Thunder crashed and rain pelted the city of Celadon. The shadowy streets were illuminated by the dancing lightning, followed by another boom of thunder. Amid the rain flurries and the flashing light a Luxio was glimpsed running through the town, his fur soaked through.
The Luxio blinked the rain out of his silver eyes as he looked around the foreign city. He jumped at the next crash of thunder, his fur standing on end despite the rain. Finally his eyes alighted on a manhole cover in the center of the four way stop just ahead.
He rushed over to the manhole and stuck his claws into the holes, grunting as he lifted it up, slipped in and closed it behind him. His paws gripped the ladder tightly as he took a few deep breaths, resisting the urge to gag as the sewer stench hit him. Carefully, paw over paw, he descended the slick, rickety ladder into the darkness below.
Once he reached the grimy ground below he leaped off the ladder and looked ahead, his eyes widening in shock. Just a few yards away was the Pokémon's version of Celadon city, bright lights illuminating the underground city. Each city in every region had an underground version that the wild Pokémon created so they would have a safe place to retreat to when trainers came hunting as well as to have a place to make a living for themselves. Even though this was supposed to be a replica of Celadon it was twice the size of the original due to fluctuation in the Pokémon population.
The Luxio slowly entered the bright city, his tail flicking uneasily behind him. The streets were full of Pokémon despite it being near midnight. Merchants lined the streets, calling out loudly as they tried to pawn their goods off to those passing by. The Luxio was careful not to make any eye contact as he picked up the pace and trotted down the road.
Before long he came to the center of the city which was even busier than the main road he had entered the city in. His fur prickled uneasily, he had never been around this many Pokémon in his life. Spotting a vacant bench he quickly strode over to it and sat down to gather his wits.
Paws shaking he drew the letter out of the satchel he had slung around his chest and opened it. He had read the words thousands of times now since he received it but he still couldn't believe them. His brother Ray was missing. And this letter was his last link to him.
He had had a bad feeling in his gut since the video call the week before the letter had arrived. Ray had just contacted him briefly, letting him know he was about to have a meeting with a Pokémon named Ignis and that he wouldn't be able to call his little brother for a while.
It had seemed a bit off at the time but it wasn't that odd for his brother to have business trips and be gone for longer periods of time. But when the letter came he knew his brother was in deep trouble. The day he received the letter was the same day Ray's employer lost contact with Ray.
The Luxio shook his head to clear himself of the frightening memories and focused his attention on the address at the bottom of the letter.
"901 Chimney Road - Celadon City, Kanto Region.
Detective Services. Look for the Eevee with the bowler hat. She'll know what to do.
Good Luck Lux! Ray."
"I sure hope you're right about this Ray." Lux murmured as he tucked the letter back into his satchel and got up to search for the building. He cautiously padded around the city center, avoiding everyone as he searched the street signs. Finally on the opposite side he found Chimney Road.
It was a small, narrow road with only a few Pokémon wandering down it's uneven path. Lux began walking down the road at a brisk path, his keen eyes sweeping over each building in search of the right address.
He slowed to a stop as he reached the end of the street, his eyes wide as he looked up at the building in front of him. It was a very sad looking dilapidated building. The whole thing leaned to one side and Lux was certain that the lightest touch would send it toppling down.
The once sleek walls were chipped and cracked, making it hard to tell if the original color was brown or black. Lux slowly approached the wooden door, his eyes alighting on the faded numbers beside the rotting door.
"901. Well this is the place." Lux muttered, a shiver involuntarily running through him as he stopped just a few paces away from the eerie door. His fur crackled with nervous lightning as the door creaked open, as if it was beckoning him inside.
Swallowing his fear Lux padded into the dark building, hoping it would stay up until he was back outside. As he went in though he saw faded writing on the door that said 'Detective Services,' assuring him that he really was at the right place. Once inside he shut the door behind him, not really wanting anyone to see him entering a strange house and following him in.
The antechamber was dimly lit by an antique chandelier that swayed high above his head. There wasn't much in the room, just a bench, a coat rack, and an ornate rug that was coated in a thick layer of dust. Three hallways branched out from the small room: one to the left, one to the right, and one straight ahead.
Before Lux could decide which dark hallway he should check first his ears caught the faintest clinking noises from the hallway to the left. Guess that's where I should look first. He thought as he began creeping down the hall, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness.
The carpet under his paws muffled his steps as he slowly inched along, the clinking getting louder the further he went. Just as he turned the corner he caught sight of an open door with light spilling out of it. Cautiously he slid up to it and peered in, wondering what he would find.
It was a rather small room with a crackling brick fireplace off to the left which was the source of the light, dark wood flooring, a coat rack, a few bookshelves, and two leather chairs in the back that faced a large wooden desk. Sitting behind the desk was the one who was making all the noise.
It was a small Eevee with sharp yellow eyes and a black bowler hat snug on her head, her long ears draping behind her under the hat. She hadn't noticed him yet, she was utterly focused on whatever she was doing on her desk. Her small chestnut colored paws moving quickly as she picked up vials of various liquids and strange looking ingredients and poured them into a beaker.
Lux was watching her intently that he jumped when he heard her speak, her eyes still focusing on her experiment. "Well are you going to just stand there or are you going to come in and have a seat?"
"M-me?" He squeaked, surprised that she had noticed him there. She offered him one glare before she returned her gaze to her beaker as she sprinkled in an unknown substance.
"Yes you, who else is there?" She snapped, her voice sharp. Lux hesitated for another moment before he padded inside and sat across from the Eevee in one of the large chairs. She deftly added a few more drops of a few select vials to her beaker before she picked it up and set it on a Bunsen burner and turned it up high.
