#azeru

Today, so far, was a normal day for Rei. Wake up, feed his pokemon, check the requests, go to the photo booth, get to work. 

He got up and got dressed, check. He got the food his pokemon loved to eat made, check. He went to the board to check for requests and there weren’t any today, check. He was on the fourth part of his checklist, just finished taking his daily photo with Amya, his Samurott, when he saw Kamado was in the photo booth and noticed something no one else had noticed before. 

Kamdo

Was

BALDING!

He had a bald spot on the back of his head. It was soooo small, but noticeable if you were observant like him. 

So Rei did what any normal person would do. And went to go get his hair touched up, mainly for the reason to gossip with Warden Arezu. 

“Hey little hero! What can I get done for you today?” Arezu asked, then noticed Rei’s mischievous smile and immediately understood. “A touch up, I assume?”

“You know me too well, Warden Arezu!” He said, taking a seat. 

“Anything you wish to… spill?”

“Mhm… mayyybbee something. Depends on if you want to hear it, Arezu.”

“If I ever decline it then it ain’t me.”

“Pfft! Fair! Well, I was going through my normal day, and I had gotten to the photo booth part of my day. And you’d never believe what I saw.”

“What? Don’t leave me hanging!”

“I saw Kamado. And I noticed something different about him.”

“Ooh, what did you notice?” Arezu asked in excitement.

“I noticed a small piece of what should normally be hair missing from the back of his head.”

“WHAT?!? Wait… you’re not saying what I think you are, are you?”

“Oh I am! Girl, Kamado is B A L D I N G!”

“No! Ugh. I’m the Hairdresser! I should’ve been the first to notice. How were you able to notice faster than I was?”

“Because I am observant. And Kamado rarely leaves his office for anything. That was the fourth time I saw him out of his office EVER!”

“Well I suppose that makes sense. So… is this spreadable or is this staying between us?”

“Tell whoever you want, I’m feeling petty today.”

Rei said, about to pay Arezu for the touch up.

“You don’t need to pay, Rei. That was enough payment.” Arezu declined.

“Alright, whatever you say Warden.” Rei accepted. 

Rei then made his next stop. The Coronet Highlands. He and Melli didn’t always get along, but they would share and spread gossip together. 

Rei told Melli a lot of gossip, and he got gossip in return. 

So Rei made his way up to the Coronet Highlands, and up to where Melli usually was, with Lord Electrode.

“Hm, I see the beanpole is back. What is it that you want today, grunt?” Melli asked, flipping one of his braids. 

“Warden Melli, good to see you too. I have some hot and fresh gossip if you want to hear it!” He said with a mischievous smirk.

“Oh! Well my aplogies for my words. What gossip do you have, kid? Is it worthy for the great warden Melli?” Mellie asked, intrigued.

“Have you seen Kamado’s hair recently?”

“… no. What about it?”

“Melli, Kamado is BALDING!!”

“WHAT?!? No freaking way! I mean, about time, he is an old man.”

“How old is he?”

“Like, 56 or something. Somewhere around there. The boss man refuses to tell anyone his age because he thinks it will make people like him less.”

“… Really?”

“Of course he is. That old man is grey, but keeps dying his hair from what I can tell. He doesn’t even do it well.”

“Pfft! I’m assuming Azeru told you that when she dyed his hair for the first time?”

“Duh. I’m assuming I can tell Sabi and the others in the Diamond clan about this?”

“Of course. Kamado can’t do what he did to me and not expect me to get back at him.” Rei responded.

“Fair enough. Thank you for this information. It was worth dealing with… your presence. Anyhow, scram, child. I have more important things to tend to.” Melli said. Rei let out an annoyed but amused huff and left.

Time passed and the word spread like flies. Everyone knew now that Kamado was balding. And today Kamado happened to be going to the shops, while Rei and Akari were chatting outside, he could notice people walking by, looking at Kamado’s bald spot, and snickering. The spot had only gotten bigger. And Kamado looked so confused as to why everyone thought something was funny. But Rei wasn’t going to tell Kamado.

It only got funnier when Kamado looked even more confused when he saw young children trying to get to high places to look at the back of Kamado’s head. Rei had to bite his tongue to stop himself from bursting out laughing. But soon the realisation dawned on Kamado, and he quickly ran back to his office in embarrassment, muttering things questioning how people found out. 

The next day Rei was told to go to Kamado’s office. 

Rei quickly went there and did his best to act innocent and like nothing was wrong.

“Survey corp Rei. Rank 8. Savior of Hisui as we know it, and possibly the world. Why are people snickering and looking at the back of my head?” Kamado questioned. Acting very serious.

“I… have no clue whatsoever, Commander. How would I know? I study pokemon, not people.” Rei responded.

“… Rei. The whole village knows what I have dreaded them knowing. And you were the only person who saw me recently at a moment where you would have noticed it the other day in the photo booth. Why did you do this, Rei?” Kamado said, seeing through Rei’s lie.

“… to be fair you did exile me off of suspicion and assumptions before and I am petty.”

“I said I was sorry! I gave you your rank back. We even held a festival for you!” Kamado said, sounding exhausted, defeated, and embarrassed.

“You thought that would stop me?”

“… just. Ugh! I’m going to give you money to buy me a hat. I don’t care what it looks like, just get me a hat back here by the end of the day.” Kamado said, giving Rei enough money to buy Kamado a hat, that was possible Kamado’s worse mistake yet. Rei was going to have fun with this. Rei quickly nodded and went to Anthe. 

“Anthe! Anthe! I have a request for you!” Rei said excitedly and mischievously.

“Oh? What is it? What kind of clothes do you want?” Anthe asked, confused.

“Commander Kamado wanted me to buy a bat for him and gave me the money to buy one. So I thought why not make him a custom hat?” Rei explained.

“Ah! I see. What do you want the hat to look like?”

“So, a black beanie, with a white pom pom on top, and the words “Old Man” on the front!” Rei explained, to which Anthe looked shocked then started laughing.

“Are you sure he’ll be okay with it?” Anthe asked.

“He said any hat, and he didn’t care what it looked like. He should’ve specified!”

“… I’m only not going to charge you extra because it is for Kamado and you aren’t wrong. Give me an hour to add the words on to a beanie. I already have a black beanie with a white pom pom.” Anthe agreed.

Rei completed some more paths of solitude in the meanwhile. 

Soon enough the hat was ready, Rei paid for it, then also paid for it to be put in a box and wrapped like a present, and put a note in it. And then he brought it to Kamado, went downstairs after giving it to him, and listened to hear his reaction.