Chapter 3

'So this is where you're working?' Sonia asked. She had taken off her brown overcoat, making her green sweater the brightest thing in the room. Her hair took on an amber glow in the dark room as she stood with her back to Looker, staring at the same pedestal that Nessa had been looking at a few hours earlier. Just like Nessa, Sonia was smart enough not to ask any questions about the Poké Ball inside.

'Sorry for the light,' Looker said.

'Don't be,' Sonia said, as she turned around with a smile. She laid her piercing green eyes on Looker. They seemed even brighter surrounded by the dark glow of her hair. 'I like it this way. Reduces distraction, keeps the mind sharp.'

Looker raised one eyebrow as he answered her smile. It was almost as if she had already been talking to Nessa.

'I had some more questions.'

'So you mentioned,' she said, as she moved a step closer. It was difficult to see in this light, but it almost seemed as if she was blushing. Looker had noticed something similar in the restaurant. He frowned. She wasn't…. right?

'You said you were looking into some of your own things when you crossed paths with Rose. What was that?'

'Sorry, can't say,' she said with a coy smile. 'Official professor business.'

Looker couldn't help but grin. It was refreshing to see a professor this much on top of the problems of the region. He could clearly see that Sonia wasn't going to let herself get tricked by her opponents; not every professor Looker had met could say the same thing.

'And that official professor business just happened to take you to all the places where Rose was executing his plan? Stow-on-side, Hammerlocke, you have a real knack for being in the right place at the right time.'

'If you plan on accusing me of working with Rose, then I can stop you right there,' she said calmly. Her voice wasn't angry, as if she was anticipating this already. So she really had been talking to Nessa.

'Oh I would never,' Looker said with a friendly smile, which Sonia immediately answered. 'No, you are clearly not the type to work with a madman such as him.' He slyly looked at her face to see if she would betray anything. She in turn looked away, as if she was afraid to meet his eyes. No, he corrected himself, not afraid. Shy. And the blush was definitely there. Crap.

'Well I'm flattered that you think that highly of me, mister Looker.'

'No I'm much more inclined to think you worked with Leon.'

Her features hardened instantly. The smile and blush disappeared from her face and her eyes turned cold, as if he had just insulted her entire being. Careful Looker, he said to himself. Don't push it too far.

'With Leon?!' she said indignantly.

'I'm just trying to figure out what your relationship is exactly,' he said calmly, trying to prevent another outburst like he had just had with Nessa. 'You two have a clear history, and there is a lot you're not telling me about the prevention of the Darkest Day. So if you're not to blame, then I just have a very simple question: what are you not telling me, miss Sonia?'

She sighed, resigning to the situation. Looker let out a sigh of his own too, not as obvious though, happy that he wasn't heading for another confrontation.

'You're right, Leon and I have history. We're childhood friends, we grew up together. When we were old enough we both took our gym challenge together. We were…. I mean, I was… but he didn't…' She sighed and shook her head. Looker nodded in understanding, but didn't interrupt her. 'Anyway, obviously, being the prodigy that he was, he won every single battle he fought and I didn't, so he became the champion. Somewhere over the years he must have heard what Rose was doing, but you have to believe me: Leon is the best trainer there is! He doesn't need matchfixing, he is more than capable of winning the championship battles himself!'

'Was,' Looker corrected her. 'He was more than capable. He isn't champion anymore.'

'No, that's true. He…' she hesitated again. Against his better instincts, Looker walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

'I am on your side here Sonia. But you have to let me help you. I can't prove anyone's innocence if I don't know the full story.'

That seemed to break her. 'His brother was there. Hop, and someone who took the gym challenge with him. They were the ones to defeat Rose, they were the ones to stop the Darkest Day, and not Leon.'

Looker let go of her and leaned against his desk. 'But of course you all kept that quiet, because you can't have teenagers running around fighting against dangerous criminals.' He tried hard to suppress a smile. He couldn't give Sonia the impression that he wasn't taking her seriously.

'So what are you going to with them?'

'Hm? Oh, nothing.'

