Paldea League Headquarters, 24 hours before Champion Juliana's disappearance

The Paldea region was the wrong color. No deduction Looker could attempt would send his furrowed brow and thoughtful strokes of the chin to any other conclusion. His inaugural visit to the expansive region was only four steps off of a flying taxi in, yet the man was certain in his judgement. Muted grey skies and melancholy lavender wisterias waving in the wind had been more welcoming than the tacit taxi driver that had refused anything more than basic pleasantries for conversation. As a man who valued his own privacy, Looker could respect that, yet at the same time the scenery below him had raised provocative questions that needed answers. He had been informed that Paldea was a region of abundant natural wildlife and welcoming citizenry, yet the wilds were sparsely populated and the few people milling about the pokémon center he'd landed at kept their heads down, sparing Looker no more than a single glance. Such behavior was expected by Looker when he disguised himself, but in his normal trench coat and work attire the tall, clean-shaven man tended to turn at least one or two heads in an effort to figure out what this wandering tourist wanted. Perhaps he simply didn't want to have to update the International Police's file on the state of the Paldea region, but observation was telling him that Paldea had a problem far more chronic than the one he'd been called in to solve.

Looker's briefing on his mission resurfaced in his mind once more as he was shown into the Paldea League's headquarters by a disinterested employee. Paldea was nestled in a corner of the globe supposedly free from the sort of international crime syndicates that would normally draw his attention. He was the first to be summoned by the Paldea League on official police business in just over a decade. Rather than a traditional complaint about some crazed madman attempting world conquest, the region's top champion had requested help in solving what had been vaguely outlined as a petty theft case. It was the very reason Looker had protested subpoenaing someone as seasoned as himself, and the very reason his boss had insisted that he was the one to go. Maintaining friendly relations with reclusive regions was apparently more valuable than Looker's time. Looker himself found it hard to see such value in an organization whose headquarters was dwarfed even by the natural crater formation it rested against, but there was always a factor to these things he wasn't privy to, and he wasn't about to start asking now. The region's emphasis on education could easily explain such a lackluster allocation of funds for a pokémon league anyways.

As he was shown into an elevator by the drab attendant and sent up to the floor just below the roof, Looker focused himself. Regardless of his personal feelings, he was summoned here as a representative of the International Police. Whatever task was laid in front of him, it was his sworn duty to see it through. What he wasn't prepared for was his duty to begin the second he stepped out of the elevator.

"Ah, you must be the officer I requested. Mr. Looker, right? Pardon the mess, I was told you'd want to see the scene as it was left."

A woman turned from the window to smile warmly at Looker, long black hair with yellow and blue highlights spilling out behind her like writhing tentacles. She wore a sharp black suit accented by blue cuffs and gloves, though her right arm was in a cast that made it impossible for Looker to visually confirm if both sides matched. He would have spent more time taking in the profile of the presumed owner of this office if the office itself was not in shambles. The thick red carpet had been torn up and even burned in several places, complementing the smashed vases and paintings lining the walls. A few gouge marks near the massive oak desk indicated some other form of skirmish that culminated in a sizable hole in the floor-to-ceiling window that the woman was standing dangerously close to. The elevator door nearly closed on Looker as he took the room in, forcing him to start forward and stop right at the exit of the door, unwilling to disturb the crime scene. Though the woman raised an eyebrow at him, Looker paid his discourtesy no more mind than a mumbled apology. "Sorry. Top champion, Geeta, was it? You've allowed no disturbances in this room since the incident in question, yes?" He was already kneeling against the ground as he spoke, trying to evaluate which depressions in the carpet were new and which were old.

"I- yes, that's correct. To be sure, who might I be addressing?"

Looker didn't raise his head, continuing to kneel against the floor while observing stray hairs and singed edges of carpet that told a far more interesting story than the briefing he'd been provided. In the back of his mind someone was screaming at Looker to be professional, but the state of the scene in front of him absorbed almost all of his attention. "My code name, it is Looker. That is what they call me, anyway. Forgive me, but I find this office's state terribly singular. You say the scene is roughly two days old, and something was stolen from you here?"

Geeta's smile became bemused as she crossed the room carefully to stand over Looker. As she moved, Looker suddenly raised his head sharply, tracking Geeta's every movement to keep track of what she disturbed. Geeta made a careful note of this, crossing to stand over him as out of the way as she could be so she could observe him more closely. The man's trench coat and brown suit hid a lean, hardened physique, the kind tempered by both age and experience. It satisfied Geeta's visual inspection for the quality of officer she'd requested from a physical standpoint. "It's kind of you to come on such short notice, Mr. Looker. Yes, I was in my office here two days ago when an associate of mine entered and stole an important item from me. It is of the utmost importance that I retrieve it within the next 24 hours."

