I struggled and tried to wring myself away from my attacker, but he had one of his arms wrapped tightly around me while the other was still covering my mouth. I could feel his breath on my neck. I shivered.

A million possibilities ran through my mind. Jeremiah had seen us hiding from across the street. He knew we were out to uncover his secret. He contacted his accomplice. I was going to be killed. Vulpix, why did I send you away?

"Don't move or I'll electrocute you," the words fell harshly into my ear.

Wait. I know that voice.

The fear that was dominating my system slowly vanished. I gathered all my strength and spat.

"Gross!"

In an instant, the hand slipped away from my face, and just when the attacker's grip loosened, I flung myself away.

I turned to face him. He had grown a couple of inches taller than me. His voice had changed, but even though I had only heard it on the telephone once, it was easily recognizable. On his head sat a mop of spiky blue hair.

"Jim Lawford," I declared victoriously.

"My Magnemite's right behind you, Jones," he said, narrowing his brows. "I knew you were up to something. I just never thought it'd involve stealing from a run-down art gallery."

He was so serious that I couldn't help but laugh. "Stealing? Really, Jim."

Jim didn't move. His gaze moved back and forth to me and his Pokemon who was supposedly right behind. "I had my Magnemite follow you ever since you called. Earlier this afternoon, you dropped by The Artbox for a visit, which is something robbers do before stealing. You want to familiarize yourself with the environment. It'd make things a lot easier for you."

"But – "

"Then afterwards, you sneaked out and hid yourself in this alley and waited until the owner left. And you thought you could get away with it, too," a smirk formed on his face.

I had to stop myself from cracking up. "I hate to break it to you, but you've got it all wrong."

"Then explain," he challenged.

Right then and there, I suddenly realized what I had just said. Sure, I was going to prove him wrong, but was I ready to tell him what I was really doing? Jim Lawford, cop wannabe. I shrugged. I'd have to deal with the Olivine City Police Department anyway. I guess I better start with the amateurs.

Hurriedly, I told Jim everything.

The next day, Vulpix and I found ourselves walking to the Police Station. Last night, before running home, Jim told me that he was going to get a search warrant first thing in the morning.

"Are you sure?" I had asked him last night.

"Yes. Let's find out if there's really an underground operation going on in that gallery," Jim had answered. "And if there isn't, well, that gives us another reason as to why you're so pathetic."

I quickened my pace. I had a good feeling that I was going to prove Jim otherwise.

I stood across from Officer Jenny, narrating the details of the case. A heavy oak desk stood between us. She listened attentively, never taking her eyes away from mine.

"And last night, Vulpix tailed Jeremiah and heard him ask someone for directions to 5th Street," I concluded.

"So?" This was Jim's twentieth interruption.

"So," I glared at him briefly before facing his mother once more, "Everyone in Olivine knows where 5th Street is. Jeremiah could be a travelling con-man. He's not staying here for long. If we don't catch him now, he's going to get away with it."

Officer Jenny nodded. "Alright. Since you've presented your facts clearly, logically and systematically, I'm going to issue a search warrant. But if nothing turns up, don't trust that the Police Department will take your word in the future."

"The girl who cried 'art forgery,'" Jim said in a singsong voice. His Magnemite bobbed up and down next to him, and even though it lacked a mouth, it was obviously laughing. At me. Pesky little Pokémon.

I ignored him and directed my gaze towards the back of the room. There, a thin scrawny man in uniform was sitting on his desk, facing two other police officers. He laughed boisterously as he slammed down a playing card on the table, next to a deck. "I win this round!"

So this is what they do at the police department, I chuckled as I followed Officer Jenny and Jim out of there.

When we arrived at The Artbox, a yellow post-it note greeted us. It was taped to the door and had the word "CLOSED" scribbled on it.

"It looks like that whoever wrote this was in a hurry," I said. I stepped closer and tried the door. It was locked. I wondered if Jeremiah had already left. My heart began to pound against my chest.

"Outta the way," Jim called out. He beckoned Magnemite and the Pokémon obediently floated closer. It touched one of its magnets to the doorknob and then, slowly, it lifted its body up.

Click!

Jim turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. "Good work, Magnemite!"

I shot a glance at Officer Jenny, but instead of contempt, a look of satisfaction came over her face. Some mothers are proud when their children bring home report cards with straight A's, but here's a mother who's proud of the fact that her son can use his Pokemon to pick locks. The world is getting stranger by the second.

"Let's go," she said, waving her hand, as she led the way inside The Artbox.

Once inside, we went straight for the door in the back. Fortunately, it wasn't locked. Inside was a small room. To the right, a staircase was leading to a door on the second floor. Opposite the stairs was another door.

"I'll check upstairs," Jim hastily said, and began to climb, two steps at a time.

"Wait!" I exclaimed. "During the stake-out, there were no lights in the second floor. I don't think Jeremiah ever used that space up there."

Jim knitted his brows and stared at me like I was crazy, then proceeded to climb.

Exasperated, I ran out of there and leaned over the counter. After looking for few minutes, I finally found it. Running back to the backroom, I showed them the Lapras keychain, with the two keys dangling from it.

"Storage. Main," Officer Jenny read the labels on the keys and looked at me for an explanation.

"Jeremiah had no access to the second floor. Let's try this room," I said, motioning to the door opposite the staircases. Jim stopped and slowly walked back down.

"This better be good, Jones," I heard him say.

I turned the knob and the door swung open with a creak. Officer Jenny and Jim stood behind me, waiting. In a moment, we found ourselves staring at an empty room, no more than a few feet wide.

*He got away and took everything with him!* Vulpix cried.