"We've got an unknown amount of hostiles. Two hostages."

A deep blue Meowstic watched all of the people from a curved, black roof. The ridges were a little awkward on his feet, but he stayed focused on the maze of light up ahead.

Fellow police surrounded an old, rundown building surrounded by walls with curved, red tops and ridges. Broken wood blocked the doorway, and the police protected the walls in order to keep the hostages safe.

"Negotiations are gonna take a while."

"We've been on these guys," Markus mouthed into his earpiece. "Look, just green light me. I got it."

"Surveillance?" a different voice suggested. "Maybe you can contact miss Susan telepathically and take any opportunities if you see one."

"Negotiations are a crap fest," the first voice agreed. "They're barely even replying. I don't even think they want anything we have. Markus?"

"On it."

Meowstic Markus floated up and off the roof. He went high enough to get a little numb from the cold night air so he couldn't be seen floating back down to the also curved roof, close to the edge.

He could make out a conversation somewhere below. He peered under the edge of the roof, looking inside upside down.

It was a hardwood patio with four walls around a more open space. Markus saw the kidnapped Pachirisu and Plusle sitting back to back, encircled by a cheap-looking rope. They didn't appear to know any moves, or they would've escaped with ease. With no one else around, he wondered where they were.

Markus' eyes flashed a gentle blue.

"This is the police," Markus said with telepathy, "where is your captor?"

"They're downstairs," Plusle said. "A dozen of these men just came in..."

"Are there any more of you captive?"

"No. They're making noise looking on the first floor."

Markus grabbed his ear and brought it close to his mouth.

"I have an opportunity to get them out," Markus said.

"Go."

Markus flew down to them. His body made a small whistling sound in the wind, but he grew certain it was safe.

He slashed the ropes with his claws. With no time for a warning, he grabbed each of their paws and flew off again. Markus took off slow, then sped up. They somehow managed to stay silent while he cleared the wall and brought them down into the crowd of police.

"I did iiiiiiiit," Markus sang, floating down.

Froslass Xiao approached Markus along with a small bundle of police. After a smooth landing, Markus let go of their paws as a bundle of the police came. The rest charged for the building.

Pachirisu and Plusle were walked away by a Gallade and Gabite. Markus walked to Xiao with a smile.

"I think it's safe to run them over now, right?" Markus asked.

"Already in progress," Xiao said. "It would seem that their goal didn't have anything to do with the hostages. Odd."

"Yah, not even a lookout. Pretty weird stuff going on."

"We'll figure it out. In the meantime, I want you to check up on those two. Interview them."

"Right."

Markus followed the officers as the Pachirisu and Plusle were guided to white mats set on the ground. He waited while they were sat down by a Charmeleon, who made sure they were alright and asked a few questions.

Once he finished, Markus sat down in front of the pair with crossed legs. They both sat up and leaned on each other.

"So," Markus said, "someone leave the door unlocked?"

"No," Plusle said, "they just barged in on me and my sister. Broke the lock…"

"Did they say anything? Any clues what they wanted?"

"They just started tearing down the walls and floors."

"Old building?"

"I mean, I guess..."

"Okay," Markus said, "so it sounds like someone was hiding fun stuff. We'll look at the damages and whatever we find, but I think it's best you call some family and friends to find some arrangements."

"We don't have anyone to call," Plusle said. "The only thing keeping us from being homeless was the cheap rent."

Markus scratched the side of his eye. He had to help. IT didn't come with the job description, but it did to him.

"I'll pay for a hotel room for you," Markus offered. "I don't think you'll be resting in that building tonight, but I'll help you grab your stuff."

"We would appreciate that," Plusle said , "thank you."

Markus noticed a small commotion behind him. A line of pokemon, all a bit thuggish -looking, walked out surrounded by officers.

They were a few larger species that the Plusle and Pachirisu must've been terrified of. Or not. Markus glanced back at them, and their expressions hadn't changed watching them be taken out.

They seemed pretty brave. Although they hadn't said much about their situation, Markus could tell they had been through worse.

Markus walked back over to them. The Plusle whispered something to the Pachirisu, but she didn't seem to be responding. Pachirisu was looking away from her down at the mat. Once the Plusle paused, Markus stepped in.

"You two doing alright?" Markus asked.

"Yah," Plusle said.

Markus blinked when he heard her. She had a Valorian accent.

"Alright," Markus responded, "I'll take you to your hotel if you're ready."

"Thank you."


Markus' night didn't end up being eventful outside of that. He walked them to the hotel, bid goodbye, and returned home, straight to bed. The rest of the force would handle the rest. He hated the paperwork that came with something like this.

He had off work the next day, so he opened his eyes without his phone alarm going off. Meowstic Markus pulled the white covers from over himself, which prompted a ray of sunshine to cruise through his window and slam into him. That happened more often now.

