She won!

I grinned down at the text that Bree had just sent me and felt some of the tension that had been building up in my shoulders relax. Ever since I left the girls behind, Bree had been texting me more often. Honestly, after my parent's murder, I purposely distanced myself from anyone I had been close to before. I hated to think they might ask me if there was any news about my parents' case and I would have nothing to show for all of my investigations into the unexplained murder. It still tore me up inside that there was absolutely NOTHING to go on and as each year went by it seemed less and less likely that I would ever find out who had taken my parents away from me.

To my surprise though, Bree hadn't even brought them up. I saw the questions bubbling in her expression when I first sat with her at Serena's contest, but she never voiced them. She also, to my relief, didn't treat me like I was a cracked vase that might break at the slightest touch. She just treated me like a friend. So I found myself looking forward to her random texts, which usually consisted of pictures of her and Serena's training sessions. Or in this case, updates on Serena's latest contest.

It was a little surprising to me how well Serena seemed to be doing even though she started her pokemon journey so late. But it made me happy to hear about her progress. The fact that she was excelling in the dream she had denied herself for so long prompted memories of a happier time when the most important thing to me had been challenging pokemon leagues and training up my pokemon to be the strongest they could be.

Although being a detective was, in a way, even more fulfilling to me than being a pokemon trainer. Finding answers for people who were in situations like mine and frustrating criminals' plans to hurt innocent people helped heal the rift that had seemed to split apart my soul when I found out about my parents' untimely end. I didn't think it would ever heal fully until I found the why behind their murders, but I was glad I could do something to help others at least.

Putting my phone back in my pocket I instantly felt the frustration of the past few weeks begin to sour my mood that had been temporarily lifted. My superiors in the International Police had contacted me in the middle of my stakeout and all but demanded that I returned to headquarters to give a live report of my investigations. I tried to explain several times that I was in the middle of a huge break, but Chief Vik refused to listen. And so, I fumed all the way back to Eterna City. Although I was grateful that we were at least meeting in the Sinnoh headquarters instead of sending me out to a completely different region.

Chief Vik, who had once been a mentor to Detective Looker, had grilled me in the details of my investigations so thoroughly that it was all I could do not to lose my temper with him. He had been one of the men that said he thought Detective Looker had willingly gone to Team Galactic because he couldn't believe that anyone could get the drop on him. This obviously soured my previous respect for the man and was making it even more difficult for me to answer his questions without snapping insults at him.

What happened after I finished my report though I would not have guessed in a million years. Chief Vik actually looked me in the eye and after a healthy pause apologized to me. He explained that recent intel that they received from an intelligence agency proved that Neptune was in fact behind the disappearance of not only Detective Looker but dozens of other missing persons.

I couldn't help but let out some of my pent-up frustrations at him for having doubted my mentor and he surprisingly didn't get angry at me for my outburst. He just simply asked if I would like to continue following the lead of the evolution stones or if I would like to be assigned to one of the Missing Person cases. Obviously, I chose to go back to my own lead. I was pretty miffed that he made me miss my chance at following the grunts again, but I could at least sleep a little better now that I knew my superiors knew that Detective Looker hadn't double-crossed us.

Detective Looker had been more than just my senior partner. He had been visiting the Floaroma City Police Academy when I was in training to become an officer. I wasn't sure what it was that he saw in me, but after I graduated from the academy it was only a few weeks before I was invited into the Chief of Police's office where Detective Looker was waiting for me. They explained that if I was willing, I was being offered a position in the International Police Force as Detective Looker's junior partner.

I nearly turned him down since my goal all along had been to stay in my hometown and figure out who killed my parents. But Detective Looker requested that I have dinner with him so he could explain some things before I made a decision. At the buffet he took me to, I not only saw the record for how many plates could be consumed by a human male, but he also explained the advantages of being a detective over being an officer.

