Dawn was breaking over Saffron City as Joy walked along the streets in the direction of the Pokemon Centre. It was Saturday, so she did not have to go into work, but she had agreed to meet Officer Jenny there so that was where she was heading. Instead of her usual Nurse uniform, she was wearing a casual cardigan and wool trousers, something that she felt would be comfortable for the next few days of investigating. She wondered where they would begin, considering this was such a big case which most likely had a lot of ground to cover. Despite the trepidation, though, she had to admit she was kind of excited. Going on an excursion like this and trying to do some larger good in the world was thrilling. Perhaps this was what Officer Jenny felt like when on the job.

Upon arriving outside the Pokemon Centre, which was already open for the day, she waited in front of the building for Jenny to arrive. Most likely, Joy thought, they would purchase some form of transportation to Lavender Town and go from there. With this in mind, she was quite surprised when the sound of a revving engine sounded out from down the street and a motorcycle came into view. Although a helmet obscured the rider's face, the length of dark green hair coming from underneath made it clear who it was. Joy's eyes widened as Jenny stopped the motorcycle in front of her and took off her helmet to speak properly.

"Hello, Joy!" Jenny said brightly. "Glad to see you came out here to join me after all!"

Joy smiled. "Well, I did make a promise to you. So how are we getting to Lavender Town? Do you have a taxi booked?"

Jenny gave Joy a grin at this question. "No, we're taking my motorbike! Here, I even bought you your own helmet!" At this she bought up a second helmet for Joy to see. It was mostly identical to her own, if lacking the police insignia.

Joy was even more surprised. "We're taking your motorcycle?"

"Sure! That won't be a problem, will it?"

"Um, no. It's just that I've never ridden a motorcycle before, so I'm not sure how to."

"Not a problem!" Jenny exclaimed as she reached for Joy's hand. "It's easy! Just follow my lead and you'll be fine!"

Joy looked gingerly at Jenny's outstretched hand, not quite sure what she was getting herself into, but eventually her sense of adventure won out and she took her hand. "Alright. What should I do?"

"Simple!" Jenny said as she passed the second helmet over. "First, you put on the helmet, then you sit behind me."

Still feeling a little trepidation, Joy nonetheless put the helmet over her head. It wasn't quite a perfect fit, but it did the job just about. After that, she carefully lifted herself onto the bike, sitting on the free space on the seat that Jenny had left behind her. "Okay, what next?"

"Now…" Jenny began, before revving the engine suddenly. "You hold on tight!"

Joy didn't have a chance to ask what she meant before the engine revved again and she looked around for something to grab onto. Out of options, she ultimately picked the only one before her and wrapped her arms around Jenny's waist mere moments before the motorcycle started up and peeled down the road.

At first, Joy was both absolutely terrified and blushing with slight embarrassment at such close contact, but as they drove at high speed down Route 8 towards Lavender Town, the fear began to morph into adrenaline-fueled excitement. She had never done something like this before, and it was almost intoxicating. The world moved so quickly around them and although the helmet muffled the sound of rushing wind, the feeling of it going by was exhilarating.

She really had to do something like this more often.

…

If there was one word that could be used to describe Lavender Town, it would be "dour". Since time immemorial the whole area had a negative aura surrounding it, often manifesting itself as fog or mist that hung over the town. The fact that the place was haunted by Ghost Pokemon was no secret, largely stemming from the tower which had once served as a burial ground; now converted into a radio station for Kanto's local shows.

One might assume that no one would willingly want to live in a place like this, and yet the town was full of people, largely spiritual types who had gravitated to the strange energies. Tourists would flock here too for the same reason, and so there were plenty of cafes and shops that served to take advantage of the patronage with little trinkets and whatnot.

Joy had only been to Lavender Town a couple of times before, and never of her own volition. She found the whole place too creepy to want to stay, and yet here she was, assisting a police investigation. Fate was often a strange mistress.

Work began not long after they had arrived and checked into a nearby hotel that Jenny had booked for their stay. The plan was essentially to visit the locals in the town who had lost Pokemon in the last several months and take statements as to the circumstances of their disappearances. With luck, Joy's expertise would be able to pick up on patterns which the police had overlooked.

Those who were willing to talk with them about the subject had a lot of different things to say. Some were young trainers who had lost their main partners, others were older folks who had retired from active training but still had some Pokemon running around. The Pokemon they had lost varied a lot too, ranging from Bulbasaurs to Pikachus and even more exotic specimens from other regions like an Audino.

Their stories were all quite different but the one consistent detail was that they had been out with their Pokemon one day, most often near the woods, and then suddenly they lost sight of them and never found them again. Some had made peace with the loss of their companions but most were clearly still deeply torn up about it and pleaded with Jenny and Joy to find them and bring them back home.

This made up the first day of the pair's work in Lavender Town, and once the sun had started to set they went back to their respective hotel rooms to spend the night. The next day they reconvened at a nearby cafe (rather tackily called 'Haunter's Eatery') to discuss their findings and probable causes.

