Ten years ago
"Aw Charlotte, you sure you're okay not being in the picture?" Sana asked, her lips in a slight pout. "You're part of the task force, too!"
"It's all right, honey!" Charlotte told her with a reassuring grin. "I've already been in a few with you guys, so it's not a loss!"
It was a bright, sunny day in Ula'ula Beach. Because of the nice weather, Sana had suggested to everyone that they take a picture together outside. Charlotte and Agent 100KR were enthusiastic about it, while Nanu rolled his eyes and followed them. He could feel the warm sand in his dress shoes and his hair fluttering against the ocean breeze.
"You two took more pictures than usual," he said, staring at them. His arms folded against his chest. "You're gonna run out of space on your tablets."
"I want to create as many memories as possible. Once you become an amnesic like me, you'll learn to appreciate every moment in the present."
"How about that journal of yours? I haven't seen you write anything the past week."
"Got a bit depressing, so I stopped at least for now. Rather not being reminded how much I've failed helping the UBs." Sana's gaze fell on the ground, and she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm still shaken by what happened to Adhesive and Stinger."
Earlier in the week Nanu's task force had found two Ultra Beasts deep in the caves. Stinger had poisoned and killed a non-threatening civilian, so it was deemed dangerous and had to be taken down. Adhesive, which Nanu believed to be its child, was captured and taken to the labs to be used in experiments. Thinking about that made his chest ache. He released a sharp sigh.
"It's a horrible move on our part, I know. But what's done is done."
Sana glared daggers at him. "Well you don't sound too upset. Happy being Interpol's little Houndour, right?"
"Sana, please!" Charlotte moved in front of her. Her palm was affectionately on Sana's shoulder. "I know you're upset, we all are. But Triple Zero is right, we can't undo what has already happened. We just have to move forward the best we can."
"I for one think that's a sweet gesture, ladies," 100KR said as he approached in between everyone. "A picture is worth a million words, as that saying goes."
"It's a thousand words, KR. Never a fan of my face being shown on pictures."
"Because of how ugly it is?" A smug grin pulled on the corner of Sana's lips.
"Shut up, Sana."
"Now now, no more bickering here! Let us enjoy this relaxing moment together, shall we?"
"Thank you, KR." Charlotte pulled out a digital camera and tiptoed on her heels, her purple curls bouncing on her shoulders. "Okay everyone, smile and say Pyukumuku!"
Sana and Looker did their poses while Nanu just stared. A bright flash from the camera, and the picture was taken.
Xxx
Present day
It took Nanu only about half an hour to arrive at Po Town's police station. A Flygon from the Poke Ride service brought him back and he was grateful that he didn't need to ride a Sharpedo and go through Route 15's boulders. He was right that the Meowth finished all the food he left for them, and even destroyed the unopened bags he was saving for later. After he poured more food into their bowls, he sat on his desk and turned on his computer. Persian and Sableye were out of their pokeballs, Persian curled up next to his chair while Sableye sat on the floor chewing some pokepuffs.
His conversations with Grimsley earlier today was still on his mind, so he decided to check out the Unova Pokémon League website. As expected, it had all the information from how to register for your trainer license, upcoming tournaments, and current gym leaders and Elite Four. He interacted with a lot of Gym Leaders and Elite Four across several regions back when he was in Interpol, but never really formed meaningful connections with them.
Nanu clicked on Grimsley's page and it showed him in a much fancier suit and less gray hair. He was posed sitting on a chair with his legs crossed, his expression mischievous and confident. Reading through his information, he was invited to the Elite Four a year or two before Nanu had retired from Interpol. He was busy with the UB Task Force then, so it was no wonder the two hadn't met yet.
It then crossed his mind to look up on Grimsley's family. The Thomas family line had had a big influence in Unova for generations. Many of its members either were in politics, owned land, or ran several high profile businesses. Grimsley's father Finn Thomas had owned a few sports teams and ran a successful hotel chain, but for some reason that didn't pass down to his family after he had passed away. Grimsley ended up being one of the best trainers in Unova, so he turned out fine. Nanu was reminded of when he, Grimsley and Acerola were in the desert, and the girl mentioned about being royalty.