He didn't sugarcoat how dangerous his particular job was since he mainly targeted evil organizations that threatened the peace of different regions. However, he also explained that with that risk came access to knowledge that wouldn't be available to almost anyone else. Because of the data that was constantly being shared between different intelligence agencies and the International Police, I had a hope that one day I would finally find the missing piece that would explain my parents' murder.

And so, while I waited for that day to come, I threw myself into my work. There was no other way to describe Detective Looker other than dedicated. He put just as much effort into his cases as he did in his physical well-being, saying that he wanted to always be in top shape in case he had to throw himself in between a criminal and an innocent. I was shocked at how accomplished he was as a pokemon trainer; he completely trounced me in our first battle and I was no slouch when it came to pokemon battles.

Working under Detective Looker and his undying optimism was incredibly rewarding. And even though he had never claimed it, it kind of felt like he had become a surrogate father to me. So when I ran off on a wild goose chase when a supposed 'witness' to my parents' murders popped up and then came back to find him missing... I nearly fell apart. I couldn't BELIEVE that I had failed, not once but twice, to be there for the people who needed me. So even though I felt bad for the other missing persons, to me finding Looker was my top priority. I was going to do everything in my power to make sure I found him and got him out of whatever mess he was in before I lost my pseudo father as well.

When I got back, I had to wait nearly a week for the grunts to come back to the spot I'd found them the first time, and this time I was able to follow them all the way to their secret mine shaft. I was shocked at the quality of the holographic tree that hid the mine shaft away and I made sure to make a note of its entrance so I could pass it on to my superiors. Being a detective, I didn't usually have to deal with reporting to others until the case was solved, but now that Chief Vik was running things he wanted to be kept more in the loop, which I didn't mind if it meant they could help me find Looker faster.

I failed once again to follow the jet back to Team Galactic's secret headquarters, even though Salamence was able to pick up the scent of the jet's fumes and follow it for more than half a mile before the trail suddenly went cold. Although we had lost the trail, we had once again been led towards Mount Coronet, so I decided to do some scouting of the area around the base of the mountain until the next collection day.

It was my third day aimlessly wandering through the forests surrounding Mt Coronet, but I hadn't even covered a ¼ of the circumference of its base. I knew this was a long shot and there were miles and miles of land to cover, not to mention inside the mountain itself, but I wasn't about to give up now. This was the first solid lead I had found since the rooftop kidnapping and I wasn't going to let myself get discouraged.

"Just keep moving. Nothing will get done if you're standing still after all." Detective Looker's advice floated through my mind, giving me renewed energy

No way am I losing him forever. I won't let that happen, I thought to myself fiercely.

A subdued growl came from above my head, jerking me from my thoughts. I looked up and watched as Salamence, who had been scouting above the treetops, settled down in an area barely big enough to fit his large body and then gestured his head to the right. Nervous anticipation made my stomach flip and I could feel a grin creeping my lips upward.

"You found them?" I asked for clarification. Salamence gave me a wickedly toothy grin and I returned it with one of my own. As much as I wanted to go in there Flamethrower blazing though, I had to force myself to calm down.

Right now I'm gathering intel. Don't lose your head, Aryan, I told myself firmly as I thanked Salamence and returned him to his Pokeball. I then quickly, but quietly, made my way through the forest in the direction Salamence had directed me. I was surprised that he had sent me towards the heart of the forest rather than towards Mount Coronet, but I trusted Salamence and forged ahead determinedly.

After ten minutes I began to hear the sound of voices and I quickened my pace. Once I was close enough to be able to actually understand what the voices were saying, I chose a sturdy maple tree and hoisted myself up a few branches until I could peer through the trees and observe without being seen myself. A small group of four grunts was walking carefully through the woods, lifting up the fronds of small ferns and bushes and checking in any holes created by the mature tree's roots.

"Killian is going to be annoyed if he finds out that we're searching for nests," one of the grunts who was hanging back a little said with obvious unease.

"The pokemon left in this part of the forest are freakin' strong. Do you want to be on the receiving end of a Hyper Beam?" the guy asked with a scathing tone.