Three years after he first came to Lao Shen, he set up his new home outside of the city on the mountain side. Despite huge success in his work he decided to make it a humble abode, a two story building. The second floor was more of a patio with gray rock walls and a roof over his bed. After a long solo journey to Lao Shen, he found he preferred to sleep outside.

As soon as Markus sat up, he could see the city from a distance. The trek to his home used to be irritating, but he became adept at flying with his psychic abilities. Now, the trip there and back lasted twenty minutes instead of an hour.

After getting up, Markus walked down the ramp to the first floor. He swung around one of the three red pillars with art on them, lazily thinking about what to do. He still had his sleeping cap on his head along with a long, deep blue shirt that he wore to bed.

Before choosing what to have for breakfast, a knock sounded on his locked front door. Markus automatically waltzed over and opened the small flap to look outside.

Pushing his cheek against the smooth wood, he saw the Plusle and Pachirisu from yesterday. He smacked his mouth and licked his teeth to get the old air out of his mouth before opening the door.

"Hey, uh, sorry," Markus said. "Just woke up. Didn't expect visitors.

He rubbed his eyes after opening the door and got a clear look at them. Plusle held her mouth closed and tapped Pachirisu's shoulder to get her to speak.

"Thanks for helping us," Pachirisu blurted. "Sorry. We just want to say that in person."

Markus looked down at her and noticed something in her white paws; a tiny homemade chocolate cake with white frosting and chocolate.

"Oh," Markus said, "is that for me?"

"Y-yes," Pachirisu said.

"Thank you. Would you like to come in and talk? I know it's a long way to get up here."

"Certainly," Plusle said. "Thanks for the offer."

Markus bent down and accepted the cake from Pachirisu. He stepped back and to the side as they came in.

"Sorry it's kind of empty," Markus said.

"Oh, not at all," Plusle said. "Thank you for having us."

Markus cleaned off his fur after he set the cake down on a lone, low-lying wood table. He went over to a drawer to grab a short stack of three tiny, white plates.

"How was the hotel room?" Markus asked.

"Excellent," Plusle's voice said, "it was very generous of you."

"Just paying something forward," Markus chuckled, turning around. "So, you guys are Valorian too?"

Markus set down the plates as they stammered over each other for an answer. Plusle won out.

"Well," she said, "yes."

"Y'know," Markus said, sitting down with crossed legs on the hardwood, "I wish I ran away from home with my sibling. He used to carry my bad wisecracks."

"Is that why you chose to help us?" Pachirisu asked.

Markus smirked to himself when the Plusle shot her a look. Although they were definitely around the same age as each other and him, Plusle was a lot more commanding.

"Naw," Markus said. "You should let me know if you need anything, though. I don't fight crime for show, I fight it for real. And I'm sorry about what happened to you guys."

"Well," Plusle said, "uhm, we could actually use your help. We're in a bit of a financial pickle, and we were wondering if you were offering jobs. With the police."

"Well, we are. It's just dangerous trying to be the good guys all the time."

"Is there any sort of secretary position or something for us?" she asked.

Markus mulled it over in his head as he separated the small cake into three pieces with Psychic. He replied as he set the glowing plates in front of them.

"Only one position like that. Kind of investigation centered with lots of interviewing. And, well, I do mean one."

Plusle and Pachirisu glanced at each other.

"But," Markus added, "the pay's good enough for two. And doing the job with me always around can make just about anyone a people person."

Plusle's eyes glimmered while Pachirisu's contorted and flushed. Meowstic Markus sighed and shook his head smiling.

The cake itself ended up being the perfect breakfast, not too sweet or great as breakfast. Markus finished his small part while Plusle talked.

"Doesn't that sound like a great opportunity, Susan?" Plusle asked.

Pachirisu didn't really reply. Markus heard a groan so small it was like he dreamed it as her only response.

"Speaking of," Markus said, "my name's Markus. Markus Valek."

"Oh," Plusle mumbled, "of course. We're Kate and Susan Garcia."

"Nice to meet you two. I've been sleeping and it's my day off, so I haven't managed to check on the status of the investigation yet. How are things?"

"Well, apparently they had broken into our home looking for something," Kate explained. "Like this old relic. But I have no idea why ruffians like them would want it."

"It's likely someone paid them to get it to sell it for more on the black market... Or gray market. Like what museums do. Do you know if the police found it?"

"Apparently, they didn't."

"Do you want to find it?" Markus asked. "If you're curious, I'll see what I can do."

"Well, we are curious," Kate admitted, "but we don't want to make you do things while you're relaxing."

"If anything, I'm bored today. I'll get myself ready for a few minutes if you don't mind."

"Of course."

Markus gave them a nod and stood up. He took the short winding ramp to the second floor where he kept his brushes for his fur. He took off his sleeping clothes and put on a deep blue sweater.

After getting his fur sharp, he got a small drink of water and went back down.

Plusle Kate and Pachirisu Susan stared at him.