"So your family had fallen from grace, too?" Grimsley had asked her that day. Nanu snorted, amused that he also practically come from nobility. Compared to him on the computer screen, the Grimsley visiting Alola now was a different person.
A trash can dropping was heard outside, which caused some of the Meowth to wake up from their nap and Nanu to jump out of his seat. He and his Pokémon hurried outside, Persian and Sableye following him behind. His heart almost skipped a beat at the sight before him.
"Why are all these Meowth on me, Chief?" a man asked as he tried to shake off the Meowth clawing onto his coat and pants. Near them, a purple haired woman dressed in a dark suit folded her arms and pressed her lips.
"Perhaps they smelled the malasadas you had bought earlier," she said.
"But malasadas make great housewarming gifts, don't you think?" The man chuckled, only to then yell when one of the Meowth dug its claws onto his leg.
"KR, Anabel?" Nanu finally said. The two turned their attention to him and gave him stunned looks.
"Officer Nanu!" Anabel said in a soft voice.
"Hello, kid. Your hair grew quite a bit, looks good on you."
"I agree, yes!" KR said with a laugh. He slung his arm around Anabel's shoulder and pulled her close to him, making her blush. She sighed and had the decency to push him away.
"I appreciate the enthusiasm there, Mr. Looker, but that's a bit much." She grinned at Persian, who purred and nudged on her leg. "Hello there, Persian. Haven't seen you in a long while."
Looker? Right, he almost forgot that was the codename he was using now. He was used to calling him KR that it was hard for him to think of him by another name. The corner of Nanu's mouth twitched.
Sableye approached Looker and tugged at his pants. When he gazed down, she was pointing at his bag.
"Oh, a new Pokémon of Nanu's, huh? I know, I'll give you a piece of this!" He pulled a small malasada out from the bag and handed it to Sableye, who grabbed and munched her snack with her mouth wide open.
Anabel smiled at that sight, then she faced Nanu. "Is it alright if we come in?"
"Yeah, it's fine. Just be careful not to step on the Meowth or their toys."
They followed him inside the police station. Nanu grabbed a bag from one of the seats and dusted the fur off. As soon as Anabel and Looker sat down, one of the Meowth jumped in between them and rubbed onto Anabel's chest. She smiled and scratched her cheeks.
"Do either of you want something to eat or drink? I only have crackers, beef jerky, and cup ramen for food at the moment. Kahuna duties, you know?"
"I prepared some malasadas for us to share, so we're okay with food!" Looker grinned and held up a bag with a Bewear as a logo.
"I'm fine with just water, thanks," Anabel said.
Nanu grunted and went to grab some water bottles from the fridge in his office. When he returned, Looker and Anabel were already chewing on their malasadas. The Meowth that wanted Anabel's attention earlier licked some of the crumbs on the table. He handed the water bottles to his guests and they thanked him.
"So, what brings you guys here?" Nanu asked as he went back to his desk and closed the browser on his computer. He leaned back on his chair.
"Well technically we're supposed to be undercover," Looker said. "I was provided with secret information from the inside."
"Huh? What kind of info?"
"First order of business is the Pokémon mafia running afoot here. Team Skull, is it?" He turned to Anabel, who nodded.
"There have been reports of them stealing Pokémon and other crimes. Since you live very close to them, we thought to ask you if you know anything about their whereabouts."
Nanu quirked an eyebrow at them, then he snorted. "You think they're a serious criminal organization? They're just kids trying to support themselves. Some are a little more brash than others, but the majority of them are harmless. Pretty much all of Alola don't take them seriously."
Anabel narrowed her eyes at him, as if appalled at hearing that. "Sounds like you just don't want to deal with them."