Mentally, Looker's investment in the moment began to dim. International Police Officer Looker was a legend among his colleagues. Where he walked, men and women in organized crime uniforms emblazoned with a random letter or symbol cowered. There was no pit that scum could hide in while he was on their trail, no crevice deep enough to conceal their misdoings. To that end, Looker had developed a taste for the more perilous missions associated with his line of work. If he was the only one able or willing to go where it took to see justice done, so be it. He could become anyone, do anything, all he needed was his sense of righteousness and a direction to point. This proportionally reduced his effectiveness with the stakes involved. He'd been briefed to have the impression that the champion of a region that had rarely needed International Police involvement was suddenly in grave danger, or at least reasonable amounts of danger. His sense of duty to the job wouldn't let petty theft go, but dealing with such crimes, even between champions, was supposed to be behind him. What had interested him about the office was not the debris strewn everywhere, rather that the force necessary to cause such damage couldn't have come from an ordinary pair of pokémon. That or he'd spent too much time off duty in the Alola region. His reconstruction of the crime scene still needed more details. "I see. May I request to know what was stolen?" The officer rose to his feet, meeting Geeta at eye level and attempting a calming smile.

At this question, Geeta placed her uninjured hand on her chest. Looker hadn't met many champions, but they, like many savants, tended toward the eccentric, and Geeta so far was no exception in appearances. "To be completely honest, I am not sure. I believe it was the backup data for an AI that we thought was lost forever until recently." Geeta paused, considering something carefully. "You are familiar with the region's… problems of late, are you not?"

Looker was, as of last night. When it came to international news, Paldea was rarely mentioned outside of the tourism and education sections, two areas Looker no longer had a reason to frequent. His boss had been very thorough in his briefing during the flying taxi ride however. Paldea's problems stemmed mostly from the environment it existed in rather than the people running around it. The so-called Great Crater of Paldea that took up the center of the region was host to all sorts of monstrosities looking for any excuse to ruin the region's ecosystem. Further, the tera phenomenon had been worsening in recent years, to the point that removal of errant tera raid pokémon had become the exclusive responsibility of the league. Some radical experts predicted that Paldea could become unlivable within 50 years or so. All of this was to tell Looker that his establishing a firm relationship between the International Police and the Paldea League as the emotions in the region ran high was critically important. He hadn't needed that part of the briefing, but understanding when to allow his allies to speak was as important as it was for his enemies, another crucial disguise in his arsenal. In the present moment, a hand found Looker's chin as he contemplated how well he was doing being friendly with Geeta. Results were not optimistic. The crime scene now had a potential culprit in his mind's eye. "To the most extent, yes. Some trouble with your most famous national landmark, specifically the tera phenomenon?"

Geeta nodded, turning away again. He hadn't won any points of empathy from her yet. "The AI was taken from that crater. When I asked the person who retrieved it to give it to me so we could work to make it function again, I was refused. To be honest, I still don't understand why that is. She had never acted like this before. The knowledge that that AI could have shared with us might save our region, so why…" The champion trailed off, becoming as lost in her thoughts as she was when Looker had found her.

It was in this time that Looker found it appropriate to retreat into his own mind as well. He'd been provided with several important clues that could expedite this process: the attacker, which his report stated was a fellow champion, was an individual that Geeta trusted, was either strong or fast enough to injure her, and tough enough to survive in what was known to be the most dangerous environment in Paldea. Most importantly, they'd escaped through the window convincingly enough that Geeta was compelled to summon the likes of the International Police. Geeta had complicated things by insisting on speaking to someone in person about this instead of over the phone. Asking his employer to send a single agent to provide assistance was akin to a histrionic girlfriend demanding attention from her scorned lover. Ignoring the sporadic agent scattered around the region, this meant Looker was sent here by himself with the expectation of silence regarding the nature of his case barring what was necessary. Based on the history of notable Paldean characters in recent history he'd researched, that left one likely culprit. "If I may, could I presume that the thief in question here is one Ms. Juliana, the most recent champion of the region? Furthermore, what claim do either of you have to this AI if it came from the crater?"

Geeta raised an eyebrow as she faced Looker again. From this angle, Looker could fully appreciate how strange the woman's taste in hairstyles was. He wouldn't have batted an eye if it suddenly revealed itself to be a pokémon attached to Geeta's head. Perhaps the region's problems stemmed from some catastrophic lack of fashion sense leading to nobody remembering what color the region was supposed to be, but bringing that possibility up now was ill-advisable. Despite the questions swirling through both parties' minds, confidence radiated from Looker and Geeta with every action they took. Years of affirmations from countless peers and rivals had brought them both here, and resolving this issue via the person in front of them was just another step on that journey. "You catch on fast, detective. That AI belongs to the late professor Turo, and by his passing is the property of no one. However, his mind was the greatest we ever had on the tera phenomenon. In refusing our best chance at restoring him and running away, champion Juliana has put our entire region at risk, though it pains me to admit that." She paused long enough to run a hand distractedly through her forest of hair. "Truthfully, I had come to grow quite close to Juliana over the two years since she became a champion. The talent that sprung up from the seeds sown over these past few generations has exceeded even my expectations, and Juliana was the dazzling star that rose above even those who shone around her. She was the youngest and arguably most talented champion we had ever produced in this region."