'Really?'

'Yes really. Trust me, if I had to jump into action every time I meet a teenager fighting criminals, then I wouldn't get anything else done. Don't worry about that. So I'm guessing Leon resigned as champion to make clear that he wouldn't rig the championship for his brother, so that Hop has a fair chance at the next one right?'

'Uh… yeah,' Sonia said, a little confused. She clearly didn't expect this response from Looker.

'Alright then, that clears it all up for me.'

'Wait, that was it?'

'Yes. Well, no, not really, but that is all I need from you for the time being. I'm still convinced that Rose had some help, but it's clear to me that neither you nor Nessa had anything to do with that. So, miss Sonia, given that we are done here now: would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Hulbury Market? I have heard good things about it and have been very eager to explore it myself.'

The Hulbury Market was precisely what Looker expected it to be. The exotic goods that sailors brought in from all over the world were being sold and traded here, and it made for a nice conversation starter to see items from his previous adventures be showcased by the salesmen in the harbor. Sonia made for very pleasant company, put at ease knowing that neither she nor Leon were suspects in Lookers investigation. He did occasionally catch her sneaking a sly look at him or hiding a smile, but she luckily never acted upon it. As the sun started to set, Sonia took him to a bench at the base of the lighthouse where they shared some of the berries they had bought at the market.

'Have you really done all of that?' she asked in amazement.

'That, and so much more,' Looker smiled. 'But I can't tell you about the rest of it though. Official international police business.'

Sonia chuckled as she playfully prodded him in his side. 'Fine, keep your secrets then, international man of mystery.' They sat silently on the bench for a while, watching the sun sink away into the sea; the very sea that Looker had arrived on just that morning. It felt like an eternity had passed already since that moment.

'So what's next?' Sonia asked, as she nibbled away at one of the berries.

'I'm not sure,' Looker answered. 'Part of me was hoping to solve it right here, but that's clearly not happening. I guess I'll go visit the mine that Rose was sent to, the one outside Turffield. That's as good a place to start as any.'

'Well best of luck to you, mister Looker,' Sonia said. Again with the hidden smile and that look in her eyes that she tried to hide so well. Looker shook his head. It probably couldn't hurt to create a bit of distance between the two of them for a little while.

Just as he grabbed another berry from the bag, he heard something rustle in the bushes behind him. Slowly he looked over his shoulder. Sonia had heard it too and followed his lead. A small, dark figure was visible inside it, but he couldn't clearly see what it was. Carefully he laid the berry down on the ground. A stubby, purple arm reached out for it, tapping around the ground and grabbing the berry on the third try. Sonia laid out another berry, a little further away this time, and watched as the small Pokémon crawled out of the shrubbery towards the berry.

'A Toxel!' she said softly, with endearment in her voice. Looker stood smiling at the little Pokémon that was munching away on the food they had given it. He gently lowered himself and extended his hand to the small Pokémon.

'Careful,' Sonia said. 'Their skin can hurt if they don't trust you.'

'It's okay, I know how to handle these little critters.' The Toxel growled a little as Looker extended his hand, but he didn't bite or recoil. Looker gently ran his fingers over the head of the little Pokémon and started patting it. The Toxel looked a little suspicious at first, but quickly started to enjoy it and let out little sounds of joy.

'There you go little one. I knew you'd like that,' Looker said as he started to scratch the small Toxel under its chin. 'What are you doing out here, all alone?'

The Toxel stopped and let out a sound that almost sounded like a cry or a whimper. He looked at the statues alongside the lighthouse: statues of two Toxtricity.

'He's lost his parents,' Sonia said. 'The poor thing.'

'And you're hoping to find them again here.' Looker sighed. What is it with you and orphans? he said to himself. He grabbed another berry and fed it to the Toxel. 'Well don't worry. You don't have to be alone anymore from now on.'

'Do you have any Pokémon already?' Sonia asked.

'Just one. The agency gave me a Corvisquire to help me here.'

Sonia smiled as the Toxel started to gleefully eat the berry. 'Well now it seems like you have two.'