Hello Everyone! Sorry I've been gone for so long! A lot has happened to me in the past week: sickness, academic problems, managing all my social media stuff. And the worse part is that I had to rewrite not this chapter... but several of them beyond because I didn't like the end result. Also I had to change Chapter 8 regarding Markus' and Rose's relationship. It's a minor detail but without that change this chapter wouldn't make much sense.

Also if there's anything you want to add to this story (review wise) including suggestions, picking out errors, expressing thanks etc. You can message me. I hope you enjoy this one and I'm going to try to force myself to be on a release schedule. We'll see how that works. But anyways, enjoy.

Chapter 19: A New Investigation

Lucario was patiently tapping on the steering wheel as she observed from the van. All those little-ones, how they bounced and laughed as they left the front gate and were wrapped around the arms of their parents. She couldn't help but smile to see a ursaring pat his human daughter with glee as they entered their large truck. It's amazing how they modified the size of cars nowadays. I wonder if they'll make one for gyarados? Now that would be a traffic nightmare.

Rose relaxed back in her seat, looking at the bag in the passenger seat, a bag with a picture of a common cow wearing a cowboy hat… Chow's Meat House. She originally planned on taking Calvin there after school but her day off work had yet to come, so she did the next best thing. If there's anything that can be counted on, it is Calvin's particular taste for junk food. Not really a surprise, he told her how terrible the food was at White Fang but honestly he was probably over exaggerating.

A soft whine escaped her snout. Rose still remembered when the adoption policies were more relaxed. She swore she signed more paperwork at that place than when she was starting out as an explorer. It was for the best of course, had they not any sicko could have a field day… shame that it took so long before people realized.

Rose shook her head, dispelling the lucario of her thoughts. "I've been following the guidelines, I'm on the right track… just need to keep an eye out for trouble." And that's the most she can do right now anyways. Luckily for her, her eye caught sight of Calvin coming this way. She smiled but noticed that her boy didn't share the mutual feeling. A quick glance using her aura sense painted a picture for her.

'Oh no'. Thought Rose. ``Something's happened, hasn't it.'

Calvin opened the passenger side door and tossed the backpack at his feet. He let out a sigh of relief as his body melted across the seat. Rose turned on the engine and looked at Cal with a exaggerated smile.

"So… how was school, honey?"

"Oh school? Eh… it was fine I guess. "

Rose raised an eyebrow as she reversed. "I guess?"

Calvin shrugged, avoiding her line of sight. "Yeah I… yeah things were definitely fine for the part. It's… I'm just very tired now. I really want to go home."

"That's all I need to hear." She said to both warm up Calvin and stoke up her worst fears. She was trying to pry more. "So anything interesting in school that you want to talk about?"

"I found that all my friends are attending the same school I am. Class was really easy today and… that's about it."

He was avoiding eye contact, something happened. Rose cursed silently for the lack of traffic, if only she had an excuse to talk more before the exit onto the main highway. Screw it, she had to try.

"Are you sure nothing happened? I know that starting school in this day and age can be a bit… weird. But I went through it. Okay, not as a kid but you get the point. And if you ever need help on something I'm always avali-

"Thanks Rose but… I just want to relax." Calvin looked out the car window, frowning as he kept his eye on the school building.

Rose bit her lip. He gets like this when he's embarrassed or afraid of something. Calvin doesn't like to wear his heart on his sleeve all the time. Rose couldn't do anything about it now, but there is something she could do. "Hey Cal, I got some food here if you want."

That got his attention; he momentarily dropped his gloomy look. "Food?"

Without batting an eye, she took the bag and placed it on Calvin's lap. Calvin saw the name on the bag and his eyes widened. "Burger's burger place?"

"I wanted to make your first day of school special. They have a wide menu but I picked the one thing I know you'll love."

Calvin peeked into the bag. His small smile was unavoidable. "A burger and fries… How did you know?

"Not just any burger. It has fried bacon, guac and all the veggies you neglect to eat."

Calvin rolled his eyes. "I don't hate veggies, just asparagus " He unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite. His expression told her everything, Burger you are quite the chef. "It tastes real good, Rose. Thank you."