"Was?" Looker cut in. "I was unaware that title's conferral could be rescinded."

Geeta sighed. "I was too, until very recently. You see, Juliana was responsible for leading a mission into the Great Crater to retrieve some of the work of a late professor Turo. You may recall that the International Police last officially visited this region with the intent of aiding in securing the area from citizen entry a decade or so ago. Area Zero, as we have dubbed it, has been swarming with what we call paradox pokémon, or pokémon from a distant future. As such, only people at least as strong as myself have been granted permission to lead teams there. The recovery team suffered casualties, but that wasn't what inspired me to call on you. That reason was what young Juliana did with the object she found down in that crater when she brought it to my desk." The champion indicated the room around her. "To put it mildly, we had a disagreement that ended with her assaulting me and taking off with the professor's literal life's work. Quite a vexing situation."

"If I may, could you trouble me with the nature of that object Juliana coveted enough to cause this disturbance? What was the AI supposed to do?" Looker asked, kneeling down again to inspect the shattered remains of a bust further.

There was a pause, half a second longer than Looker had evaluated was necessary. Either Geeta somehow didn't know the answer to the question, or she was considering whether or not to lie. That it was even an option told Looker that this story hadn't been fully formulated yet. He therefore had time to affect the narrative before it was impeded by dreadful personal biases. "It was an artificial intelligence developed by the professor Turo," she repeated with the most uncertainty Looker had heard so far. "Supposedly it contained all of his knowledge and memories, which would be critical to have in order to determine what is causing the phenomenon of worsening tera incidents."

Looker rose to his feet, nodding to himself. His interest was starting to rise again, but he suppressed the instinct to pursue things faster. If he rushed, he wouldn't be able to enjoy the chase. Only a few pieces remained left to put together. "And when Juliana refused to hand over that AI you speak of?"

Geeta shook her head. "I was dumbfounded, frankly. How she couldn't see the necessity of that man's genius now more than ever was beyond me. She insisted that the AI shouldn't be activated for this purpose. That was the main reason why when I started to argue again I was caught off guard when she suddenly attacked me."

This was the moment Looker had been waiting for. No person who approached him with an alibi ever told the entire truth, especially when they had no reason to lie. They all expressed this lie in different ways. A wayward hand motion, a flitting of the gaze, even something as subtle as the way words came out of the mouth as if they were being pulled from resisting lips rather than spoken naturally. As an International Police detective, Looker had been painstakingly trained to detect and take advantage of these tells, know when they were and weren't consistent within a person to break down their next actions as quickly as possible. Thanks to his investigation of the crime scene, he'd confirmed Geeta's first lie. When he turned his gaze over to her, he lamented that he'd missed the exact second she'd spoke. It would require a bit more pressure to get the answers he wanted. "What specifically did she say was her reason for not acquiescing to your demand?"

"I would like to know that myself. All I could get out of her was that she had been instructed not to hand AI Turo over to me. Whatever had poisoned her mind was very thorough about that."

There had been no tell, or at least no tell that Looker could see. He'd been certain that this line of questioning would bear the fruit he was looking for, yet he remained hungry. Remembering that he hadn't had anything to eat since he'd learned of this mission last night, Looker sighed. Working on an empty stomach was a bad habit of his he'd been advised repeatedly against, yet the rest of the world never seemed to work things out conveniently enough for him to eat. It was time to turn the heat up. "So the scene has remained untouched since this incident occurred?" Looker asked carefully.

As if she could sense Looker's intentions, Geeta turned away, striding toward the elevator behind the agent. "Well, almost, yes. The area around the elevator was cleaned up to allow clear passage to and from the room. Until you arrived I've been making use of an auxiliary office space, though I don't spend much time in the office these days."

Looker nodded to himself. Assuming Juliana had been standing about where he would expect her to be, it would only be too convenient that this location was the same place where the fight would have started to be cleaned up. Refocusing his attention on this spot, Looker pointed at the burn mark. "Was that you, or her?" he asked.

Geeta smiled ruefully. "Her. When I went for the elevator, she used fire to cut me off. None of my regular pokémon know a fire-type move."

This was the boldest lie yet, to the point that Geeta had felt the need to wrap it in a true statement. Looker knew exactly what pokémon Geeta used and what they were capable of. He wouldn't dream of stepping into a room to meet someone without learning everything he could about them via a background check first. What intrigued him more was the idea that Geeta had decided to go for the elevator when there was a perfectly good set of stairs nearby. Rather than ask that question, Looker decided to let it go. If his reconstruction of the battle was accurate, he'd answered his own query anyways. To make this final jump in logic, he nodded toward the desk at the far side of the office. "Sturdy stuff that thing must be made of, I presume. It appears to be undamaged."