"Hey, you asked if I know what they're up to, right? Save for some incidents in other islands, they've mostly been keeping their business to themselves here."
Anabel still didn't look convinced, but Looker chuckled and grinned at her.
"If Mr. Nanu says they pose no threat, then I'll trust his judgment." Looker looked back at Nanu, his face now more serious. "However, there's still the concern of one individual that associates with them. Gladion Jubert, if I recall."
"The Aether President's son? What about him?"
"We've been informed that he has a highly classified Pokémon with him," Anabel said. "His motivations are unclear, though."
Gladion Jubert. He first appeared in Po Town almost two years ago. He thought he had just been a misfit like the other grunts, due to his torn clothing. He soon realized he was Lusamine Jubert's son and wondered why he was with Team Skull.
"I saw him talking with Team Skull a few times, but they don't consider him their family. As for the Pokémon, I think I caught him with it once. It has a helmet and fish scales as legs, right?"
"That's the description we've been handed, yes. Have you talked with him yet?"
Nanu glanced up at the ceiling, groaning. "A few times, I think? Reason he's with them is so he and his Pokémon can get stronger. That's all he's willing to tell me."
While Nanu and Anabel were talking, Looker wrote down some notes on his little black notebook. After that was finished, he tapped the pen on the pages and gave a satisfied grunt.
"Any information regarding him and Team Skull, no matter how big or small, are appreciated. There's one more matter we must discuss, and then we're done." He offered Anabel a quick nod, which she returned.
"We've been reported that an Ultra Wormhole had popped up inside Aether Paradise and that an Ultra Beast appeared," Anabel said.
Upon hearing that, Nanu sat straight up and furrowed his brow. "Are you serious?"
Looker gave a solemn nod. "Two trainers came for a tour of the site, and they ended up in the middle of it. Charlotte witnessed that phenomenon with them."
A lump formed inside Nanu's throat. Charlotte was one of the agents in the science division who helped with the UB Task Force team ten years ago. After he had retired from Interpol, the two kept in contact if there was anything important, but he admit they had fallen out of touch for a while now.
"Charlotte, huh? Can't believe she's still undercover. I mean, I've seen the ads and news, but…" As his voice trailed off, he recalled what happened on the day he, Grimsley, and Acerola met with Colress and the Ultra Recon Squad. "Did she let you two know about the Ultra Recon Squad?"
"You mean the strange individuals in spacesuits?" Anabel spoke. "Yes, we're aware of them as they've been working with Aether Foundation for a while now. Have you met them before?"
"I did a few days ago. Me and a group were heading to Haina Desert and we met with them on our way there. They were spouting something about Necrozma and Alola's light."
"Necrozma?" Looker scratched his head. "You mean the beast those beings from another world worship?"
"It's more known as 'The Blinding One' in some Alolan folklore, but yes. Not only that, those guys have Adhesive with them."
A sharp frown crossed Looker's face. "Yes, we were shown that UB on our first meeting with them. Protocol calls for those beasts to be either eliminated or sent to headquarters, but this is a special case. The Ultra Recon Squad are working with a scientist under Interpol's watch."
"Did that scientist used to work for Team Plasma? Grimsley from that group I mentioned used to know him," Nanu said. Both Anabel and Looker exchanged stunned looks.
"Grimsley?" Looker asked. "Back when Team Plasma caused chaos in Unova the Elite Four were witnesses. He happens to be the same person?"
"Same one. He's here for a holiday it seems. I was unfortunate enough to stumble upon him."
"If so, we must speak with him if it relates to Aether and the Ultra Recon Squad," Anabel said.
"Don't bother. They had a fall out sometime ago, so I doubt you'll get any new information from him." Nanu paused. "All of this makes me wonder if Aether is planning something big."
"If that's the case, then we'll keep an eye out on any suspicious activity," Anabel said. At that moment, her phone rang and she looked at the number on it. "It's HQ. I should take this, it'll only be a moment."
Anabel got up, gave the Meowth on the table another quick scratch, and went outside.