"But Killian said..."

"Killian Killian Killian. You sound like a freakin' fanboy, Marcus. What's so good about that guy anyway? He joined us way later than I did and he's already a Major?! I hate him!" The grunt sounded aggressive, but I could tell that it was really jealousy that was making him lash out like that.

"Shut up already, Junpei," a different grunt drawled as he looked underneath another fern. "Let's just find a nest and head back before they leave without us."

"I'm going to catch a pokemon on my own," the grunt called Marcus said with a determined expression while glaring at Junpei.

"Yell if you're attacked," the grunt ruffling through the bushes called over his shoulder, not sounding at all concerned. Marcus rolled his eyes and turned away, leaving the group of grunts to their own devices.

When they say nests... they're not talking about nests of eggs, are they? I wondered with a wave of revulsion. They moved past my hiding spot fairly quickly and I was just about to climb down to follow them at a distance when the sound of an animalistic roar rang through the trees, followed by a terrified human yell.

Taking a second to judge the distance from the ground, I grabbed the branch above me, rocked myself gently out of the tree, and then dropped down, landing in a crouch before I ran towards the sounds of the grunt in distress. My gut reaction was to help, but as I ran I wondered for a moment if that really was the wisest decision.

I don't want to blow my cover and let Neptune know I'm closing in on her... But it would kill my conscience if this guy is really in trouble and I didn't help out.

"KILLIAN! HELP!" Marcus's voice sounded completely terrified and his calls for help were punctuated by the roars of a majorly ticked-off Machamp.

A strange swooshing sound caught my attention and when I looked up my eyes widened in disbelief. A guy wearing a team galactic uniform had just launched himself from a tree limb and was backflipping swiftly toward the next one. Since when did Tarzan join Team Galactic? I thought, disbelief rooting me to the spot for a moment. But when a familiar yellow blur leaped after him, jumping lithely along with the guy swinging through the trees, I felt my hand clench into a fist so tight my stubby fingernails dug into the flesh of my palm.

"Pikachu Boy," I breathed out before running after him, keeping low so that he wouldn't notice me tailing him. 

It was shocking how quickly he maneuvered through the trees. I was legitimately wondering if he was part Aipom when he finally got to the grunt. Marcus was trapped between three huge boulders as a wild Machamp took slow, threatening steps toward the sniveling guy who was clutching a fainted Spinarak to his chest.

From the looks of it, the grunt's pokemon had done its best. An electrified web had tied two of the Machamp's four arms together, but it obviously hadn't slowed it down and the Machamp looked like it was out for blood. Marcus whimpered as the fighting type smashed one fist into the open palm of his other beefy hand. Before it let loose an attack though, Pikachu Boy flipped off a thick tree branch and landed on top of the boulder that Marcus was pressed up against.

"Use Thunderbolt," he said calmly. As he stood up to his full height, his Pikachu leaped into the air and called down a Thunderbolt attack so intense Marcus's hair stood up on end. Even from where I was standing shadowed in the trees I could see the tiny hairs on my arms rising up and I watched as the Machamp howled in pain from the super-powered attack.

That Pikachu is something else, I thought with a frown as I recalled how Serena's friend, who happened to have a Pikachu, had helped her Shinx learn Magnet Rise. But she called him Satoshi... so it couldn't be Pikachu Boy, I told myself firmly as I watched his Pikachu land a few well-placed Iron Tails and ended with a gigantic Electroweb that pinned the raging Machamp down. I was a little surprised when Pikachu Boy threw a Pokeball at it, but the Pokeball only shook twice before the capture ding sounded. Marcus hung his head down in shame as Pikachu Boy jumped from his perch on the boulder and landed in front of him.

"Are you okay?" he asked. His voice wasn't as deep as I was expecting, but I could feel myself frown at the obvious concern he had for Marcus.