Geeta raised an eyebrow, uncertain what the point of this comment was. "Yes, I suppose so. Pardon my asking, but does that have any relevance to the International Police tracking down this AI for me?"

"And another thing. You seem to value discretion in this matter, yet you summoned our organization. As is your region's right, of course, and my word to let what is discussed here not leave this room will remain unbroken. I'm left to puzzle about the nature of your intentions, however. How close are you to this Juliana that you would risk our necessary intervention? Why 24 hours?"

Of all of Looker's pressing statements, he had expected this one to get the best reaction out of Geeta. People were much easier to manipulate when you questioned them about their close relationships. If Geeta knew this, she was intentionally obfuscating Looker's plan by responding with a serene far-off look. She couldn't have seemed farther from the situation at hand if she tried, and it bothered Looker immensely. He usually only saw that sort of look on fanatics. "You speak as though my intentions are hostile towards you. I was under the impression that the International Police existed exactly for reasons like this. Ms. Juliana is dear to me, and that is why I require your assistance to take care of this matter effectively and discretely. You'll have my full support, of course. Any other questions?"

Looker sauntered carefully over to the desk, suppressing a smirk. He did enjoy this part of the job more than most, which was probably why he received the opportunity to do it so rarely. The cop ran a finger along his target, allowing the dust that had started to gather since the described fight to sully his hand. "It just bothers me that this desk wasn't there when the battle you're describing took place."

Geeta clapped her hands together, as if the statement needed some noise to accompany the startled expression on her face. "Oh? Whatever led you to that conclusion?"

A girl stepped out of the elevator and into the office of the most powerful person in Paldea. She was carrying something obtuse under her right arm, red marks indicating how many times she'd had to shift it around to find a fleeting sense of comfort for herself and her cargo. The top champion was staring out the window Looker had found her at, this time fully intact. He observed the silence that passed between the two of them. Geeta turned to face the girl, her expression consolatory. What happened down there hadn't been her fault, not when they knew what they were signing up for. All parties were aware of this, yet Juliana still felt like she failed. Looker couldn't help but sympathize. This sort of job shouldn't have been left in the hands of someone so young. But Juliana didn't dwell on the matter for very long. The impressions of the carpet indicated that she didn't stay where she was, as a guilty person would, rather she'd advanced right up to Geeta.

Words were exchanged about the nature of what Juliana had retrieved. Looker couldn't make out the conversation, not yet, but Geeta's positioning in relation to Juliana when the first attack was launched told him that they'd definitely begun arguing. It was a medium-sized pokémon, had two legs ending claws, and it charged straight at Juliana. Its intent wasn't lethal, but nobody with their dominant hand disabled should have had time to react. That meant she would have been overcome by her foe if not for a pokémon that acted on its own, a situation Looker was all too familiar with. The heat that emanated from the savior pokémon that was Juliana's main form of transportation flushed Looker's face as it surged out in all directions. Even in this reconstruction Looker found himself impressed by the raw power this pokémon must have exuded to stop the full-force charge of Geeta's pokémon. The strength these so-called paradox pokémon boasted was no joke. The attacking pokémon was forced back, gouging out chunks of marble as it skidded to a stop, singed but still standing. Nearby space that the miraidon occupied was warped, the atmosphere starting to bend as heat emanated from the pokémon's body. It was the only way the carpet could have been burned without consuming the entire thing completely. Juliana ignored this somehow, hopping onto the pokémon's back to remind Looker that there were still holes that needed filling in his deduction.

Looker raised an eyebrow as Geeta went for another pokéball at her hip. It didn't seem very sporting of the champion to summon another ally in a one-on-one battle, even if this wasn't the most official of stages. Miraidon agreed by the way it surged forward, burning the carpet behind it as it blew past Geeta and her pokémon and out the window, sending glass scattering everywhere like chunks of falling ice against the sunset. Geeta was caught off guard by the charge and collided with a nearby side table, causing her injury. This piece of furniture had to be the source of the injury due to remaining completely intact despite having been disturbed. Every other piece of furniture that had been in the way of the few clashes that occurred in the office was completely destroyed. The deduction fit so perfectly that Looker was bored by its simplicity. Was Geeta so petty that this sort of squabble would require international intervention? When Looker stared at Geeta's face on the floor, however, a different story was laid out before him. She didn't appear to be enraged, or even angry, at least not anymore. Instead, she was calm, even as the stench of smoke filled the room. The reason Looker knew that was because the scenario he had just witnessed was currently impossible for this room. Someone or something had added a foreign element that couldn't possibly have been there no matter how Looker stared at it, and now it was time to confirm his findings.

Looker swept his hand outward, scattering dust and letting his coat swoosh threateningly against the backdrop of the open window. "That, madame chairwoman, is a simple matter. By your word, the battle between yourself and Juliana took place two days ago, and I was summoned here as soon as it happened. You told me the scene was exactly how you left it, but based on this desk, that can't be true. After all, what sort of desk would be this close to a forcibly opened window for two days and still have dust on it, never mind the fact that you're supposedly using it?"