As they waited for their nondescript coffee and breakfast, Jenny turned to Joy in the seat opposite of her.

"So what do you think? Are any of the statements we took yesterday creating a pattern for you?"

Joy scratched her head. She had thought long and hard about what they had learned last night, and yet she was having trouble piecing it all together. "It's hard to say. As with the other day, captured Pokemon almost never go wandering away from their trainer except in very rare circumstances. And with such a large amount for such a long period of time… it doesn't feel like a natural occurrence to me. I can't help but shake the feeling that they're being snatched."

"That's an idea we had ourselves." Jenny piped up. "Early on we figured it had to have been the work of those fiends in Team Rocket, but they insist they're not involved and we haven't been able to pin it on them. Haven't even seen a peep of their members in the area for over a year, so we have no clue who it could be."

Joy nodded. "I wouldn't put it past them… still, this long after the disappearances took place, I can only venture a guess as to what's becoming of them. If I were to actually be present when one went missing, I might be able to find something more conclusive but..." She trailed off, feeling a bit foolish that she could not be of more help.

"I suppose you're right, and I'm not sure how likely we'll be around for one while we're here. I still appreciate you coming all the way out here to try and help."

Their conversation was interrupted when a waiter arrived with their food and for a time the table was silent as they ate. Eventually, though, Joy spoke up again.

"Say, I've been wondering, Jenny. What made you want to be a police officer?"

"Me?" Jenny repeated between chews. "Well, there was this thing that happened when I was still in school. One of the older kids was a complete monster, always picking on all the other kids, making fun of them, taking their stuff, you name it. Course, everyone was too afraid of them to tell the school what was happening, they could get violent when they were really mad."

"Doesn't sound like it was a nice time."

"And you'd be right. Anyway, one day they really took it to another level. One of my classmates had brought her Butterfree to school in secret to show their friends. And along comes this bully, takes it from her and starts messing with it. And I kid you not, the instant the kid tries to get it back from them, they start motioning to pull the poor thing's wings off!"

"Oh gosh!" Joy gasped, her hand over her mouth. "That's awful."

"That's what I thought when I saw it, and I just went nuts. I ran up to her and tackled her to the ground so the Butterfree could get free, then just held her to the floor while someone else went to get the teacher. They were so shocked that someone had actually risen to them that they barely made an attempt to get free. Must have given the other kids the nerve to speak up because once a teacher had come running they all started revealing everything the bully had done to them for that whole term. Needless to say, they ended up getting suspended for a few weeks."

"Oh, excellent!" Joy said with approval, clapping politely. "And they never did it again, I trust?"

"Not once." Jenny confirmed with a proud look. "After that I sort of became this 'bully catcher' figure in the playground. If any of the other kids were being picked on I'd come running to support them. I never forgot the feeling I got from it. Part of it was being able to dispense justice against an oppressor, but more so I wanted to be someone people could depend on when things got bad. I guess after that it was only natural that I eventually began training to become a proper officer."

Once her extended spiel had finally quietened down, Jenny turned to Joy. "How about you? What made you want to be a Pokemon nurse?"

Joy thought about this question for a time, before eventually shaking her head. "I really couldn't tell you. I guess I've been looking after Pokemon ever since I was a little girl. I guess you could say it's my true calling in life."

"You don't say." Jenny mused. "Certainly sounds like a peaceful occupation. I wouldn't mind a job like that when I eventually retire."

Joy nodded. "Oh yes, that is a part of it. Though I will admit, I do wish I could be out in the field more. I've heard stories of Pokemon Nurses going on expeditions and doing surveys around the world, and I would love to do something exciting like that someday."

"What, kinda like what we're doing now?"

Joy blushed a little at the comment, surprised by the bluntness but unable to deny it entirely.

"Y-yes, I guess so…"

…

The rest of the day passed by pretty much uneventfully. The pair took a few more statements, but nothing they heard seemed likely to bring them closer to the truth of the matter. As the afternoon dragged on it seemed less and less likely that they would find their smoking gun and would ultimately have to return to Saffron City in defeat. And then, shortly before the evening, they heard it.

"HELP! HELP! MY POKEMON'S GONE MISSING AND I CAN'T FIND THEM!"

Almost immediately both of them knew this might be something, and they rushed over to the person yelling for help. It was a trainer in his late 20s who was coming out of the brush surrounding the town, his outdoor gear scratched and torn.

"Officer Jenny, Saffron City Force." Jenny introduced herself. "What happened to your Pokemon?"

Breathing a sigh of relief that the authorities were already here, the trainer pointed into the thicket of trees. "I was with my Charizard… we had just escaped a battle with a bunch of wild Ekans or something, then I turned around and she was gone! I barely saw her disappear into the wilderness!"

Jenny and Joy looked at each other. This could be the exact lead they were after.

"Where exactly did you lose sight of her?"

…

The sun was beginning to set by the time they had found where the Charizard had disappeared. They were in the middle of a small clearing near Route 10 which gave them just enough room to look around.

"Which direction did you see her wander off in?" Jenny asked the trainer.

