Pokémon Police Force Chapter 24: The Hunt for a Traitor
Five days. It has been five days since we parted ways with Argyle. There hasn't been a peep from him since. Slowbro and I made a habit of checking in on Miltank for word of Argyle, Sal and Snow, but nothing. It was about 10am, right after Miltank's bar closed that she came running up to Slowbro and I.
"Miltank? What's wrong?" I asked.
"It's Argyle. We've got a letter."
Slowbro and I nodded to each other and we walked to the cellar room of Miltank's bar.
"So, what's the letter say?" Asked Slowbro, helping himself to the contents of a keg.
"Argyle's okay, but those two you were talking about were in the Black Market, waiting for him," said Miltank.
"We need to go save him!" I said, starting to run.
"No," said Miltank, stopping me in my tracks, "Argyle says they will take care of them. He wants you to take care of another matter."
"What?"
"He believes that there is some link between those two and Team PWNK and suggests you look into that. Also… there's one other thing."
Miltank walks to a keg and pours herself a glass. She downs the whole thing in one gulp. Rather impressive since she chugged vodka in a beer glass.
"The thing that ended Wreath City. It was a Pokémon named Yveltal."
"Yveltal?"
"Don't know, but Argyle suspects that Yveltal is also linked to Team PWNK."
"Wait, it may just be the booze talking," began Slowbro, "but what if your Mienshao friend is also linked to Team PWNK?"
"I doubt it," I replied, "Sheriashuu is not a Dark type."
"Even so, it seems Team PWNK might be at the center of all this," said Slowbro, "it's worth checking out."
"What proof does Argyle have about this?" I asked.
"He doesn't say. You'll probably have to wait until you meet him again to ask. Remember, he's on the run right now."
"Right. Argyle is taking care of his former friends; we should handle my friend."
"Where to first?" Asked Slowbro.
"The police archives. Maybe there's a cold case we can use to help us find her."
We bade Miltank goodbye and returned to the 46th precinct. The precinct was busy at this time. Many officers were taking care of tracking outlaws or many other day-to-day duties. Since the town burned down, many of the police resources were devoted to tracking down Danté, Pyra and Sheriashuu, the culprits behind the event. Fortunately, because of this, no one would be looking at cold cases. It was no problem to slip into the basement archives relatively unnoticed.
The police archives of Mystery Town looked like any other archives you'd see on a cold case tv show. It was a huge room filled with metal shelves, upon each sat rows of white cardboard boxes.
"Any idea where we should start looking?" Asked Slowbro, "I don't want to spend all day here."
"Actually, I do. A cold case that's always haunted my memory."
I walked a few shelves down and, right at the corner, I found the box I was looking for. I set the box down on nearby table and opened it.
"Silvamaii, Sylveon," said Slowbro, reading the info on the side of the box, "homicide. Status: unsolved. What's so special about a Sylveon?"
"It's not the case itself, but rather the details behind it. It's the site of my greatest failure as a detective."
"You arrested an innocent man?"
"No. Thank Arceus that hasn't happened to me yet."
"Then what?"
"Silvamaii was found dead in her home. I was assigned to this case."
"What happened?"
"Well, it started out a burglary gone wrong. Jewelry out of place, gems missing, left in a hurry, that sort of thing. We finally tracked down the killer, Sableye."
"Sounds pretty straightforward."
"This is where things got… odd. We moved in to arrest him, but he got away. He kept committing more robberies and murders and evading the law. He knew where we would be and when. Like he had police training."
I paused.
"Then to top it all off, our only witness took a turn for the crazy. He kept cackling and saying the phrase: Yveltal. You're all gonna die."
"What happened then?"
"I suspected we had a mole, so I started a mole hunt at this and several other precincts, but the mole and our Sableye just disappeared."
"What!?"
"We found Sableye a week later, dead in a ditch. But the mole was nowhere to be found."
"Let me guess, you didn't suspect your officer friend back then, but you do now."
"She was attending the police academy back then and we never thought a trainee would be capable of this."
"Police academy, you say?"
"Yes," I answered, "why?"
"Fighting types have very strict training programs. Most of them anyway," said Slowbro, "the more monk-ish fighters like Meinshaos undergo what's known as ritual training. Is there anywhere your friend would go often when she was off-duty?"
This was surprisingly insightful coming from Slowbro.
"The only thing I can think of is that she would always try to get me to vacation with her at Mt. Eclipse. She said there was some sort of resort there."