A little weight was taken off her chest. "You're welcome."

The ride back home was uneventful. Traffic was forgiving, the radio was relaxing to listen to, and Calvin remained passive for the most part. He preferred to gobble that meal like his life depended on it. The boy was getting too quiet for her liking but at least he's not moody anymore.

They arrived at the house when it was starting to drizzle. Rose hoped to perhaps spend some time with Cal before work, but her cell phone broke the news.

"Hey Cal, why don't you get settled in the house. I need to take this."

"Ok."

Upon him being out of earshot, Rose pressed the button and placed the phone to her ear.

"Hello, this is Rose Capper speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hey Rose." It was Heli. "I'm calling on behalf of the guildmaster. She wants you back at the guild."

Rose groaned. "Yes, I know. I'll be there soon."

"Well, she wants you here now. It's urgent."

"Teardrop… couldn't she get someone else. What's so important-"

"Rose, the guildmaster wants all of us, It's a big announcement.

She clenched her fist. "I'll be right over."

Rose got out of the car and regretfully locked it. It was too early for her to deal with this. 'Erm… it doesn't matter how I feel. Someone has to do the job. I just wish the job was… calmer? Just shake it off Rose and focus. There are more important problems to handle.'

There was only one last remaining space. A moment sooner and she would have been out of luck. She swung the car door open and looked up. Seastone Guild was certainly a pleasing sight for the eyes: The roof spiraled and contorted into a spiky seashell, the paint scheme involved plenty of cyan, dark blue and violet, the even went so far as to establish a unique watering filtering system that allowed for them to pull in water into the ocean and turn into regular drinking water.

It's nice but seriously, what is with this city? Just because you name something ocean-related doesn't automatically make it hip.

"Whatever it is, it better be quick." Burger was more than understanding when she called him to look over Calvin. He can be a bit rambunctious but he doesn't mess around when it comes to kids. Makes sense, kids love dogs, dogs love kids, and cats are just jerks.

She wasted no time walking up those pearly-white steps and slouched her way through the revolving door. Beyond the transparent glass was the lobby amongst other things.

The guild was seven floors high, all of which can be witnessed by tilting your head up. The large open space in the middle of the building made the place more beautiful than it already was, especially seeing her fellow guild members going up and about on the railings and bridges.

She felt a little rumble beneath her feet. Looking down, through the vertical of tempered glass were various species of aquatic pokemon swimming through the 'aqua vents'. They weren't really vents, they were essentially large pipes that connected to most of the guild. Throughout the building were dumbwaiter-like openings that, once a pokemon enters, would allow them in and out of the vents. Very neat she must admit, shame she couldn't try it herself. She could do many things but breathing underwater was beyond her.

"Alright… alright. I'm getting onto it sir but I'm still wrapping up the other memos you wanted me to send out. How long? Probably be a hour, maybe less." The vaporeon sat on the main desk. One paw was the phone she was speaking too, the other one was scratching the belly of a Ragdoll cat, who was gleefully biting on the fingers of the receptionist.

The vaporeon paused when she saw her. She brought the phone closer to her snout. "Sorry sir, but I have some visitors. Can I call you later? Okey dokey, sir. Have a nice day." The water type flicked the switch and the call went dead. She waved to Rose. "Hi, Rose! How'd you been doing?"

"Mmh… fine I guess." Rose walked to the counter, trying her best to fake the smile and write her signature into the sign-in sheet. "So… how'd you been doing, Teardrop?"

Teardrop giggled. Oh nothing much! I recently took 'Boots' to kitty daycare. Then I took him to the groomers and fed him his favorite snack! Speaking of which he'd lost a lot of weight, I've been trying to keep him on a diet and I think it's working. He's even cuter than before. Look!"

She picked up the cat by the arms and held her in front of Rose. Boots purred and flicked her tail from side to side. The lucario had to admit. It did look cute.

"Yeah, Teardrop. You're right. Boots have become more adorabl-" Boots hissed and attempted to slash at Rose without warning.

Teardrop quickly laid the cat on her lap, laughing sheepishly. "Haha. I think someone slept on the wrong side of the bed. Sorry for that."

Right… cats are still jerks.