"Um… that way, I think." He replied, pointing off to the north. A noticeable gap in the trees were visible, along with quite a few singed and broken branches. Jenny immediately ran over to take a look.

"Tell me, how long have you had Charizard?" Joy asked the trainer, wanting to find out more clues.

"Ever since I was a young trainer." He responded. "She was my starter and everything. I tell you, she's never done anything like this before, I don't know what got into her!"

As Joy digested this information, Jenny came running back. "Looks like something big went that way, seems to have been the Charizard." She turned to the trainer. "We're going to take a look. Head back to Lavender Town and wait for us to come back. With a bit of luck we'll have your Charizard with us."

The trainer nodded and began to run back in the direction of town before she suddenly stopped him. "One more thing… If we don't return by morning, make a call to the Saffron City Police Force. Tell them we hadn't come back and were out near Route 10 last."

He gave a thumbs up and ran off into the trees. Joy gave her a concerned look. "What makes you think we won't be back by morning?"

"Pays to have a contingency in place. In this line of work you never know what's going to happen." Jenny reached into a bag she had bought with her and bought out two flashlights, throwing one to Joy. "C'mon, let's go find us a Charizard."

Joy nearly dropped the flashlight but just managed to catch it. She looked into the dark woodland all around her. "Are you sure that's wise? I mean, it is getting pretty dark out. Might be less dangerous to wait until daybreak."

"I don't want to leave it too late. If we come back in the morning any clues left behind could have been lost. We might not get another chance like this. You coming or what?"

Joy thought about it for a moment. She really did not like the idea of wandering around in the woods at night. But then the desire to solve the mystery, and locate all of the missing Pokemon came right back. If they could find what drove the Charizard to abandon its trainer, they could find out what happened to all the others too.

"Yes, yes I'm coming." She finally said. Jenny beamed as she motioned Joy to follow and they both wandered into the line of trees…

…

By now the sun had completely set and the woods were in total darkness. If it wasn't for their flashlights, Jenny and Joy would have no clue where they were going, but for now they were following the line of damaged trees to find the lost Charizard. Suddenly, Jenny stopped in her tracks and pointed her flashlight to the ground.

"Look! A footprint!"

Joy looked down and sure enough, a large footprint was clearly visible through a gap in the bushes. She only needed a moment to identify it. "It belonged to a Charizard, I'm certain of it."

Jenny cleared some space in the shrubbery, making more footprints visible that lined up with the damage to the surrounding trees. "I reckon if we follow these, they'll lead us right to her."

Joy nodded and they began to head in the direction the footprints were headed. It seemed to be going towards the Rock Tunnel at the top of Route 10, though why they were heading that way was anyone's guess.

"This barely makes any sense." Jenny mused as they walked. "None of the other lost Pokemon we went looking for left footprints like these to follow. Why just this one?"

"Could have been they were already gone by the time you went looking." Joy theorized. "All of the lost Pokemon belonging to the people we interviewed were quite small and lightweight. A Charizard was the only one out of them likely to be heavy enough to leave footprints that would remain visible."

"Good thinking. Thank Arceus for this luck." Jenny said with a smile.

They continued following the footprints along level ground for a time before heading down to a steep incline deep in the woods that stopped in front of a sheer rock formation. The footsteps seemed to end in front of a particularly large boulder at the front of the cliffs that was considerably larger than them both. As they shone their flashlights around, they were unable to find any more footprints leading away.

"End of the road." Jenny said. "You think she took flight at this point?"

"Doubtful." Joy replied. "Someone would have most likely seen her in the sky by now. And I can't see any damage to indicate she scaled these rocks."

Jenny growled in frustration, annoyed that this too seemed to be a dead end. But then she spotted something that made her suddenly rush over to one side of the boulder.

"What is it?" Joy asked.

"Look at this." Jenny said as she shone her flashlight at the part of the boulder that connected to the rock formation. There was a slight gap between them, beyond which appeared to be an open cavity. Trailing her flashlight on the ground, they both saw marks on the ground on one side, seemingly from the movement of some massive object. Fresh ones.

"I think there's something behind this boulder." Jenny realized. She began fiddling with the PokeBalls on her belt. "I might be able to move it."

"How?" Joy asked.

"Something I confiscated from an illegal dealer some months ago. I've been training it as my own ever since." Jenny finally grabbed an Ultra Ball and threw it, a massive Onyx careening out and stood before them.

"Onyx! Use Strength!" Jenny yelled, and the Onyx obliged, rushing at the boulder with great speed. Using its great body it was able to start moving the boulder to the side bit by bit. A few minutes passed as it steadily shoved the boulder fully out of the way, at which point Jenny called it back into its PokeBall.

They both looked into the exposed opening that had been hidden behind the boulder. It was a cave entrance, easily big enough to walk around in, which continued off into the darkness. They couldn't see where it led from here, but somehow they knew that the Charizard had gone down this way.

"Goodness gracious…" mouthed Joy, lost for words. She never would have expected a development such as this.

They stood at the cave entrance for a time, before Jenny turned to Joy and motioned inside.

"After you."