What's a guy that has such a protective streak doing in an evil organization bent on destroying the world? I wondered with a faint feeling of disgust. The whole mob mentality where they are loyal to no one but their group drove me nuts. The entire point of being human was to live your life the best you can and to allow others to do the same. Evil organizations that were built on selfishness and blind ambition made me angrier than almost anything.

"It came out of nowhere. Spinarak tried to protect me, but..." he looked down at the injured pokemon in his arms and Pikachu Boy frowned as he inspected it.

"Better keep it in its Pokeball until we get back to base. Where is your group? I thought I said no one was supposed to go off on their own," Pikachu Boy said, sounding stern now that he was assured his grunt was alright.

"The others were looking for eggs and I wanted to catch a Pokemon fair and square," Marcus explained, sounding determined but nervous. I was surprised when Pikachu Boy's face twisted into a look of disgust briefly before he shook his head and smiled with a glint of pride in his expression at Marcus.

"Thanks for that Marcus. Why don't you come with me on the next hunting trip," Pikachu Boy offered, clapping his hand onto Marcus's shoulder in a show of camaraderie. You'd think the guy had just won the lottery the way his entire face lit up with excitement.

Just a few months ago Pikachu Boy was a regular grunt when the kidnapping happened. He worked his way up through the ranks pretty quickly and gathered both admirers and enemies... My musings were cut off when Marcus and Pikachu Boy started heading my way. I slipped behind a large tree trunk to keep myself out of their sightlines.

"Hey, Killian... Thanks again for saving me. You and Pikachu. Sorry I wasn't strong enough to handle it on my own," I heard Marcus say with a hint of disappointment. Pikachu Boy shrugged and smacked him on the back, causing the guy to wince slightly.

"You'll get there. And Pikachu enjoys the exercise. Don't you, buddy?" he asked the Pikachu sitting on his shoulder, who responded with a nod.

"Hey... Do you think... I could call you Satoshi?"

My entire body stiffened at Marcus's question and I grabbed onto the trunk of the tree to steady myself as I listened intently to the answer.

No way... It can't be... He couldn't...

"Satoshi, Killian, Hey you. Call me whatever you want," Pikachu Boy said with an easy-going chuckle.

My vision turned red and before I could even consider my actions I found myself charging straight for the two grunts. Serena's happy face swam through my mind's eye as she told me about her friend Satoshi. Pikachu Boy heard my approach and turned around, his body stiffening in preparation, but he didn't have time to react to my kick that went straight to his gut and sent him flying back a few feet before he crashed onto his back.

"Satoshi!"

"Pikapi!"

Both Marcus and Pikachu rushed over to check on their fallen friend, but as soon as he pushed himself up onto his elbows his eyes glued onto mine and I could see recognition and an unexpected, nearly tangible guilt in them which pierced the rage consuming me and made me stop in my tracks. His Pikachu leaped out in front of his trainer, growling threateningly as electricity sparked from his cheek sacs.

"Who the heck are you?" Marcus growled, reaching to help his friend up. Satoshi gripped Marcus's arm firmly, never turning away from my furious glare as he slowly pushed Marcus away from him.

"Go meet up with Celeste," I heard him say quietly towards Marcus, who looked affronted by the suggestion.

"No way! He's..."

"I'll handle it," Satoshi interrupted him, pushing himself up into a standing position and watching me warily. 

I wasn't quite sure what Pikachu Boy was planning, but I had already blown my cover. Weirdly though, it almost seemed like he was... covering for me? What is he up to? I thought as I gave my most intimidating glare at Marcus and placed a hand on my belt of Pokeballs. To his credit, he looked like he was prepared to battle me even though I was pretty sure his only pokemon was out of commission. But after another gentle shove from Satoshi, Marcus slowly backed away, glaring angrily at me before turning and booking it through the forest.

"You shouldn't be here, Detective," Satoshi said after we could no longer hear Marcus crashing through the forest. 

I felt my eyebrow raise in surprise, wondering how this guy knew that I was a detective. It's not like I wear my badge on my chest... Unless...