"It's fine. I'm here for the debriefing with the guildmaster. How much time do I have left? I suppose I can sneak into the kitchen for a sec and make do?"

Teardrop shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea. Most of the people are piling up now. It wouldn't be a good look if you were the only one absent."

Man… if only those burgers from earlier had filled her up more. "Fine, I'll go there now. I'll see you later, Teardrop. Bye."

"See you later sister!" Rose can hear the hissing behind her back, and the soft chastising of Teardrop. She shook the thought of the annoying furry brat and entered the elevator. The doors were about to close but then a familiar face stopped the doors then entered the shaft with her.

"There you are Heli. How's… why are you panting?"

The Drifblim pressed the button for the top floor and continued panting hard for several seconds before addressing her. "Hey Rose. Missed the bus. Had to rush. Fast."

Rose cringed. She knew how far Heli's apartment was from the building. It would have been quite the workout for all his floaty muscles. "Man… sucks to hear that, Heli. At least you'll be able to hydrate yourself once we get to the 'pen'."

"Yeah… they better." He groaned as he leaned against the elevator wall. He stared out at the scenery. At the top levels of the shelly roof, large openings with balconies affixed to the outside stroked his envy. Several winged pokemon flew in and out of the guild. Rose noticed his expression.

"Still haven't gotten your flight license yet?"

"No!" Heli replied indignantly. "I went through the rings with flying colors until I brushed up against one of them. It's completely stupid. Why do we even need a license! I flew just fine before!"

"Yeah, but those were in the wilderness. You know there are many obstacles when it comes to cities, right? Billboards, helicopters, streetlamps-"

"I know that." Heli said in defeat. "It's just… I mean… it's not fair that my abilities are being squandered here. I mean, yeah, sure there were a couple of accidents in the past-"

"A hundred an fifty two to be exact."

"My point is that everyone was doing just fine as is. But then the minority had to ruin it for the majority. Now they're having us flying in specific routes or you'll be fined or get your license taken away. It's...

"Stupid?"

"I was going to say frustrating but that's even better."

"Don't take it personal, Heli. You know the city is more restrictive when it comes to other abilities. Having to fly a certain way doesn't seem that bad in comparison."

"It's still stupid." The doors opened to the top floor, they headed straight to the 'Pen.' "So, what do you think of this all about?"

Rose looked at him curiously. "You don't know?"

"Nah, the guildmaster didn't say much other than it was highly important. He wants to reveal it to everyone at once. You know he hates repeating himself. Why couldn't he email us instead?"

"Since when is it a good point to deliver classified materials on a common email client?"

"...Fair point."

Loud chattering could be heard beyond the wall. That noise became tenfold when Rose opened the door. All the pokemon that she had worked with or became acquainted with during her time as a guildmember were here. Some laughed and snorted in hush tones, others had been drained and were using the coffee they were chugging in hopes of being recharged. At least she wasn't the only one wishing for ten more minutes of sleep.

"Sssssss! Isn't my favorite mutt!'' Seviper snickered as he saw Rose waved Heli goodbye and sat in the desk next to his. The snake previously fiddled around with his pen to pass the time, now that his favorite chew toy was in the house he'll have to make do. "Aw, what'ssssss with the long face? You ain't happy to sssssssee me?"

"Nope!" Rose couldn't help but smirked. Luckily they were passing some pastries and coffee around the room. A quick bite of the brownie was more than enough to put her at ease. "But I am happy to eat this."

"You're eating that, huh? I thought lucarios were allergic to chocolate?"

"Pfft. You kidding me, Viper? This stuff is practically catnip for us, only less addicting. Besides, my species is more closer to jackals than dogs. Big difference."

"Ssssssstill don't mean they can eat it."

As Rose was taking in the taste of her coffee, she could still sense that the snake had questions for her. Might as well get them out of the way. "Something's up, Viper?"

The seviper was leaning out of his chair now, tongue flicking out of his mouth. "Kind of. I heard a rumor going around and I wanna confirm if it'ssssss true or not."

Rose pulled the brownies away from her snout and turned to Viper, her head tilted. "Confirm what?"

