Cherry and her mother both ran towards the police force. Officers all surrounded the downed balloon. Pokéballs were being hauled off and placed in a sack to be redistributed back to their owners. Cherry heard orders of a very familiar officer.
"Come on now!" Cherry looked to see who was shouting. She was shocked to see it Officer Elburg. Officer Elburg was shouting for people to do things like picking up pokéballs and forming search parties. She was dumbfounded that the officer that protected her home town was actually here.
"Officer Elburg?" Cherry asked wondering what was going on.
"That's her name, yes," Rin explained as they entered the ranks of the police force. "It's a very large family."
"Move you butts!" Officer Elburg shouted. "Get the Growlith and Archanine units out here. We need to catch them," She shouted, commanding the forces. "Oh… hello?" Officer Elburg looked up at the two girls.
"Officer Elburg?" Cherry still asked.
"Yes, that's who I am, what can I do for you?" She asked.
"I thought you lived in Tandraville…"
"I just told you, It's a large clan," Rin said. "Did you not listen to me?"
"Yes, that's my…" Officer Elburg counted on her fingers. "My third cousin. As your mother said we are a large clan, most cities and many towns has at least one Elburg living in them."
"Oh…" Cherry said, disappointed. She had hoped to see one of the people she knew.
"But, anyway, is there a…" Officer Elburg looked over Cherry. "Hey! Your that girl I almost ran over!" Officer Elburg exclaimed.
"Yes, and luckily that Lucario showed up," Rin said plopping her hand on Cherry's head.
"That was scary…" Cherry said more to herself. "I thought I had lost Skarmory… I haven't even had him a full day."
"Yes, we've had a reports of a Lucario running around," Officer Elburg said thinking about it. "But anyway, I need to get back to work. Those thieves stole a bunch of pokémon, and we only have a fraction of what they ran off with."
"How can we help officer?" Rin asked quickly.
"Got any speedy pokémon that can follow their tracks or sniff them out?" Officer Elburg asked.
"No, I don't think so…" Rin sighed. "They stole seven of our pokémon, and then took out my daughters Skarmory, all we have left is my young Swinub."
"Poor Skarmory…" Cherry said quietly, she felt so bad for the young pokémon.
"Wait, Swinub!?" Officer Elburg asked.
"Uh, yeah?" Rin said confirming it.
"That's perfect!" Officer Elburg said. "Swinubs are known for their sniffing capabilities! Ma'am if we could just borrow your swinub for a little bit."
"Um… I guess you can," Rin said surprised and a little confused. Rin pulled out her pokéball containing swinub. "I knew it could sniff out and detect stuff, but I thought it just looked for mushrooms?"
"Usually it does," Officer Elburg said. "It'll be great if we could use it until the Arcanine group got here."
"Alright, alright," Rin said releasing the small pokémon. In a flash of light, Swinub appeared on the ground with a small snort. "Hey, swinub," Rin said crouching to the ground. The pokémon looked oblivious.
"Mom," cherry said looking down at the small pokémon. "You know swinub is practically oblivious to everything…"
"No, you just got to speak its language," Officer Elburg said, also crouching down. "we just have to hope they got some fungus on their feet when they were running," Officer Elburg explained.
"That's really unlikely," Cherry said doubtful.
"No…" Rin said thinking about it. "They were working in a restaurant."
"My thoughts too," Officer Elburg said. Officer Elburg turned to her radio, "I need all officers in pursuit of the suspects to clear a path. A possible Swinub will be passing through. Again," Officer Elburg repeated herself, before ending it.
"Well, now lets see, where are your tracks?" Rin asked picking up Swinub to carry it.
"This way," Officer Elburg escorted them. "A little ways up in the forest they end. Our tracking squad is already out there," Officer Elburg explained. "I've requested them to halt and wait."
"Okay, well let's just see how well my trainings worked out," Rin said putting the swinub down infront of the tracks. "Hey swinub," Rin asked the little pokémon, "Do you smell anything… Particular, on these tracks?"
To Cherry's surprised swinub sniffed the tracks when asked. The swinub jumped a little and snorted. "Something special?" Rin asked, lightly teasing it. The swinub responded with louder snorts and hopping, it wanted its apparent food. "Go get it boy," Rin said smacking the hind of swinub. With a loud snort swinub shot off into the woods.
"Whoa!" Cherry gasped as the little pokémon zoomed into the forest.
"Awesome training there, miss…?"