Geeta paced over to the desk, testing its cleanliness with her good hand. Confirming that Looker was right brought an emotionless smile to her face. "The police weren't exaggerating your abilities, agent Looker. Even I've heard tell of your accomplishments. You are absolutely right. My desk was completely smashed in Juliana's attack. This one is a replacement. I apologize for not being completely candid, but I admit I was curious to see if you could pick up on such a minute detail. Your file did you great justice."

Checkmate. Looker maintained his stoic expression, unwilling to show his hand just yet. When he'd been recalled from his current mission to come here, he'd at first seen it as a sort of diversion. AI or no AI, the International Police didn't make a habit of doing work that league staff or local authorities could do. It was primarily for this reason that the International Police didn't have a significant presence in the Paldea region, satisfied with the way the Paldea League kept to themselves and stamped out evil whenever it reared its ugly head. Regions that didn't have leagues big enough to contribute participants to international battle stages like the World Coronation Series tended to be under the radar of large-scale organized crime and police work alike. Geeta's behavior, however, told him that his bosses were not remiss in sending him to investigate. "A simple matter. Champion Juliana uses a paradox pokémon to get around, as I understand it. With that in mind, a hole in the window with no shards of glass inside meant that she must have used both pokémon and window in tandem for her exit. Given where Miraidon had to have charged you from, there is simply no way that it could have taken a course besides the one right through where this desk is placed."

At this intonation, Geeta stiffened slightly but maintained her overall composure. She could sense that Looker was indirectly pressing her, probing for information about what was so important about that ruined desk that it needed to be removed. Still, she smiled. The unflinching determination to remain cordial was having the opposite intended effect on Looker, but he wouldn't be showing that to his host. "Of course. It would please me greatly if you could apply those skills to the case at hand as well. To answer your previous questions, that AI is volatile. It's spent too long away from a power source as it is, and I'm worried that we'll lose it forever if it isn't retrieved quickly. I wish badly to be able to resolve this with Juliana using words, but we're describing the fate of our region here, and sometimes I have to put my work in front of my personal feelings." It was the slight inflection in Geeta's voice, warning against further directionless questioning, that cautioned Looker against another direct attack.

Champion Juliana wasn't the only champion that had drawn Looker's attention as the skies over Paldea continued to dim. Geeta had risen to power in the league roughly ten years ago and had become the chairwoman of Uva Academy some 7 or 8 years after that. Among other champions in other regions, she held far more influence and sway than others that shared her title. The most benign of intentions could easily be warped by such a mantle, and Looker had been warned as such when he was briefed on the mission. This meant that he'd have to be extremely careful who was and who wasn't to be considered his ally. "I will see it done. If you could provide me with any further information you have on the whereabouts of your missing item, I can get started posthaste."

"A word of caution, before I do," Geeta warned. "As you are likely aware, this sort of news would cause quite the stir in our region. That is another reason I've imposed this time limit on you. I would like to salvage both mine and Juliana's reputation by bringing her in before the rest of the region needs to find out. Currently, only those closest to me, the director of Uva Academy, and Juliana's mother are completely aware of the current situation."

"I cannot make such a promise as that," Looker denied, though his mind raced with the possibilities opened and closed by anonymity.

"I feared as much. Still, I felt it prudent to warn you. The investigation will become much more complicated if we let the general populace in on everything. I understand my request is rather insensitive, but I feel as though your understanding of the need for delicacy in this matter is sufficient to justify my lack of decorum. You will have full access to all the resources at my disposal that you need, of course."

Looker could understand that very well. He'd worked with more than enough stuck-up politicians to know what one struggling to hide their dirty laundry looked like. "I see. For Juliana's sake, I will do what I can." The actual desire Looker felt to carry out those words was compartmentalized for analysis later, when there wasn't a job at hand. "Anything else? I've been provided your contact information already."

"Yes, allow me to help you with this much to get started," Geeta responded, withdrawing a pager and activating it.

Within a moment or two of awkward silence, the elevator behind the pair dinged to allow a well-dressed businessman to enter the office. Had the elevator not announced his presence, Looker might have failed to notice him. Aside from sunken eyes and grey streaks running through his jet black hair, he was the epitome of a sales mannequin, moving and carrying himself with the same perfunctory rigidity that one would adopt when trying to avoid further confrontation with life. His suit and briefcase implied the station of a humble office worker, but salarymen didn't usually carry full teams of pokémon on their belts. It was like all the esoteric charm that Geeta was going for had been stolen from the man in front of Looker, leaving a face so forgettable that he felt compelled to reuse it for a disguise at some point. Geeta smiled warmly at the new arrival, who didn't so much as twitch a facial muscle in reply. "Larry, thank you for coming on such short notice. I've decided to assign you to be my friend Looker's escort until you've tracked down our missing champion. Please assist him how you see fit and ensure that the champion and AI are returned unharmed. Mr. Looker, Larry here is one of my best employees. You'll find him immensely helpful in your mission. If Juliana has a good reason for her transgressions, I don't want to see her life ruined by this one mistake. The youth of Paldea decide its future, after all."