"I heard from a little birdie that we're gonna have a human join the force, and that you've been training them." Viper smiled with glee. "So sssssspill it. C'mon… tell me. Is that true or is it taurosssss-crap?"

Rose paused and tapped one of her fingers on the desk. While it wasn't a federal secret, the guildmaster had told her to keep it quiet. It was supposed to be a surprise. But Viper already knew and he was respectful of people's privacy… for the most part… Erm… sure. Why not. The reveal is going to be coming very soon anyways.

"Yeah, it's true." She whispered. "I've been training him and now he's ready for duty. The guildmaster is waiting to make it public but I think the news will break sooner."

Viper leaned back with satisfaction. "Sssssssso our own blue puppy is going to be paired up with a human. Now that is adorable."

"Oh don't you dare get any funny ideas." Rose responded. "I've just been training him on the details and checking his progress. He's going to be assigned to me or someone else. He needs experience before he can go solo.

"Ssssssstill. It's certainly an interesting way to gain publicity." Viper commented.

"What do you mean? Publicity?" Asked Rose.

"I don't really ssssssee the point in letting a human join us." He raised his tail to clarify. "Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against humansssss, in fact I'm friendsssss with a good bit of them. It's just..." Viper kept speaking and Rose narrowed her eyes. "You know the work we're doing can be dangerousssss right?"

"Yeah?"

"I… I don't think humansssss would fare well here at all. It'sssss fine for usssss because our bodiesssssss can take a huge beating but humansssssss were always fragile. With the ssssssstuff we deal with that humanssssss will probably get sssssssnapped like a twig. If anything, I think he'll become a traffic cop. It is an easy job." Viper bit his own tongue in frustration. "Man. I really need to get thisssss verbal tic fixed already."

Well… sadly there's merit to that statement. The difference in strength that is.

Even the weakest pokemon has been scientifically proven to be more physically durable than most humans, adding superpowers into the mix… it'll be easier to see why a lot of pokemon fall into that mindset. Certain types of occupations like the military or construction tend to favor pokemon because of the variety of abilities and physical strength many of them had. When the sanctuaries allowed adult humans to join the workforce, they found most were being rejected from these jobs for the previously mentioned reasons.

It'd gotten so bad, the government had to step in and put in laws in place that prevented employers from doing that. Still did nothing to shake off the sense of inferiority that many humans felt. Still, the one great thing they had going for them was their intelligence. The human species had consistently shown the ability to be highly intelligent and capable of personal change. For this reason, humans are usually sought after by companies and scientific organizations. Their brains are worth more than their brawn, and it's the opposite for the pokemon. At the end of the day, it's just a matter at seeing what you're good at and patching up any weak points. So… if you think about it. It could just be the context-

The door knob turned. All the seats were quickly filled and the tone of professionalism quickly infected every facet of the room. A floating blue two tailed pokemon floated with ceremony as he pictured himself to the podium. They all watched as he adjusted flies and pulled the film projector to the middle of the room. Azelf had made himself known.

Azelf was among the first legendaries to willingly reveal himself to the public, alongside his siblings. They were the ones to actually bridge the gap between the world of legendries and the world of today. Rose remembered a good portion of Azelf's past. He primarily assisted the victims of the war, both human and pokemon; he even played a crucial role in the establishment of the sanctuaries worldwide alongside his siblings.

Things got calmer after that. He went back to Sinnoh for a time then moved to here in the heart of Pearl City. Due to his status as an legendary, he got many offers from various companies and organizations. To everyone's surprise, he chose to work for the guild, eventually reaching up to the level of guildmaster. He gave interviews from time to time, his words were always professional yet engaging. The buzz simmered down overtime but he still remained quite the celebrity. Don't say that to Azelf's face though. He really hates being called that.

After collecting all his notes, Azelf coughed and she felt the similar sensation of telepathy running through her brain. "At ease." The class relaxed. "Before we start off. I want to address an important announcement that would change the face of Seastone Guild forever."

Rose felt her muscles tensing, she leaned forward in her seat. On the edges of her vision she could see her fellow guildmembers doing the same thing. With a cough, Azelf eyed the door. "You can come in now." The door opened slowly.

