*Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. However I made up Crystal, Blaze, and Ember.

- this is a story I wrote awhile back and found while going through stuff. I don't plan on continuing it unless I get some really good reviews.

Crystal looked up at the building ahead of her.

"Wow a pokémon daycare! They train up you pokémon for you in luxurious surroundings. No harm in giving my pokémon a little boost before leaving town, I could leave them here overnight and be back for them in the morning." A young blonde lady in a lab coat was outside the building.

"Come one come all! We promise to raise your pokémon and even evolve them!" There was a crowd around her. Crystal moaned.

"I wonder if they'll be able to keep them overnight, I sure don't want to wait two days."

"If you leave your pokémon here you'll never see them again." Came a voice from behind her. She jumped and turned to see a shadowed figure against the building behind her. "Those people aren't pokémon caretakers, they're pokémon thieves." Crystal crossed her arms.

"They look friendlier than you do."

"Didn't I tell you that there's more to people than meets the eye? Oops."

"Blaze, is that you?" He grabbed her arm and pulled her into an alley.

"Shhhh!!! I told you to stay at the pokémon center, I knew that this building and crowd would catch you and everyone else's eye. I plan to put these thieves out of action, for now, at least." Crystal frowned.

"How?"

"Come and see." He motioned for her to follow him. "Let me do the talking." They entered the day care, the blonde was now behind a desk.

"Good afternoon, may I help you?" Blaze walked up to the desk.

"Yes, I'd like to leave my vulpix here overnight. She's been kinda moody lately." He pulled out a poke ball and let vulpix out. "Say hi to the nice lady vulpix." He coaxed her, instead she turned her back on him and yawned, with her nose in the air. The blonde chuckled.

"I'm sure she just needs some extra attention to cheer her up!" She scooped up the vulpix and took her to another room, when she returned she handed Blaze a brochure. "Here's a list of all the services that your vulpix will get. See you!"

"Thank you so much! I'm glad I found a place I can trust, there's so many places these days I'm never sure where to take my pokémon for extra care. Come on… sis, let's go." After they where a distance from the day care Crystal turned to him.

"Are you crazy? I thought you said that they're pokémon thieves!" Blaze chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess I ought to get an Espeon to do the espionage instead of vulpix, though she can act like the perfect prima donna." His plan dawned on Crystal, at least part of it.

"You're going to use vulpix to stop them?"

"Yes and no, she's going to open the door for me tonight when I break those pokemon out."

"I want to help." Blaze shook his head.

"No way, you're a good trainer but too inexperienced. Besides this is, uh confidential… official police work I'm doing."

"You're with the police?"

"I help them occasionally, but I'm not one."

"Oh." Crystal looked out into the street. "When do you plan to get in?"

"After dark, they'll never know what hit 'em." He looked out onto the street. "I just wish it were those two bungling idiots Jessie and James then I'd hardly need to plan anything." He sat down and pulled out a camera.

"You can use this, we'll need more proof than just cages and unhappy pokémon."

"That's stupid."

"Yeah, Officer Jenny was pretty mad the first time I did this kind of thing and the judge didn't accept the pokémon as proof, some people just don't get it I guess." Blaze frowned as he watched a girl go into the day care with a pikachu at her side. "Looks like we'll have more company than I'd hoped."

"Wha?" Crystal asked in confusion. "Why's that?" He pointed to the girl as she left without her Pikachu.

"She's doing the same thing I am."

"How do you know?"

"I've, uh, heard of her from some of the officers, just hope she doesn't mess up my plan."

"Why don't you work together?" Blaze glared at her.

"No way."

"Why not?"

"That's none of your concern."