Privately, Looker hadn't wanted to arrest Juliana either, but until he could prove otherwise, that would have to be his current mission statement. Larry bowed to Looker, his facial expression still unreadable. "I look forward to working with you, Mr. Looker. My name is Larry. I work under Top Champion Geeta. The boss has briefed me on the situation."

He was in the briefing file. Works as an elite four member and a gym leader for the league, among other responsibilities. Was supposedly at his gym at the time of the incident. If he wasn't an elite four member, his file probably wouldn't have even come up. Hard to believe someone like this would want to have this sort of line of work. "I see. Let's do our best to resolve this matter quickly, Larry," Looker agreed, putting out a hand to shake.

Geeta sighed as Larry shook Looker's outstretched hand firmly. "Come now, Larry, don't sell yourself short. You're one of Paldea's elites, are you not?"

Looker raised an eyebrow as Larry shrugged off the compliment, muttering something about how that was just because she told him to fill the role. Managing a gym in addition to being a member of the elite four of a region was an unprecedented responsibility that Looker hadn't presumed any one person would be able to juggle. There were a myriad of reasons for this, the principal one among them being challengers. It seemed that the elite four of Paldea saw even less action than he thought. "I didn't think it was relevant, but if you do, okay," he responded plainly before turning back to Looker. "Was there somewhere you wanted to start, detective?"

Regaining back his lost composure, Looker turned to his training on finding people who didn't want to be found. With evil organizations there was always some sort of base that scum could be tracked to, even when the admins were on their own. In his years of crime-fighting, stamping out the last dregs of an organization was always the hardest part, especially when it came to scientist types. That information wouldn't help him much here, however. Juliana surely didn't have any sort of criminal organization to fall back on, nor had she been spotted at any of her usual haunts according to the incident report. In a region as large as Paldea, that meant she could effectively be anywhere. "The border, would you say it is secure?" Looker inquired.

"If she'd left the region, we'd have known," Larry answered immediately. "There's no inconspicuous way out by land and nobody has reported any stowaways by sea or air."

Looker's question remained unanswered. The information he'd received was on par for a missing person's case, but usually that missing person wanted to be found. It would almost have been more effective if he'd been given nothing to go off of and told to track down a random person in the region. The problem with travelers was that they held the home field advantage no matter where in the region he went. "Alright. I've only had time to review the information that you've sent with us, but I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss the incident with you in more depth, Larry. Could we find a more suitable location to do that?"

"I could arrange that," Larry agreed with a glance around the room. "I presume you have other matters to attend to, champion?"

"You presume correctly," Geeta answered promptly. "Important as this matter is, assuaging the concerns of the people of this region is my first priority. The natural disasters that plague our land now cannot be stopped, but they can be mitigated, so I have to act. I look forward to hearing news of your successes, gentlemen. Feel free to continue investigating as you see fit." With that, Geeta strode past the two and into the elevator.

As soon as the door closed, Larry sighed, letting his back hunch slightly and his face somehow become droopier than it had been just seconds ago. It was as if Larry had managed to age five years in the span of a single breath. Looker only noticed this in passing as he gave the room another scan. Something was still bugging him about the state that it had been left in, but Geeta's willingness to leave him here told him that the answer to his question couldn't be found in this office. Despite the length of their conversation, Looker hadn't been able to pinpoint the woman's real priorities in this matter, and until he did so, it would be difficult to effectively investigate. "She still gives me the creeps," Larry muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Looker asked, quickly realizing that Larry's whisper voice was his normal volume of speaking.

"Nothing, my apologies. Shall we be going as well?" Larry offered.

"Before we do, a quick question, if you would," Looker requested, holding up a hand. "How many others are involved in this search? What has been done up to this point to track the champion down?"

Larry scratched the back of his head, thinking for a moment. "Hm… not much, I think. We had some people ask around, of course, but the boss was insistent that we don't cause a panic. Other than letting her teachers and her family know to report in if she came back, nobody I'm aware of is out looking for her."

"That is insane," Looker replied with a huff. "I'll be frank with you, Larry, I don't quite know what to make of this case. The first 72 hours after someone goes missing are the most critical to the success of finding them, and we are starting with a 48-hour deficit. Chairwoman Geeta's decision to enlist outside help from us while trying to maintain a veil of secrecy while also not using her own resources to solve the problem, not to mention her description of what actually happened here… the rationale is beyond me for the moment, and that is very irksome indeed. Why I-"

"Could you slow down for a moment?" Larry interrupted quietly.

