CHAPTER 11

"Found anything yet?" asked Wingull, setting aside a document.

"No," said Nidorina as she was rummaging through some books. "But we need to keep trying."

"Plenty of information on old mail service, though," Wingull said. "Did you know that Pelipper weren't the first Pokémon to be hired for deliveries? They originally hired Archeops. Sadly, they couldn't fly very well-"

"I appreciate that you're trying to lighten the mood," Nidorina said, "but we don't have time to browse irrelevant topics."

"Right, right," said Wingull, resuming her search through the shelves.

They spent a few more minutes trying to find some information about Folde when Vulpix suddenly came walking up the stairs.

"Hey, you two," she said. "Have either of you seen Buizel?"

Nidorina and Wingull shook their heads. "No," Nidorina responded. "Did something happen?"

"I can't find him," Vulpix said. "I went to check on him and see if he found anything, but he's gone. I looked downstairs, and he's not there, either."

"Let's ask Rylan and Zorian," suggested Wingull. "Maybe Buizel went past us and headed upstairs."

Wingull and Nidorina set down what they were looking through and went upstairs with Vulpix. They looked around at the shelves containing information from 4,900 to 4,100 years in the past, but there was no sign of Buizel. Once they arrived at the top level, they saw the two brothers going through books and files.

"Nothing yet?" asked Zorian.

"Nothing," Rylan replied, setting a book aside.

"Folde is known to some Pokémon, so there must be information somewhere," Zorian said.

"Hey, guys?" Vulpix asked.

Rylan and Zorian turned their heads and noticed their three companions standing at the stairway. "Oh, hey," Rylan said. "What's up?"

"Did you see Buizel come up here?" Vulpix asked.

"Buizel?" Zorian asked. "Can't say I have."

"Me either," said Rylan. "Though I don't think he'd even want to come up here with me around."

Vulpix started to look worried.

"Is something wrong?" asked Rylan.

"I can't find him," said Vulpix. "He's not here. He's not in the library."

"What?" Zorian exclaimed. He and Rylan set down what they were reading and stood up.

"You don't think-?" Rylan started.

"That this has something to do with what's going on?" Zorian finished. "I wouldn't be surprised." He turned back to Vulpix. "Did you ask Altaria if she has seen him?"

"Not yet," Vulpix said. "I couldn't find her, either."

"We should head back down and see if she's around," Nidorina said.

The five of them hurried downstairs and eventually arrived on the ground floor. They looked around the room and up high. Moments later, they spotted Altaria flying around, examining the bookshelves.

"Altaria!" Vulpix called out.

"Oh, my!" Altaria responded. "I'll be right there!"

Altaria drifted down to the other Pokémon, then Vulpix walked up to her.

"Have you seen Buizel?" Vulpix asked.

"Buizel?" Altaria wondered. "I don't recall a Buizel entering the library. Just the five of you."

"What?" Vulpix asked.

"Something's up," Zorian murmured. Nidorina and Wingull looked at each other worriedly.

"Pyroar," Rylan said. "Let's ask Pyroar." The Pokémon turned and headed toward the door.

"Thank you for allowing us time to browse, Altaria," said Zorian. "You have a good day."

"Good day to you, too," Altaria replied, flying off once more to tend to her shelves.

Noticing the group was coming, Pyroar stepped aside to let them exit. He smiled as they made their way outside. "You've been on your best behavior, I see," he said. "Much appreciated."

"Excuse me, Pyroar," said Zorian, "but did a Buizel happen to pass through this door earlier today?"

"A Buizel?" Pyroar responded. "No. You were the only ones allowed inside so far today."

"Thanks," said Zorian. "We were just curious. Good day."

"Farewell," Pyroar replied.

The Pokémon started to walk away, but Vulpix was clearly distraught. Zorian decided to lead everyone into a small, secluded alley so that they could stop for a moment and take in what just happened. Everyone sat down in the grass.

"Breathe, Vulpix," Zorian told his worried friend.

"I'll try," she said, taking a few deep breaths. "I'm scared. Buizel is my best friend. He'd never just up and leave like this. And what the library Pokémon said…"

"It's like he was never here," said Rylan.

"I think I know what it is," said Zorian. The others turned to look at him.

"Back in the world I came from," he explained, "I was surrounded by bad people. They would use any means to cover themselves up after committing crimes. Including…hypnosis."

"Hypnosis?" asked Nidorina. "You mean like how Team Tranquility took control of Giratina?"

"Yes," Zorian responded. "I get the feeling someone wanted to cover up Buizel's disappearance, so Altaria and Pyroar were placed under hypnosis and made to believe Buizel never came with us."

"But why hypnotize them over something like that?" asked Wingull. "What does Buizel mean to whoever did it?"

"…I don't know," said Zorian.

"We think we're getting somewhere, only to find out that we're still blind," said Rylan.

"Buizel wouldn't leave so abruptly, especially with Vulpix there," said Nidorina. "I think he's been kidnapped."

"I'm thinking the same thing," Zorian responded.

Vulpix wiped tears from her eyes. "If so," she said, "I'm getting him back."

"We're getting him back together," Rylan added. "We have no idea what we're up against, and we need to be careful."

"Which leads us to more questions," said Wingull. "Who took him, and why?"

"Let's see…" said Zorian. As he pondered the possibilities, he was kind of grateful to have the knowledge he gained from the human world, but ashamed of it at the same time.

"We're all ears," said Nidorina.

"From my experience, the kidnappers I've been around have taken people or Pokémon for one of two reasons. Reason number 1, they want to settle a score with their target."

"And reason number 2?" Vulpix asked.

"…They want something from the individuals who are close to the target," Zorian said. "The target is being used as a bargaining chip in order for the kidnapper to get what they want."

Zorian put his paws to his head, his eyes widening in shock.

"What is it?" Rylan asked his brother.

"It's us," Zorian said quietly. "Steenee, Magneton, the hypnotized Pokémon at the library… Whoever is doing this, they want us."