Nanu got out of his seat and walked in front of Looker. He stole a glance at the door. "Does Anabel know about her condition?"
Looker's face turned pale. He hung his head down and his shoulders slouched. "I haven't had the courage to tell her. Whenever I was about to, Sana's face appeared instead of hers."
"So you've still having those nightmares, too." Nanu's throat dried up when he said that. He stared at the ceiling. "I dreamt about Sana again last night. I woke up everyone in Aether House while sleeping there."
A pitiful expression crossed Looker's face. "I recall Anabel having dreams with UB Glutton that were different from ours. Her nightmares are also why I'm unable to inform her the truth."
He gave Looker a stern look, only to then sigh and pinch his nose. "I would've knocked the back of your head, but I'm no better than you. Poor her, living a lie for so long."
A long silence stretched between them. Persian growled and nudged against Looker's leg. He smiled and stroked the gem on her forehead.
"The Chief's reaction won't be favorable, but I'll tell her everything when the time comes. I shall carry the burden so you don't have to."
"Jean…" Nanu said in a low voice, letting Looker's real name slip. He rarely called him that when he was an agent, only used either when he was angry or if it was more personal. Realizing that, he let out an awkward cough. "But yes, she needs to know."
When Looker caught Nanu's reaction there, he chuckled. "Off guard saying my given name, hm?"
"It's not like that!" Nanu snapped and raised his arm. By then, Anabel reentered the police station.
"HQ just wanted to check up on us on our current assignment here." She looked at both men with amusement. "Were you two talking about something?"
Nanu was about to respond, but luckily Looker beat him to it.
"Oh, some old work stories we were exchanging. Catching up and all!" Looker scratched his head and made a sheepish laugh.
"That was before you joined Interpol with us," Nanu added.
"Ah, I see. Hope I didn't interrupt or anything." Anabel's face softened, and she turned to him. "How you've been holding up, Officer Nanu?"
Nanu shrugged. "I'm still breathing, so not bad I guess. Being a kahuna here and watching over Poni Island gets draining, but the Team Skull kids here are keeping me awake."
"And your son?" Looker asked as he gave the last piece of the malasada to the Meowth.
"Much better than me. He and his wife are expecting their first kid soon."
"That's magnifico!" Already a wide grin stretched across Looker's face. He hugged Nanu tight, causing him to struggle to breath.
"Okay that's enough," Nanu said in a weak voice, and that made Looker let go. Anabel giggled.
"Congratulations on that! You and your family must be overjoyed," she said and smiled.
Nanu's stomach churned. The last time he talked with Iokua he didn't even get to ask how Cora and the baby were doing. A part of him wanted to bang his head on the wall for forgetting that. He would make that up the next time he speaks with him, then.
"Yeah, they're pretty excited the last I heard. I'm sure they'll make great parents." Better than me, that's for certain, he almost said after but kept it to himself.
"Sounds like me with Emma while I investigated in Kalos. She was the first young human I took under my wing, and my most cherished pupil."
"When away there he couldn't stop talking about her and often sent me pictures of them together! I still have them on my phone."
Anabel approached Nanu and she showed him a picture on her phone. In it Looker stood next to a dark-haired girl holding an Espurr, the two grinning ear to ear. Somehow she looked familiar...
"Isn't she the girl that caused havoc in Lumiose City?" Nanu asked, and Looker hung his head in shame.
"You're not wrong, but it isn't her fault! It was the schemes of an ex-member of Team Flare to blame! Thanks to another member I did a plea bargain with, I was able to track him down!"
"Oh right, I read that he got arrested and the girl was excused of her crimes. That must be some adventure you had in Kalos."
Looker laughed out loud, hands on his stomach. "What can I say, a globe-trotting, crime-fighting elite is I! Anyhow, you'll love Emma and Mimi for certain!"
Anabel smiled a little. "Before coming here, Mr. Looker mentioned he wants to arrange a meeting with you and Emma through the Holo Caster. Also possibly in person in the future."