"Why are you involving yourself with Serena? You know she would never join your organization," I growled at him, still trying to wrap my mind around this unexpected turn of events. Part of me hoped that he would look confused and tell me he had no idea who I was talking about... I had NOT expected him to look horrified as if the suggestion disgusted him.

"Of course she wouldn't," he snapped fiercely, looking around him before glaring angrily at me. "Don't even talk about her around here. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you here?"

"Anywhere within three feet of Team Galactic is dangerous. But I can't stop you without getting close," I retorted, frowning heavily at his weird reaction. This guy is a Major in Team Galactic... one of the leaders. But the way he's acting makes it seem like he hates Team Galactic. Maybe I could turn him?

"No, I mean YOU, in particular, are in danger. Get out of here already," Satoshi hissed, looking furtively over his shoulder as he glowered at me. Something was very VERY odd about all this and it made me pretty ticked off to think that my enemy thought he was trying to protect me. What a joke.

Tired of beating around the bush, I lashed out a punch, which to my annoyance Satoshi deflected as easily as breathing. He scowled at me as if I was being childish, but that only made me more annoyed and a quick hand-to-hand battle ensued. I could hear his Pikachu yelling in a scolding tone, but I couldn't tell if it was scolding me or his trainer. I hated to admit it, but it was taking all of my concentration to just keep up with this guy.

Dang, why is this guy so strong? I growled internally when all of a sudden his leg whipped out a broad kick, swiping me in the stomach and knocking me back several steps.

"We don't have time for this. Get out of here already! Neptune can't see you here," Satoshi growled at me as I coughed from the blow to my diaphragm. My eyes widened at this and I looked over at him with suspicion.

"Why not?" I asked, feeling my eyes narrow as I straightened to my full height, which was several inches more than his stature.

Satoshi looked over at Pikachu who pressed his ears to his skull awkwardly and Satoshi looked over at me with that guilt-filled expression that had made me stop earlier.

"Because... she wants to make you pay for meddling with her plan," Satoshi admitted after a healthy pause. He met my eyes firmly though, the guilt in his expression fading to something like acceptance.

"And how do you know that?" I asked, feeling more confused than ever. I really wanted to despise this guy... but why was he acting like he was genuinely concerned for me?

"Pikapi pika pikachu." I looked over at Satoshi's Pikachu whose face seemed strained with stress and when I looked back at Satoshi I could see something dark in his expression.

"I'm so sick of lying, buddy," I heard him say quietly before he turned his attention to me. "I know because I was the one who sold you out to her."

We stared at each other as I processed this new information, trying to remain calm and logical. This guy was officially the weirdest evil team leader I had ever met. There was something inherently honorable about him that didn't line up with any other member of an evil team I had ever met before, and even though he just admitted to selling me out to Neptune... he was trying to get me away before she found out I was here.

"Come with me," I said, coming to a quick decision. This guy obviously had doubts about Team Galactic but he was one of their leaders. If there was anyone who could tell me what I needed to know, it would be him. Satoshi's eyes widened at my offer/order and I saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes before he shook his head and took a step back.

"I can't. You should leave now before Marcus comes looking for me," Satoshi urged while taking a step back. I chuckled lightly and pulled a Pokeball from my belt.

"You misunderstand, Pikachu Boy. I'm not leaving here without you," I announced firmly, slowly tossing the ball in my hand in a passive-aggressive fashion. Satoshi groaned loudly at this and I was surprised when he looked at me with open pleading.

"Aryan, seriously. You don't want to do this. You need to get out of here NOW."

"That's not the answer I'm looking for," I replied coldly before throwing my Pokeball up into the air as hard as I could. "Let's go, Gliscor!"

A/N Yikes this chapter was so hard for me to write! I still am not sure if it's exactly what I was envisioning though... Hopefully you enjoyed the more in-depth look into Aryan's background.  I appreciate your patience and all the comments and views! They keep me going <3