of Senpei’s energetic brothers and their competitive spirit. “Sounds like a lot of fun. Did you learn anything new while playing?”
“Oh, definitely!” Senpei said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’m almost sure I’ve figured out what Pokémon my brothers have. I think Ippei’s got a water type, and Nihei’s definitely got something grassy. But man, figuring out which ones they are is harder than I thought.”
Ishi nodded, keeping his expression carefully neutral to hide his knowledge of Ippei’s Greninja and Nihei’s Venusaur. “That’s pretty cool. It must be tricky trying to guess without them outright telling you.”
“Yeah, it’s a real ninja challenge,” Senpei agreed with a laugh as he saw Ishi cringe at what he’d just said. “But I’ll crack it one day. Just you wait.”
The conversation drifted then to other things - plans for the day, what they hoped to get up to with no classes and minimal supervision. But as they talked, Ishi couldn’t help but admire Senpei’s determination and the fun he’d had with his family. It reminded him of the importance of those close to him, not just in sharing successes, but in enjoying the simple moments together.
As they waited for Ivy to join them, the village was slowly coming back to life around them, Ishi felt a renewed sense of purpose. Whatever today held, with friends like Senpei by his side, it was bound to be memorable. The evil grin came back with a vengeance.
Ivy arrived a few moments later, her cheeks flushed from rushing. As soon as she appeared, Senpei couldn't help but tease her. "Look who's late! The one who's always on our case about being on time!"
Ivy rolled her eyes but her smile betrayed her amusement. "Oh, quiet you two. If I recall, I'm usually waiting on both of you!”
Their playful banter quickly gave way to a chase, laughter echoing off the trees and puddles they splashed through as they darted around, the damp earth soft under their feet. When they finally settled down, breathless and giggling, they continued toward their usual hangout spot. Ivy shared her own storm day story. "My mum and I raced around the house using the body switch technique. We jumped from object to object, and let's just say, we caused a bit of chaos for dad!" The image had both of her friends laughing as they imagined the look on her dads face.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
By the time they reached their spot, a comfortable area surrounded by large trees and patches of soft grass, they were ready to relax. It was then that Ishi decided to share his own activities from the previous day. He reached into his satchel and pulled out the five Pokéball shells, handing one to each of his friends while he studied the other three.
"This is what I got up to," Ishi said, a hint of disappointment threading his voice as he watched their reactions.
Senpei and Ivy examined the shells closely, their expressions turning to frowns. "This isn't right," Senpei commented, turning the shell over in his hands.
Ishi nodded, his face solemn. "Wooow what would i do without you, Mr captain feckin obvious over here!” that got a scowl from Senpei and a giggle from Ivy, but Ishi just continued “I followed the instructions to the letter. The appearance is just as I wanted, but the core, the part that actually makes it a Pokéball, it just didn’t work.”
The trio sat in thoughtful silence for a moment, each pondering the problem. After a series of questions that only circled back to their initial confusion, Senpei shrugged. "There's obviously something missing that Mr. Suru didn't tell us during the demonstration."
Ishi sighed, looking between his two friends. "Yes, but what is that thing? Any ideas?”
Both shook their heads, their own curiosity piqued yet stumped. "Figured I'd ask anyway," Ishi continued, "Looks like I’m going to have to ask Mrs. Tanoshi tomorrow and maybe go looking for Mr. Suru to try and get them to tell me."
Confirmed. Quest Created:
You And Your Friends Have Come To The Correct Conclusion That The Sneaky Adults Of Your Village Have Hidden Something From You. Search And Find Both Mr. Suru And Mrs. Tanoshi And Have Them Tutor You!
Rewards: Completed Knowledge on Mr. Suru’s Crafting Method, Knowledge of Pokemon Medicine.
Accept: Y/N
Reading through the new quest he realised that the quest had only been created after he and his friends had agreed on the same course of action. When he alone had come to this conclusion the System hadn’t offered any kind of quest to him ‘there must be some specific conditions that the system needs before it can create a quest for me, I’ll need to keep this in mind and consider it later’. He accepted the new quest and returned his focus to his friends.
The mystery was still clearly hanging over them so Ishi tucked the shells back into his satchel. Shifting the mood, he asked brightly, "So, what are we going to do with the rest of the day then?”
At that, Senpei's eyes sparkled with mischief, and Ivy rolled her eyes, already anticipating the kind of trouble the boys might be plotting.
Whatever the rest of the day held, it was clear they would make the most of their unexpected freedom, diving into whatever adventures or mischief lay ahead in the still recovering village.