"What?" Nanu's eyes grew wide. "I never heard of the girl until now, and already you want me to have a playdate with her!"
"Don't worry, it'll only take a minute or so of your time! Let me just find her number and we're set!"
Already Looker pulled out a small device from his coat and pushed some buttons on it. After that, a blue hologram of a young girl appeared. A small Espurr jumped onto her shoulders.
"Looker, is that you?" she asked with a surprised face. "I've been in bed for almost an hour already, but the Holo Caster rang and I saw your number."
"Oops, I forgot Alola and Kalos are in different time zones! I was excited for you to meet an old colleague of mine."
"Huh, is that all? Couldn't that wait until later?"
"I would have to agree," Anabel said in a matter of fact tone. That led Looker to shush her.
"Shouldn't take too long, promise!" Looker nudged Nanu's shoulder. He furrowed his brow, then rolled his eyes and looked into the hologram.
"Hi there, Emma. I'm Nanu, Looker and I used to work in Interpol together."
"Nice to meet you, Nanu!" Emma flashed him a grin. "Looker mentions you whenever he talks about his adventures! Says that you're a fan of cat Pokémon!"
Nanu flinched and grunted in surprise. As if amused, Persian made several growls that sounded like a giggle.
"He's not entirely wrong there. Since we're here, tell me a little about yourself."
"Well I'm an orphan that has been living on the streets almost all my life. Looker then helped me get on my feet and now I have my own detective agency!"
"Wait, seriously! Already in the big leagues, huh?"
Emma giggled and scratched Mimi's chin, causing the feline to purr. "It's all thanks to him Mimi and I have a place to live! I love this job as I'm able to help out the citizens of Lumiose." Looker beamed when Emma spoke about him. Anabel had her hand on his shoulder, smiling proudly at him. "Enough about me, how about you?"
"I'm a police officer and kahuna. If you don't know, kahunas basically watch over one of the islands in Alola."
"That's so cool! Must be tiring doing both, though."
"It is, but this island is boring half the time so it isn't all that bad. It's getting late where you're at, so I won't take up any more of your time."
"Hey, no problem at all. It's nice talking with you Nanu! I want to say hi to Anabel before I go."
"Sure thing, kid." Nanu jerked his head slightly at Looker for him to go to Anabel, which he did. He listened as the two ladies started talking.
"Hello Emma, I hope you're doing well."
Emma crossed her arms, and both she and Mimi pouted. "Can't believe you guys are in Alola without me!"
Anabel chuckled. "We already been through this before. Mr. Looker and I are taking care of some business and don't want you in any harm."
"Yeah, I get that. You have to make it up by taking me to your guys' next trip!" Next to Emma, Mimi nodded and growled.
"All right, I'll talk to Mr. Looker about that. You have a good night."
"Thanks! Good luck to you two!" Emma said, beaming. She and Mimi waved goodbye, and the hologram on Looker's Holo Caster vanished.
"Emma's wonderful, you agree?" Looker said with a grin.
"She seems like a good kid, yeah. Her Espurr is also cute."
Looker nodded enthusiastically. "The Chief is also fond of her. Why, she would make a great mother to her!"
Anabel spat out the water she was drinking from the bottle. Her face flushed and she shifted her gaze away for a second.
"I love Emma very much, but I don't know about being her mother."
"Perhaps I did get carried away there." Looker made a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. He sighed happily. "Us three weren't a team all that long, but we did work well together."
"Remember that time we went to Goldenrod City?" Anabel said. "We had to chase down the criminal through the park while a business party was held there. One of the clowns got mad at us for destroying the balloons."
With a crooked smile, Nanu said, "Or the time we were in Castelia City and you guys pretended to get a business loan? Looker got jealous when that guy flirted with you."
Looker flinched, and he stared at Nanu. "I only reacted that way because I didn't want any harm done to her!"