Both men exchanged a look of confusion, Looker waiting for Larry to elaborate while Larry was startled that someone had actually listened when he said something to interrupt them. His composure was back quickly, but Looker was partially relieved that Larry wasn't actually some sort of advanced AI incapable of speaking for himself. "Apologies. The boss chose to deal with things this way, and your bosses told you to take care of this, right?"

"In a simple manner of speaking, yes."

Larry nodded. "Then it's our responsibility to get it done. We aren't going to do ourselves or anyone else any good by wondering what they meant by telling us to do this. It won't help Champion Juliana either."

This line of thinking would have been more depressing under other circumstances. In the immediate moment, Looker found it to be rather intriguing. "This fight… you are aware that Geeta instigated it, are you not? That AI technically did not belong in either of their hands based on my understanding of the problem."

Larry nodded once more, straightening his tie for good measure as he pointed toward the singe marks on the carpet. "Of course, but that's not what the boss said, and what she says goes, regardless of what the truth is."

This response caught Looker off guard. "Do you believe differently?"

"I don't get paid to do that, so I don't," Larry responded simply. "Is this relevant to the task at hand?"

Looker shook his head, chastising himself for not following his own advice. It was a simple test, but it had been made more than clear that Larry was assigned as more of a watchdog than as an assistant. If he wanted to know why Geeta had struck first or why he'd been assigned to this mission, he'd have to figure it out by himself. "No, my apologies. Let's begin with Uva Academy, shall we? Perhaps someone there knows something of our missing friend's whereabouts."

As they stepped into the elevator, Looker's stomach grumbled. He raised his head to apologize to Larry, only to see the man smiling softly. "We can't do our jobs if we're hungry. Let's grab a bite to eat first. I know a good place in my town. The academy won't be open to the public for another hour or so." Much as Looker wanted to protest, there was only so much he could do to ignore his stomach before it staged a mutiny.

So it was that this conversation had led Looker back into a flying taxi and the town of Medali, only a brief half-hour's journey away from the Paldea League headquarters. On the way there, Looker had attempted to make small talk with his assigned partner, but Larry had deflected or ignored every attempt at conversation, insisting that they'd get to it over food. Whether Larry was primarily motivated by food or simply belligerent was a mystery Looker couldn't hope to solve without more evidence. The morning sun was finally starting to pierce through the clouds as Larry led them into the Treasure Eatery. The scarlet rays cast over the region were certainly warming, but they didn't feel like the right color for the region either, merely a different coat of paint over the same problem. While it was a picturesque scene, Larry was focused on the restaurant in front of him and Looker was only thinking about how the sun signified the beginning of his time limit. Looking around as they stepped inside, Looker was surprised at both the layout of the restaurant and the fact that it was empty. "This place is a battle arena?" Looker questioned. "Is that why nobody's here?"

Larry shook his head. It felt like Looker was being smirked at, but Larry's expression remained as lifeless as ever to match his tone when he responded. "This is my gym, yes. It's not busy because it's not open yet. If you come by during the lunch rush, you'll see. It's the best place to eat in Paldea." With such glowing enthusiasm dripping from Larry's voice, Looker couldn't help but agree wholeheartedly.

At this claim, a chef came out from behind the bar on the far side of the restaurant. "You're late, Larry! Your food is going to freeze over if you let it sit like that!"

Larry rubbed the back of his neck, actually bowing in apology. "Sorry, Lydia. The boss put me in for a morning meeting. Could you get my partner here something as well? Put it on my tab."

Lydia sighed but complied without another word. As they sat down at the counter, Looker brought himself to ask a question that he actually thought might get an answer. "So you manage this gym in addition to functioning as an elite four member for the league. I must say, that sort of responsibility would traditionally be unheard of in other regions."

For an instant Looker was convinced that he could make out frustration in Larry's expression, but the façade of disinterest was back before he could confirm it. "Is that so? We don't get many challengers to the league, so being an elite four member isn't actually all that much of a job. It's more of a side thing I take care of for the boss when I have to. Not that I appreciate the extra work. I'm much more comfortable here. It only gets really busy during the treasure hunt season." Punctuating this statement was Larry feeding his face with the rice balls that had just been placed in front of him.

Sensing an opportunity to get the conversation back on track, Looker indicated the file Larry had withdrawn from his briefcase. "Now that we're here, I'd like to discuss the primary targets of interest in this case," Looker prompted.

Glancing up, Larry opened the file without actually looking at it. "Sure. Just don't take anything. The boss wouldn't like that." Whether Larry would care required no deductive skills for Looker to determine as the main remained wholly absorbed by his breakfast.

About 11 pictures stared at Looker as he memorized all of the faces in an instant. Some he recognized, like top champion Geeta and the headshot of champion Juliana. Many more were unfamiliar to him. "All of these people are potentially involved in what happened two days ago? I was under the impression that the champion was acting alone." A bowl of soba noodles was set in front of Looker as he continued to investigate the photos against the wishes of his body.