***
Confirmed. Quest Completed:
Your wonderful mother has decided to enlist your village's kid genin to the cleanup crew. Help them with the task of boosting morale the way you do best!! ;)
Rewards: 50 Exp
Standing in a line, heads bowed in collective guilt, Ishi, Senpei, and Ivy faced their moment of reckoning. Before them, Mrs. Tanoshi and Shion, Ishi’s mother, stood with hands on their hips, their expressions stern and tinged with disbelief.
“What made you think that was a good idea?” Mrs. Tanoshi’s voice was sharp, cutting through the tense silence. She looked each of them in the eye, searching for an answer.
When none came, her tone grew even more exasperated. “Why on earth would you use Ninja signs to terrorise the cleanup class?” Her disappointment was palpable, and it hung heavy in the air.
Beside her, his mothers glare was enough to make Ishi shrink back. At the mention of Ninja tricks, a stifled chuckle escaped both Senpei and Ishi, earning them another fierce glare aimed at them from Ivy, who was clearly not amused.
Just then, his mum stepped forward and clipped Ishi’s ears sharply. “Hey!” he yelped, more from surprise than pain, but a quick look at his mother’s face stopped any further protest. The vein throbbing on her forehead was a clear indicator of her barely contained annoyance.
“As punishment for what you’ve done, you will all help remove the water from the paths, I want them Bone Dry” Mrs. Tanoshi declared, her voice brooking no argument, and the way she had said ‘Bone dry’ sent chillies down each of their spines. “No Ninja tricks allowed - only your hands and a bucket for you three.”
The trio groaned aloud but began shuffling down the path to gather their equipment, their mischief momentarily curbed by the gravity of their situation. The only solace for Ishi was the fact he had completed his quest.
They passed a group of teenagers from the cleanup class, drying off with towels and picking mud from their hair, the comedic sight proved too much. Laughter bubbled up among Ishi, Senpei, and Ivy, despite the stern circumstances.
“Worth it,” Senpei whispered with a mischievous grin, earning a nod and a chuckle from Ishi.
Ivy, however, was not quite so tickled. Grabbing both boys by the ear, she dragged them forward, her look stern. “Come on, you two. Let’s get this over with,” she scolded, though the corners of her mouth twitched, betraying her amusement.
Their amusement faded when they reached the waterlogged paths, buckets in hand, ready to start their punishment. Despite the hard work ahead, the shared experience of getting into trouble - and now paying for it together - somehow brought them closer.
Exhausted and still damp from the day’s labours, Ishi crept back home, hoping to sneak upstairs for a quick rest before dinner. His plan, however, was quickly thwarted as he was promptly swept up under his dad’s strong arm and plopped onto a chair in the kitchen.
As Ishi tactfully avoided his parents' gaze, looking off to the side, Haku and Shion exchanged a knowing look before turning their narrowed eyes back to their son. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Haku asked, his tone stern yet tinged with a hint of curiosity about his son's misadventures.
Ishi sighed, a sheepish grin spreading across his face despite the gravity of the situation. "It was really funny - you should have seen the aftermath. They thought a freak weather event had occurred!" His voice carried a note of pride for the chaos he’d conjured, but it faltered as he remembered the consequences. "If only Senpei hadn't been so loud in his laughter, we would never have been caught," he grumbled.
Both parents raised an eyebrow at that, and while Ishi was busy studying his now extremely interesting fingernails, he missed the amused glance they shared over his head. Clearing his throat to regain a semblance of parental composure, Haku responded, "That may be, but the lessons your mother was trying to teach the class have gone to waste. They had to go home to clean up, which slowed down the cleanup process considerably.”
Ishi nodded, understanding the impact of his actions. “I promise not to do it again,” he said sincerely, the weight of the day’s events settling on him.
Just then, Shion stepped forward and clipped him gently behind the ear - a definite reminder of her love… yeah that's what it was, he definitely didn’t feel any hostility coming from her whatsoever... "Go on up to your room, Ishi. We'll call you down for dinner in a little while."
Relieved to be dismissed and grateful that the repercussions weren’t harsher, Ishi scampered up to his room. Lying on his bed, he couldn’t help but think about the day. It had been fun, yes, but it had also been a lesson in responsibility. As he lay there, waiting to be called to dinner, he pondered the fine line between mischief and disruption.
All things considered, Ishi thought it could have gone a lot worse. Contented with the outcome and the chance to reflect, he waited quietly, the events of the day slowly turning over in his mind.