"Mt. Eclipse? I've never heard of it… unless…"
Without a further word, Slowbro "ran" out of the archives and up the stairs.
"Slowbro?"
I followed behind and quickly found Slowbro shoving officers aside.
"Oi! You're not supposed to-!"
Slowbro cut Officer Fearow off by shoving his Minican in his face.
"One more word and it's Sludge Bomb for you."
Slowbro continued on until he stopped at a board displaying a map of the entire continent. The map was covered in pictures and yarn liking different points on the map. The pictures were of different places that Sheriashuu (and the duo Argyle is dealing with) had visited frequently. His eyes studied the map and eventually Slowbro had settled on a point.
"There! The Peaks of Pain! I believe this is the Mt. Eclipse she spoke of," said Slowbro.
"What is he talking-" began Officer Arcanine before I cut him off.
"What makes you say that?"
"Some months ago, this mountain range was used by various Pokémon. They liked to meditate here. Then, one day, the Peaks turned into a Mystery Dungeon, without warning or reason."
"He's right," said Officer Elektross, "I was sent there recently, but the Pokémon there are so aggressive now. I couldn't take three steps in without getting attacked."
"Perfect place for someone to hide from the law," said Slowbro.
"I get the picture," I replied with a sigh, "let's go."
"We'll all go," said deputy Lairon.
"No. If we take too many officers, it will scare Sheriashuu off," I said.
"Take us then," said Officer Zebstrika.
"We can get you there way faster than walking," said Officer Rapidash.
"It looks pretty far away," said Slowbro, "three weeks at least."
"We can make it in four days," said Officer Zebstrika confidently.
With no further arguments, Slowbro and I hopped on Officers Zebstrika and Rapidash respectively. We rode out of Mystery City to the Peaks of Pain. We only stopped to eat or sleep.
"So, how's Argyle?" Asked Rapidash.
It was day three of travel. We had made camp in an old cluster of pine. Slowbro was cleaning his Minican and Zebstrika was sitting on a nearby boulder, keeping watch. Rapidash was laying on the grass next to me, winded after a long day of running.
"We expected to see him with you," continued Rapidash.
"We parted ways," I replied, "he found Danté and Pyra and is currently dealing with them."
"You know he's running," said Zebstrika, "that's what that little coward always does."
"Even so, I hope he makes it through alright," said Rapidash, "he's a thief, sure, but he's a good sort."
"I for one hope he never comes back," said Zebstrika.
"What do you have against Sempai?"
"Sempai?" Asked Zebstrika, "what's with him?"
"No idea," I said simply.
"Zebstrika and Officer Noctowl were lovers," explained Rapidash, "she disappeared some time back."
Slowbro and I looked at each other in shock.
"He always blamed your thief friend for it," continued Rapidash.
"She's dead," said Zebstrika bluntly, "I can feel it."
"Zebstrika, a while ago we-"
I shushed Slowbro before he could finish that sentence.
"No, Emerald, let him speak," said Zebstrika, leaping off the boulder and joining us, "I want to hear what happened to her."
With a heavy heart, Slowbro and I informed Zebstrika about what happened in Wreath City and the identity of the one who Argyle had suspected had done it: Yveltal.
"I see…" said Zebstrika, "who is this Yveltal?"
"I won't go into details at Argyle's behest," I explained, "but Argyle got a vision of it and received its name. He knew nothing else."
"Wait, Emerald, can't you see the future?" Asked Rapidash, "try to find Yveltal."
"Oh! I completely forgot I could do that!"
I quickly got my flaming stick ready and gazed deeply into the flame. I thought of Yveltal and the devastation it brought to Wreath City. The vision I got was nothing short of horrific.
I had seen a massive black and red wyvern erupting out of the ground. This wyvern, whom I assumed to be Yveltal, found a nearby city and began to attack without warning. It fired a crimson and black beam from its body and proceeded to level the city.
The screams of agony I heard, and watching the citizens die will haunt me to my dying breath. It was so horrific, that I had to end the vision prematurely, something I usually never do.
When the vision ended, I found myself on all fours, panting heavily and covered in a cold sweat.
"Emerald!"
"Emerald! You're shaking!"
"Snap out of it!"
I couldn't tell who was saying what. I was that distraught. Eventually, I found myself back in reality, getting my shock treated by the others.
"Emerald, what happened?" Asked Rapidash.