"See, that's the problem," Larry managed to get out around bites of food. "Word hasn't quite gotten out yet, but we can't legally jam the airwaves and Ms. Juliana has a surprisingly dense web of contacts to reach out to if the situation calls for it. Perhaps that's an effect of being champion. You've seen her type before, haven't you?"

Brown hair in a messy ponytail concealed by what Looker presumed was the Uva Academy uniform. Her auburn eyes brimmed with a confidence that only ignorant youths had. Yes, Looker had seen this type of trainer before. The bright eyes staring at him belonged to the worst kind of trainer for someone in Looker's line of work. "Why do you think it is most regions let their children go out and train pokémon so readily?" Looker asked, wishing he had something to wash his meal down. "It's not exactly safe out there, yet they manage so easily, figure out how to train and raise pokémon better than most adults. Well, the successful ones do anyways. It's the success stories like her that worry me the most. Everyone realizes that problems can't be solved with a pokémon battle at some point, and usually by the time they do, it's after some sort of large consequence. That moment may be coming for her. My words, do you get what I'm saying? Did you go on a journey in your youth?"

"I suppose," Larry half-agreed, glancing to the pokéball exposed on Looker's belt. The gym leader had learned a long time ago that letting people go on tangents was much easier than trying to correct them for no benefit. Everyone won when the person Larry was talking to thought they were right. "Then again, it was never more than a means to an end for me. I suppose that's why the boss keeps insisting I take this inane side projects on. In any case, you understand that trainers like her tend to attract attention, for better or worse."

On that point Looker could provide no argument. Champions of any region were an eccentric bunch that came in all age ranges, but it still gave Looker a pang in his heart to see that face looking back at him. You shouldn't have had to make whatever decision led you here. It was just a job, but Looker found himself leaning forward more intently as he browsed the other portraits. "It's primarily former members of a gang that Juliana was responsible for dismantling, but the only son of the late Professor Turo and another champion, Nemona is in there, too. You'll note the staff of the academy and the gym leaders of the region as well for reference," Larry pointed out.

Looker glanced over the cast one more time. There were champions, delinquents, some pokémon professors, and several travelers. There were so many threads that enticed his imagination that pulling any single one felt like an insult to the others. Instead, Looker deflected his thoughts elsewhere while he finally gave in to his hunger. "You're not on here," Looker noted around his meal.

"There's nothing to tell for me. I'm just filling molds where I'm told to," Larry waved off, watching Looker consume his odd breakfast approvingly.

Looker wanted to pursue the matter further, but Larry's attitude was standoffish enough as it was. He couldn't afford to alienate Larry's willingness to help to satisfy a personal curiosity. Sighing, he placed the file aside for the moment and focused on eating. The silence between the men had returned, but this time it was mutual. Though he couldn't quite place the reasoning for it as his mind remained occupied with the task at hand, Looker appreciated that Larry placed value on something besides pleasing his boss, even if that happened to be food. The scent of freshly made noodles lingered in Looker's nose as they finished their meals and thanked the chef. Once Looker was certain that Lydia had retreated to the back to clean dishes, he rose and spoke again. "And any one of these people has the potential to be helping to sequester our Juliana away somewhere?"

"More importantly, she has a close bond with the pokémon miraidon, which can travel across Paldea almost as fast as a flying taxi given the right terrain," Larry added, indicating another picture sticking out of the file. "It's entirely possible she's forgone help and is simply moving around such that nobody could hope to keep track of her. You saw what that thing did to the boss's office."

"Have there been any sightings of her?"

"None."

"Then it's safe to assume that she's aware of what she's done and is taking the steps necessary to conceal her presence. With that in mind, it's highly likely that she's been in contact with her friends, or at least one or two of them. How much should they know?"

Larry shook his head. "The public should have no information. Right now the story is that she's still at the league helping them out with Area Zero research. The excuse for the school is that it's part of her preparing for her future job or something. That's also the excuse we're using if anyone fails to get in touch with her. If they know something, it's because Juliana told them."

This was bad. It would be easy to catch someone in a lie, sure, but Juliana would surely expect something like that. If she'd told anyone, they'd be expecting him. They were several steps behind in this chase, and their window to pick up the slack was already half-closed. "We don't have time to waste, Larry," Looker declared, starting for the door. "Please alert Director Clavell for me. We need to pay a visit to Uva Academy and find out just how many people we're going up against."

Larry tilted his head. "Sure, but what do you mean by that? We're only supposed to track down Ms. Juliana and there's nothing to suggest she's working with someone. I wouldn't be in her situation."

The detective shook his head as he turned back to the door. "That's the problem, Larry. Normally someone in her position wouldn't seek out help, but everything I've heard has told me that, at the least, our missing champion thinks she's in the right, and few states of mind can be more dangerous than that." Larry wanted to comment on the potential hypocrisy in this claim, but he remained quiet, instead following Looker dutifully out the door. It wasn't any of his business to run around correcting egocentric detectives, after all. That could wait until their job was completed.