Anabel chuckled, covering her mouth. She stopped to look at her phone and the wrinkles on her forehead knitted.
"Sorry to cut this reunion short, but Mr. Looker and I have to be on our way. There are a few contacts we have to follow up on and leave for Poni Island tomorrow."
Nanu's throat went dry and his fingers curled. Last thing he wanted was for her to remember being washed ashore again. He glanced at Looker, a deep frown stretching across his features.
"Will you be alright?"
Anabel gasped, as if she had already figured out what he meant by that. She smiled at him after. "I'll be fine, don't worry."
By the shakiness in her voice, Nanu wasn't convinced that was the case. However, he wasn't going to stop her if she wanted to do this. He returned a smile of his own.
"If you guys get in any trouble, don't hesitate to reach me. I've been overlooking Poni Island also until the new kahuna gets chosen."
"Good to know if we ever need some assistance!" Looker said with a grateful grin.
As they began their goodbyes, Nanu shared a small embrace with Anabel and shook hands with Looker. The two also patted Persian on the forehead, which she enjoyed. They reached the door, and Anabel stepped out while Looker stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"Oh, one last thing. I left on the table a postcard from Charlotte. The best tours in Aether Paradise are conducted by her!" He waved and left the station too.
A deep frown settled on Nanu's face. His Pokémon gazed up, Persian letting out a worried meow while Sableye tilted her head and clicked her tongue.
"They'll be fine, very capable of watching themselves. Let's see what that postcard is about."
On the table one of the Meowth was playing with the malasada bag. Nanu noticed the postcard was covered by her bottom, so when he tried to grab it she hissed and scratched his hand. He winced and waited until she jumped off to take the postcard. On the front it was a glossy photo of two wide smiling Aether employees posing with a Sandygast and Palossand. The Aether Foundation's logo and name was printed on the top in gold. Nanu flipped to the back, which had an environmental awareness message in neat handwriting.
Sandygast and Palossand thrived in the sands of Alola, so sometimes they would accidentally eat plastic and other waste lying around. Thanks to the efforts of the Aether Foundation we're able to help them from further decay. This is why it's important to keep our beaches and oceans clean!
-W.C. Santana
Assistant Branch Chief
Aether Paradise
Nanu couldn't help but grin. This was the first time in a long while since she had sent him a written message in that fashion. That meant something big was about to happen, perhaps relating to what Looker and Anabel had told him.
"Hey, that's not for you to play!" he said when one of the Meowth's paws kept hitting the postcard. He clicked his tongue at Persian, who growled and grabbed the Meowth by the back of the neck with her mouth.
Nanu sat back on his desk and set his friend's message aside. He pulled out the photograph of him, Looker, and Sana several years ago, the one Charlotte had taken of them. His fingers tapped at it, and he and snorted at that memory.
He and Sana acted like two Murkrow fighting over shiny jewelry, like what happened with Grimsley's ring earlier. What they had in common was feeling helpless after taking Adhesive, Stinger, and countless other UBs to HQ. Thinking what had happened to them made his stomach churn.
Aether and the wormholes. He, Looker, and Charlotte tried to find the answers for ten years, almost to no avail. Seemed now they would get them very soon.
Author's Notes: If you guys haven't caught on, yes I have Wicke be a secret informant scientist going undercover. I got inspired by the fic Man In Twlight, which is a cool Nanu centric story you guys should check out (and the authors' portrayal of Nanu is a thousand times better than mine orz). Wicke is planned to make an appearance SOONtm.
Besides that, I also did a short sidestory, Shark Bite! The part where Nanu teased Looker being jealous is from that story haha. And for the AO3 folks, I now have a Foul Play verse series! So yeah, I might do other Foul Play sidestories when the mood stirkes.
I hope to have Ch 8 posted in a few weeks since I got the draft done for it already. Ch 9 is still in progress. After that I probably will go on a short hiatus to hash out a solid plan for the final chapters and take care real life stuff. And as always, credit to bobandbill for great betaing!