"What?" Markus asked.

"That's so tacky..." Susan murmured.

"It gets cold here at night," he explained.

"It looks itchy..." Kate said. "I think I even feel itchy."

"Okay, okay."

Markus brought his arms close and lifted the sweater over his head. Fur got frazzled in his face. When he fixed it, they stared at him.

"I'm just holding it, what is it now?" Markus whined.

"Oh, nothing," Kate said. "You just must, uhm... Do a lot of business with criminals yourself?"

Markus woke up enough to analyze their reactions. They shifted their eyes away.

"Yup. I'm the buffest guy I know."


Meowstic Markus took the lead and let them chat behind him. He had started going for morning walks more often. Having other people with him didn't happen often.

After waltzing past the city walls, Markus faded back to be a little closer to them as they continued. The streets weren't very crowded, but he was worried about Pachirisu Susan. She seemed a little delicate for this city. Even for him, he always had to keep scams in the back of his mind. Morning time made it easier to dodge problems, though.

The house itself sat in an out-of-the-way area. There were some abandoned buildings with broken glass Markus didn't notice last night. The lack of people in this part of the city seemed foreign.

The house was alone on the street. The openings in the brick walls to it were covered in yellow police tape that they all lifted and ducked under.

Markus went in first. With the door knocked down, he already had a glance inside. He had to watch his step with chunks of wood on the ground. There were torn pieces of white fluff from cushions, and all of the furniture was rendered unrecognizable.

"Weird," Markus said. "So sloppy. Must've been rushing or something."

"But why?" Kate asked.

"Knew the police would come. They meant to be in and out. Probably couldn't find it, kept trying, and got suck."

Markus wandered around the mess. He started with the holes in the walls on a hunch. The broken pipes and sharp edges were dangerous, but he noticed a small flash of color when he brought his face in and looked inside.

"I think here's something."


Markus fell into some kind of dream without realizing it; a scattered, distorted dream.

It was impossible for him to be back in Valor's grid-like streets; definitely considering no one else was around. He turned his body in a circle only to be met with dead silence. When he looked up, the moon shone alone in the night sky.

"The work of heroes like you is never done. And it's not something to celebrate."

The moon faded into the background of the black sky. The lights at the very top of the skyscrapers were starting to turn off.

"Someday, once and for all. Justice will finish the job and sentence this world to death. Your family, your people, are all counting on you."

After all of the lights turned off, the buildings' shadows vanished. His field of vision got shorter and shorter.

"Long have the people of Lao Shen suffered from themselves. For hundreds of years, the villages warred with each other. Forcibly becoming larger until Lao Shen rose on a bloody heap. An embarrassment to your kind."

A phantom bat creature soared down and stopped in the air. The wind felt like a thick mat had been thrown at him.

"They think the wars and oppression are over. That from all the strife and suffering, the people are united under one banner with good leaders. We are here to show them that the night is still young."


"Markus?"

When Markus came to, he was holding a small necklace, one with a gold chain necklace and a silvery-white crescent moon.

"Okay," Markus said, "sorry. Yah, this is definitely it."

"But even if it can be sold for a lot, it's just a necklace," Kate said. "Why all of this for it?"

"No clue. But I think I'll keep it in case there are more of them out there. Makes good bait."

Meowstic Markus brought the necklace around his neck. Lucky for him, it was a perfect size. On his neck, it seemed heavier than when he was holding it.

"In the meantime," Markus said, "what do you two plan on doing about housing? It'll be a bit much to try and fix up this place."

"We'll be making plans," Kate said.

Markus lowered his voice. "And where are you going to sleep and eat until you carry out those plans?"

Plusle and Pachirisu looked a little uncomfortable. Neither of them looked like they had a good reply.

"One Valorian to another," Markus said, "you ought to stick with me if you don't have anywhere to go."

"Well, we've been able to manage," Kate said.

Markus was able to see through their reasoning. Being part of the police could be intimidating to them, but he couldn't just leave them. He needed another idea.

"I'll help you pay for an apartment," Markus offered. "With a police job, you'll be all better in a month or two."

"We appreciate the offer," Kate muttered, "but we're careful when things sound too good to be true."

"I understand. It's up to you."

"I think we should take the offer."

Markus and Kate looked at Pachirisu Susan. She shied away from their stares, but continued.

"You feel... trustworthy."

Kate stared at her and glanced back to Markus. He just shrugged.

"If you guys want to talk about the job and other stuff for a while, I'll go ahead back home," Markus said.

"We'll take some time," Kate said, "thank you."

"Alright. See ya."

Markus hopped over a piece of wood on the way out to give them more space as he left.

They seemed to trust each other. Kate never seemed to want to interact too much, but Susan saying something suddenly made her stop and think. Siblings were nice like that; gave each other a better balance.

Markus gripped the necklace and rolled it in his fingers. He didn't mention to them that it was hot to the touch with pulsing energy.