"Your other half was taken?"
Hoshino had just brought over some freshly heated Moomoo Milk when he saw Gengar waving her hands and excitedly explaining the situation to him.
He wasn't sure how, but in such a short time, these guys had already bonded and even taken on a request in his name. The job was assigned, and the plan was in motion—all without him saying a word.
"Alright… Let's eat first. I'll handle the questioning."
Hoshino had already prepared a portion for the little mouse too. Gengar was still growing (debatable), so he always cooked extra. Eating just Pokémon food or Pokéblocks lacked proper nutrition.
Sitting on the sofa, he looked at the Tandemaus sitting across from him and introduced himself, "I'm the owner of this place, Yorozuya. Can you tell me more about the request? Who took your partner?"
"..."
The little mouse didn't respond immediately. He glanced at Gengar first before waving his tiny hands and squeaking. Hoshino listened carefully, observing his gestures to understand the meaning.
"A group of very, very bad people… brought you two to this place, and then…"
After a moment, Hoshino had pieced together most of the story. Someone had taken a pair of Tandemaus from somewhere else—most likely from the Paldea region, since sightings of Tandemaus were too rare in other places.
After bringing them to the Alola region, they were locked in a cage for two or three days.
Then, an explosion suddenly destroyed the place. The blast separated them, and the little mouse was swept into the sewers by the water flow. He struggled to escape, only to run into a gang of Meowths.
"That's the general idea…"
As he listened, Hoshino took notes on his phone and double-checked the details with the mouse.
His test scores at school were terrible, but at least he had some skills he could use. Since he had the talent, he might as well put in the effort to use it properly.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much more information to get. The little mouse had been locked in a cage the entire time and didn't know anything about the outside world. However, if there really had been an explosion, he could probably find something about it online.
"If I estimate the time, this should have happened around when I got out of school. Let's see if there are any reports of an explosion…"
Hoshino set aside his dinner for now. If what the little mouse said was true, then what kind of people usually kept Pokémon locked up in cages?
Pokémon hunters!
They were rare, and most people would only ever hear about them on the news. But that didn't mean they didn't exist. There were always those who would sell their souls to the devil for profit, taking risks for personal gain.
"Let's see… Oh, wow, it's already on the evening news."
He had barely opened the news app when he saw an article about a warehouse explosion in the port district two hours ago.
The article briefly covered the incident. The official statement said that no casualties had been found and that the cause was still under investigation—just a standard, vague report that would likely be forgotten in a few days.
"The port district? That's a bit far…"
Hoshino thought for a moment, then stood up and told Cyclizar and the others to finish their meals while he stepped out for a bit.
He quickly headed downstairs to the izakaya, looking for Slowking to get some information.
The place was quiet today. He only saw Delphox and Ceruledge chatting at one of the tables. When Slowking noticed him walk in, he lazily asked, "Here for food again? Didn't Cyclizar already bring the Moomoo Milk upstairs?"
"Not food—just need some info."
Hoshino sat at the bar and showed Slowking the news article on his phone.
"A port district explosion. So?"
"Here's the thing…"
Hoshino explained how he found the little mouse. But after listening, Slowking shook his head, popped a lollipop into his mouth, and slowly said, "There are no Pokémon hunters in Alola. The region's too small. Sure, we've got great ecology and a lot of rare Pokémon, but if you catch something here, you've got nowhere to run. It's a version trap."
"Really?"
This was the first time Hoshino had heard this. But thinking about it, it made sense. Alola was a group of islands surrounded by ocean—escaping would be difficult.
So, was his theory wrong? But there had to be a connection!
"The pair of Tandemaus were captured in Paldea and then caged in a warehouse in the port district. Could it be that some Pokémon hunters—"
Before he could finish, Slowking interrupted, "Can you think of something more realistic? This isn't the old days. Pokémon hunters aren't in demand anymore. It's a tough job—high risk, low reward, and no business."
"A few years ago, there was some international crime syndicate… What was it called? Oh, Team Rocket. Ever since they got destroyed by that guy Red—what was his last name again? Anyway, after they collapsed, a bunch of Pokémon hunters realized they had no future. Some switched to working in construction, while others started selling trading cards, toys, and figures."
Hoshino listened with a blank expression. He felt like he had missed out on a lot of important information.
After processing it all, he tilted his head and muttered, "Scalpers seem even worse…"
[T/N: fking true]
"Wait, no, that's not the point!"
Shaking his head, he coughed and got back on track. "What I meant to ask was—Boss Slow, what do you think?"
"What do I think? I think I'll lie down and watch! Stop dumping your problems on me. If you can't handle the job, don't accept the request. Even if Pokémon hunters do exist, what's it got to do with me? I'm not the one getting caught."
"Uh…"
"But if you really want to know something, four months ago, there was another explosion on that artificial island. They never figured out the cause either. I don't know if it's related, though."
"..."
Hearing that, Hoshino narrowed his eyes.
The artificial island… That should be Aether Paradise. But how could it be related to this?
He couldn't figure it out. But since it was mentioned, it was worth keeping in mind. Still, he didn't gather much useful information.
When he returned upstairs, the others had already finished dinner. They had left a portion for him, but instead of eating right away, he turned to the little mouse and said, "Let's go. We'll check out the port district. I don't have high hopes, but we should at least look."
It had only been about three hours since the incident. Even if the police were already involved, they might still find some clues.
Hearing that, the little mouse nodded excitedly, leaped onto Hoshino, and clung to him, ready to go. Gengar and Cyclizar also got ready to move.
The port district was quite far from Kabukicho. Even taking shortcuts on Cyclizar, while obeying the speed limit, it still took nearly 20 minutes.
This was the main port of Hau'oli City, where people and ships constantly traveled between islands and regions. Even at night, the area was bustling.
However, the warehouse area was still partially sealed off due to the explosion earlier. The investigation wouldn't wrap up until morning. Sneaking in wouldn't be too difficult, though.
Using the news photos, Hoshino quickly identified the destroyed warehouse. Then, he mapped a route on his phone to avoid all security cameras before heading over.
For now, he recalled Cyclizar into his Poké Ball to avoid being spotted. Soon, he stopped by a wall and looked ahead.
The warehouse, about the size of two basketball courts, had been completely destroyed. Police lines surrounded it, and Officer Jenny was investigating alongside a Gumshoos.
"There are a lot of people here… This is going to be tricky."
Hoshino had wanted to get here during dinner hours, when fewer people were around, so he could slip in and look for clues.
Gengar floated beside him, knowing there was no use in rushing. They had to wait.
But then, she noticed something strange—Tandemaus, sitting on someone's shoulder, had a very different expression.
"Gengar?"
"Squeak!"
"Hm?"
Hoshino followed Tandemaus's gaze—
In a distant corner, hidden in the shadows, was a man observing the scene. His face was obscured, but on his waist…
There was a skull emblem shaped like an "S."
"Team Skull?!"
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