Lux moved his gaze from the simmering amber liquid to the Eevee's eyes which were now finally focused on his. Slowly he asked, "Are you Detective Eevee?" This caused her to scowl deeply as she folded her paws neatly on the desk, her tail flicking back and forth behind her.
"I am and you are Lux Lightning, a Luxio from Ecruteak City in the Johto Region." She replied evenly, the brim of her bowler hat casting a dark shadow over her glimmering eyes.
"Then you know why I'm here?" He asked, surprised that the Detective knew someone as ordinary as him.
She sighed quietly before she responded in a harsh tone, "I imagine this has something to do with your idiotic brother."
"He's not idiotic." Lux growled, his brotherly instinct prodding him to defend his elder brother.
The Eevee tilted her head at him, an annoyed look on her face. "Yes he is. Now do you have any evidence?" Lux sighed as he reached into his satchel and slid the letter across to her. She snatched it up and began reading it silently, her eyes flicking rapidly across the page.
Lux took this time to look around and he noticed that the wall to the right was covered in frames. As he looked he realized they were all news clippings. 'Detective Eevee: World Famous Sleuth! No Villain Can Escape Her! Detective Eevee - Beloved By All!' All of them were praising her deductive skills and showcasing the impossible cases she had solved. As his eyes swept over the wall of wondrous stories his gaze caught on an actual photo.
It was on the far corner of the wall but Lux could still make out the image from where he sat. In the center of the photo was an Eevee with a big grin on her face, donning a shiny bowler hat and a bright red bowtie on her neck fur. On the right side of the Eevee was a sharp looking Espeon wearing round spectacles and a fancy suit vest with a short sleeve white shirt underneath it, complete with a red tie. On the left side of the Eevee was a large Luxray with a big goofy grin on his face and bright silver eyes.
Wait. . . Silver eyes? Lux thought his eyes widening in shock. That's Ray! How does this Detective Eevee know Ray and why didn't he ever tell me about her? He shook the thoughts away as he heard paper rustling and turned his focus back to the Eevee.
She had slid the letter back to him and was focused once more on the amber liquid that was boiling over the Bunsen burner. With a pair of tongs she carefully lifted the beaker and poured the scalding liquid into a teacup she had sitting beside the vials that still covered her desk.
"Well?" Lux asked as she shut off the burner. She glanced up at him her eyes narrowed to slits.
"Have you reported him missing to the authorities?" She grunted, her eyes drifting to the steaming tea cup and staying there.
"His employers did. In every region." Lux replied, trying to keep his voice from shaking. They were doing nothing to help find his brother; he knew it. That's why his brother's letter had explicitly told him to find Eevee. Ray was certain she would help. Lux was not.
"Well I hate to tell you this but I don't take cases anymore. The Police are on it so you'll just have to hope they find him." Eevee stated, her voice cold. Lux felt his veins run cold and his jaw drop at the Detective's words.
"Wh-what?" He finally managed to gasp, his brain still trying to comprehend what she said.
The Detective took a long sip of her drink before she answered, not a speck of emotion on her face as she spoke. "I said I can't help you. The Police will handle it. Now get out of here; I'm busy." She waved a dismissive paw at him before taking her teacup in one paw and a paper in another and spinning her chair around so Lux was faced with the back of it.
"But Ray said you would help him." Lux said quietly, feeling all hope of finding his brother come crashing down and being replaced with grief and anger. "He believed you would come for him!" He shouted, static dancing around his mane.
"Not my problem." The Detective murmured, still facing away from him. Lux dug his claws into the chair, searching his thoughts for any possible way he could convince the Eevee to help him find his brother.
"You knew him, right? Don't you want to help a friend for old times sake?" Lux tried weakly. He had no idea what their relationship was like but was hoping this would work.
The Eevee snorted before she replied, her voice bored. "We are not friends; we were simply business partners and when things went down hill we went our own separate ways."
Lux bit his lip, trying to think of something else when he remembered something his brother had told him on their video chat. "Does the name Ignis mean anything to you?"
He nearly jumped out of his seat as the Detective whirled around in her chair in a surprising speed, the paper and tea cup falling from her paws onto the floor, and leaped towards him, her fur bristling. "How do you know that name?" She asked in an eerily calm voice despite her blazing eyes.
"Ray told me he was going to have a meeting with him and one week later he was reported missing and I received his letter." Lux explained, the words spilling out of his mouth.
The Eevee growled and pulled on her ears in frustration. "Darn him! That idiot!" She snarled as she released her ears and leaped off her desk. Quickly she rushed around the room, scattering papers and pens as she went, muttering all the while. Lux watched, utterly confused as she slipped on a small purse that hung on the coat rack, straightened her bowtie, and dashed out the door. Lux sat there a few minutes, trying to process what had just happened when Eevee yelled.
"Are you coming or not?" Instantly Lux got to his paws and raced after her, honestly afraid of what might happen if he didn't follow her. The front door was open and she was waiting impatiently beside it, looking extremely irritated.
"What are we doing?" He asked as he waited for her to lock the old door. She huffed as she finally got it to lock and turned around, walking down the street without stopping and answering him. Lux hurried after her and walked beside her, wondering if maybe he should try asking her again when she spoke.
"We're going to go find your brother and in order to do that we have to secure a flight."
"Where to?" Lux asked, his paws starting to tingle in excitement.
She offered him a smirk as she answered, her eyes gleaming. "We're going to Cinnabar Island."