"Mrs. Rin Laundry," Rin said. "Gym leader of Tundraville, Ice leader of the New England league."
"No wonder its so good," Officer Elburg said. "We'd better get going, that swinub has probably caught up with the thieves already.
"Your right," Rin agreed. "You coming Cherry?"
"Yes," Cherry said as she started to chase after the two older women.
Meanwhile, in the forest.
"C'mon Lenka!" Terry said as she made her way through the underbrush of the forest. "Hurry it up, I can hear the police!"
"I can't help it," Lenka said. He was a strong man, but he wasn't able to carry as many pokémon him and his group had stolen.
"Isn't there a machoke or something in that bag to help?" Terry said. "The other two parties have probably already made it to the safe point."
"Well, if your so worried about it, why don't you carry the bag?" Lenka asked putting the bag down. He searched inside of a strong pokémon.
"As if a lady should carry such things," Terry said discussed at the thought.
"You could at least help me," Lenka said looking through the pokéballs. "How about this one?" Lenka asked as he released a Caterpie.
"No, way!"
"Darn, and I thought that one was going to be a good one…" Lenka went back to searching. Lenka was a large muscular man, built for Team rocket's grunt work. He was in his traditional Team Rocket Lackey outfit.
"Hurry it up," Terry complained. Terry was a dainty frail girl, with a master mind of strategies. This was her biggest heist of pokémon yet, and it was all going down the shoots since their balloon was taken out.
"How about your Combusken?" Lenka asked, trying a few more pokéballs.
"No, She's tired out from the balloon and would do us no good," Terry sighed. "Now, hurry up and find the stupid pokémon!"
"How's this?" Lenka asked releasing a Makuhita.
"Now that's perfect!" Terry said delighted.
Lenka put the bag over his shoulder and lifted it up. "Makuhita…" Lenka said in a very serious voice. "I'm afraid your pokémon trainer has traded you," Lenka said. Makuhita looked down. "But, I'll be your new trainer from now on," Lenka said kindly, deceiving the pokémon. "Right now I need your help carrying this bag, can you do it?" Lenka asked.
A buzz filled the air and the sound of feet halting was heard. Makuhita jumped back against a tree. "What's going on?" Lenka asked standing.
"I don't know…" Terry said looking around.
"I suggest you both move," a non-human voice said.
"Huh!?" both thieves turned to look in between them. "Who are you?" they both asked in unison, to the Lucario standing between them.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," the lucario said before disappeared.
"What's he mean Terry?" Lenka asked. Small snorts were heard behind them. "Uh…" Lenka turned to look, but was taken out by a speeding pokémon. "Yow!" Lenka yelled as he was thrown to the ground.
Terry screamed as the swinub tackled her to the ground. "Ah! Get this thing off of me!" she flailed about on the ground.
"Ow…" Lenka complained sitting up.
"Hey! I see them!" a voice yelled. More shouts answered the voice.
"Darn it… Lenka said standing up.
"Go Mightyena!" an Officer Elburg yelled. "Use Take Down On the Big One!"
Lenka jumped up quickly and started to run. "Every man for himself," he said to Terry who was immobilized by the swinub's search for whatever was on Terry. Terry cried out, within minutes of Lenka's leaving. The mightyena was hot on his trail, he had no opportunity for mess ups.
Lenka realized he was on the right course for the meeting point, if only he could shake the Mightyena. "You shouldn't steal pokémon," the non-human voice said again.
"Ack!" Lenka yelled out as he felt his foot caught and saw the Lucario waiting for him. It smiled at him before disappearing and the full weight of the Mightyena was on him. "No!" Lenka yelled as the Mightyena pinned him.
With in a minute, three officers were on him and baring down on him. "No! I don't want to go!"
"Well, your going to," Officer Elburg said. He felt a hand in his pocket grabbing his ID. "Mr. Lenka Smith, I, Officer Elburg of Dratinsville, am placing you under arrest for over four hundred counts of thievery." The three officers pinning him down pulled him up to standing. "You have the right to remain…" Officer Elburg started to read him his rights.
Cherry and her mother looked on with pleasure of their success. Swinub sat in Rin's arms as they watched the thieves carted off. Rin turned to Cherry, "Ready to jump two more states and stop by a Pokémon Center?"
"Just after we get our pokémon back," Cherry said with enthusiasm.
"That's my girl," Rin said proudly. "Let's go." They headed back to the police force who was busy sorting out the pokéballs.