"I saw Yveltal attacking Wreath City," I said, still shaken, "all that death, and those screams."
"Sorry I suggested that," said Rapidash, apologetically.
"Don't. I can't control what visions I see."
"Try something else," said Zebstrika, "how about Argyle? See what's in his future."
"I guess that's safe," I said, shakily picking up the burning stick once more.
Gazing into the flame, I thought of Argyle. The image I got was… explicit.
"Okay, that vision I don't feel comfortable explaining at all."
I returned the stick into its proper place in my tail.
"Emerald, your face is red," said Slowbro.
"It is not!" I said defensively, "I'm going to bed!"
The next day we had arrived at the Peaks of Pain, aka Mt. Eclipse. The Peaks looked more like spikes than mountains. The mountains were perfect conical shapes. It looked entirely unnatural.
"So, this mountain range is a Mystery Dungeon?" Asked Zebstrika.
"According to what Inkay told me," said Slowbro, "I've never actually been here myself."
"We've got hostiles, ten o' clock," I said.
The hostiles in question, a gang of Scrafty, were defeated in short order.
"If there are hostile Pokémon out here, what is it like inside?" Asked Rapidash.
"Only one way to find out," I replied.
With those words, our trio of officers and one pirate walked into the Mystery Dungeon. The dungeon was full of Fighting, Flying and Psychic type Pokémon, as to be expected, but also a surprising number of Dark types. We had eventually made it to the deepest part of the Dungeon and found something we had not expected to see.
A huge building made of solid iron. The building resembled a three-dimensional trapezoid, surrounded on four sides with tall towers and painted entirely in black. Overtop the black paint, various graffiti covers the entire building from top to bottom. Without the building, various Dark type Pokémon were guarding the entrance.
"This looks like a Team PWNK stronghold," said Rapidash, "I'd recognize the horrid graffiti anywhere."
"This alone proves Sheriashuu is linked to Team PWNK," said Zebstrika.
"Let's not jump to conclusions," I said, "we need to get inside, but we can't do so without warrants."
"You're really gonna let a few slips of paper stop you now?" Asked Slowbro, "good grief. I guess, I have to get you your warrants."
"How? You're not a-" began Zebstrika.
"Follow my lead."
Slowbro marched right up to the front door, with us tailing him.
"Halt!" Said a Liepard, "you are on Team PWNK territory! If you're not here to join us, kindly get lost."
Slowbro pointed his Minican at the Liepard and launched a Sludge Bomb at the Liepard. Liepard ducked to get out of the way and then countered with Shadow Claw. Somehow, Slowbro spun out of the way, dodging the attack. Liepard continued past him and drew near to Rapidash.
"Fire Blast!"
Rapidash shot a five-pronged fire attack at Liepard, making him faint in one blow.
"What the Voidlands was that, Slowbro!?" Shouted Rapidash.
"Your warrant. He attacked an officer of the law."
"Now we've got to search the entire facility," I replied with a smirk, "I like your style."
"They're right!" Said Zebstrika, "it's just as good as a warrant. Perhaps even better."
"Why did I have to be attacked?" Asked Rapidash.
I used my telekinesis to contact the precinct and let them know what happened.
"I let the station know what happened," I explained, "they're sending officers to purge the place."
"Good girl," said Zebstrika, "now, let's find Sheriashuu."
We entered the Team PWNK stronghold. We went from room to room, beating up anyone we found. Surprisingly, it wasn't only Dark types here, but representatives of all types. Nothing but hostiles anywhere. That is, until we got to a record room.
"Who would've guessed we'd be walking into a LITERAL FORTRESS!?" Said Rapidash, "way to go, pirate."
"Okay, maybe not the most well-thought-out plan," said Slowbro.
"Emerald, over here," said Zebstrika.
Zebstrika brought my attention to a stack of files laying by themselves on a nearby table.
"Maybe these papers will tell us where our traitor is."
After a bit of searching, I found a list of recent Team PWNK recruits. Danté and Pyra were easily found printed on the page. Sheriashuu was nowhere to be found however. Then, on the next page, I found something.
"Seems Team PWNK recently sent a high-ranking member to the port town of Isatar. Could be her," I said.
"Just grab everything and let's go!" Said Rapidash.
Slowbro and I gathered whatever files we could carry from the room and stuffed them in my bag. Our little party then high-tailed it out of there. Our next goal was clear, the port town of Isatar.