Markus couldn't help but rub his hands in anticipation.

He'd been busy all week, sacrificing his spare time to hone on his current skills. The date of the impending announcement gave him chills. He was confident before but now he's having second thoughts. This job might be more complicated than he thought. The skills that determined if people believed if he had earned it, or given the job were on the line. There's no honor in having the bar lowered, people will think he's dead weight otherwise.

"You can come in now." That was his cue. Markus turned the knob and quietly pushed the door open. He heard gasps and amused whistles as a good portion of the force got a good look at him. He didn't recognize many of them… a lot of them were confused and looked to Azelf for answers.

"Everyone, I want to introduce Markus. Our first human guildmember. I'll be making an announcement about his recruitment in the very near future to the media. In time, I expect you to treat him as expected and to assist him when necessary. That is all. You can sit down Markus."

The human nodded and anxiously scanned the room. Everyone was staring at him, all with mixed reactions. Gasps and awe. Confused and reserved. Disappointment and cringe. Frowns and shaking of heads. He gulped and turned back to Azelf. "I don't see any… erm."

Azelf sighed and telekinetically pulled in an office chair from the closet. "We'll get you a new desk next time." Markus nodded once more and sat down, hands rubbing on his thighs. He couldn't help but look at the crowd, their expressions were softening now but he could see that a muzzle in the group was smiling, slightly, but smiling nonetheless… It was hard to tell from this angle. Wait are those pointy blue ears?

The white screen and projector were activated remotely. A small laser pointer floated in the air telekinetically. The legendary cleared his throat, the pokemon were pulling out papers and pencils from their satchels. Even though he wasn't issued one, he already felt naked.

God, he hated this feeling.

"There are some immediate concerns that need to be addressed." Azelf explained. "For starters there have been reports of repeated theft in Urchin District. By any luck, the perps should be making their rounds. Volucan, Star, Rain. There's also been intel that he or she may be armed. Proceed with Caution."

An incineroar, starmie, and altaria write in their notes, with the starfish pokemon sighing.

"Next, the important diplomats from Kanto are visiting the city. Don't ask why. They'll be going around doing various things. These diplomats are highly recognized, so there's a chance that some weirdos might try to pull a fast one. Highman, Rooftop, Blink, Trout. Go into your civilian clothes, meet the diplomats at the airport and keep watch. Don't be afraid to get a bit rough if you think something terrible will go down."

The throh, milotic, fearow began scribbling down with precision. The magikarp inside the fishbowl compiled the notes with the robotic arms attached to the glass. He must have been the leader. That made Markus stunned for reasons he couldn't grasp.

"Missile, lampwick." The dragapult and lampent beamed greatly. "There are some girl scout cookies that need to be delivered. The Butterfly Scout Association was short on staff at the moment and they requested our help. So get to it." And now they were frowning.

This continued to Markus' excitement. Pokemon were shuffling out in the room in pairs. It wasn't long until he and several pokemon remained.

"Now… as for all of you." Azelf narrowed his eyes intently at each and every single one. The laser point was being grasped directly in his little hands. "I just received word of another development in the Shadow-Life Case."

The grimaces were universal sans Markus. What was the change in tone? Why was he still here? Shouldn't the guildmaster have dismissed him by now.

"The crime scene is at 25686 Wilson Rowes, Orca Street. Report to the lockers as always. Forensics has more of the details. Everyone. Dismissed."

The seats were finally empty. Markus jumped up to go follow them but was stopped by Azelf. "Stop right there, Markus." The human tensed up, he forced himself to turn to see the legendary turning off the projector. "At ease. You're not in trouble. But I couldn't let you leave without your partner."

"Partner?"

"Hey Markus." The view of the familiar tender jackal came into view. "I see you go here just fine."

He paused and noticed Azelf had already left the room. Leaving nothing but the soft, controlled breathing of the two members to cloud the room. Markus almost blinked twice in surprise. "I have a partner… already? That's quick."

"Yeah, I know. Guildmaster Azelf does that a lot. He thinks you're ready, you either put up or shut up." Lucario softly grinned before guiding the human by the hand outside.. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. C'mon. Let's not keep the guild waiting. After all, duty calls."