Prologue: Handing in the Badge
"Is this really the end for you, Markus?" Looker sat across the table from the man, reading over his resignation one final time. Markus smiled sadly back at him. "I think so. It doesn't feel the same without her." Looker turned down his gaze. "It's been a year now, but the whole department feels her absence still." He stamped Markus's resignation and filed it into his outbox. "Alright, Markus, I'll need your badge and to wipe your Wrist Tablet." Markus nodded, pulled his badge from his pocket, and tugged the glove and tablet from his arm. "Thank you. I really hate to see you go."
"It's the right thing for me, I think." Markus said sadly as Looker handed his glove and tablet back to him, the department's extra data now removed. "I'm going to spend some time back home. I'm sure my nieces will be excited to see me." His lips almost dared to turn up into a smile at the thought.
"And after that, I know someone who would be very interested in meeting you." Looker pulled a card from his desk. "They just had to turn over the staff about eighteen months ago, and they haven't found their whole faculty quite yet." Markus took the card and read through it. "Uva Academy? You think I should go from Special Agent Vaughn to Mr. Vaughn?" Nonetheless, the offer was tempting. It would certainly be a far cry from what he was used to, but Paldea was a nice place, and he and Gengar needed a vacation.
"You know what, boss? I think I'll give this Clavell guy a call."
"I'm glad to hear that, Markus. Now get out of my office, you civilian." Looker chuckled as Markus stood and made his way from the building.