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In the image, an Arcanine rested on a platform, undergoing a thorough checkup.
Countless scars marred the skin along Arcanine's flank, leaving it wrinkled and worn. These jagged, unsightly lines wove across one another, sprawling over half its body.
Professor Rowan performed a detailed examination of the abandoned Pokémon, eventually uncovering these troubling irregularities.
A faint layer of fur had begun to grow over Arcanine's wounded side, and unless you brushed it aside for a closer look, the heartbreaking extent of the damage remained hidden.
"It's not just Arcanine. Nidoran bears similar scars, though they're tiny, like pinpricks. Luther, this isn't what you thought. Beyond Houndoom, abandoned by its trainer, the other Pokémon carry odd markings that can't be explained by simple neglect or cruelty. The only conclusion is that they were subjected to bizarre experiments."
"This Arcanine's body is nearly spent, its condition is dire. Injuries like these are almost beyond healing. Whatever research did this is colder and more ruthless than Team Rocket's enhancement tech."
Lucian cast a glance at the stern figure standing next to Professor Rowan, a man called Grayson, and suddenly understood why he'd journeyed all the way to Sinnoh.
True to form, his fiery spirit hadn't dimmed, he couldn't stand even a speck of injustice.
"I'm heading to Lilycove Island tonight to prepare for my match against Cynthia. Champion battles, Grayson, you know how seriously we Elite Four take them. If no one's vying for your spot, I'll leave this in your hands. I'll back you up."
The older man, Grayson, dipped his head in a small bow of thanks before turning to Luther.
"You're Luther, right? I was wondering if you'd have a moment to meet with me."
Luther rubbed the back of his head. "I'll be sticking around Oreburgh City for the next few days, but if it's about these abandoned Pokémon, I've already shared everything I know."
"No, no, it's a personal matter I'd like to discuss. Face-to-face would be better than over the Pokégear, please, just a bit of your time."
"That's fine. I'll wait for your message in Oreburgh City."
With Luther's reply in hand, Grayson nodded and stepped out of the video call's frame.
Professor Rowan let out a heavy sigh as he watched Grayson go. "This is getting messier. I've got a feeling these abandoned Pokémon are tied to something big. Luther, watch yourself out there. Your knack for training could light up the Pokémon League one day, but for now, focus on growing stronger alongside your team."
Luther couldn't brush off Professor Rowan's concern. He thanked him warmly and ended the call.
Lucian grew quiet, and even after the screen went dark, he didn't speak for a while. Luther left him to his thoughts, gently petting his Misdreavus and wiping the gem on her chest with care.
"Once Grayson tracks you down, he'll tell you he's the one who found these abandoned Pokémon. After that, you can step back from this mess."
Luther blinked, still processing, when Lucian's voice cut through, sharp and unexpected.
Lucian fixed him with a serious stare, hands firm on Luther's shoulders. "Try to dig up any details you can for Grayson. I suspect this Misdreavus ties back to those abandoned Pokémon. Her memories could be the key. If you can, help her piece them together."
"Uh… this Grayson guy…"
"He is International Police, same rank as Looker. But he's part of a special unit, the 'Eclipse Squad,' that handles major criminal cases. Grayson's high up in their ranks. His showing up means one thing: the International Police have caught wind of something serious. That's why he dropped his post in Kanto and came straight to Sinnoh."
"But it feels like you deliberately passed up the chance to dig into this with him. Doesn't the Sinnoh Pokémon League need to figure out what's cause and what's effect here?"
Luther wasn't entirely sure he followed. Every region's Pokémon League operated with its own authority over local matters. Sure, the International Police spanned across regions, but that didn't mean the League should surrender its right to stay informed about critical events in its own backyard.
Lucian let out a dry laugh. "You overthink things. If it were any other International Police agent, I'd be neck-deep in this whole mess, no question. Bluntly put, the Elite Four don't owe them any favors. But Grayson? I'm happy to step aside for him. If he feels like sharing the specifics with you, you'll get why soon enough."
"It's not just Sinnoh. Pokémon Leagues in other regions tend to give Grayson some leeway too. The guy's got a short fuse, but he's sharp, tough as nails, and lives up to his name, kinda like a stubborn boulder."
Luther nodded, still a bit lost in the explanation.
Lucian checked his watch, then glanced up at the full moon climbing into the night sky. "Right, time for me to head out."
"Now?"
"It's not that late. I was just planning to crash at the Pokémon Center, but then I ran into you and got held up longer than expected. With everything sorted now, I need to get to Lilycove Island."
Luther walked Lucian to the Pokémon Center's entrance, where Lucian called out his Skarmory for the trip. Pausing as he climbed aboard, he turned back to Luther with a grin. "Don't forget to root for me. Maybe this time, I'll knock Cynthia down a peg."
Luther mirrored Lucian's confidence. "Can't wait to see Cynthia take a tumble."
Once Lucian took off, Luther headed back to the monitoring room where Misdreavus waited. He reached for her hand, noticing a faint tremble in her ghostly form.
Misdreavus seemed to shrink under Luther's intense stare, almost pulling away.
He'd finally decided, Misdreavus was joining his team! Sure, he already had a reliable partner in Jumpluff, but he was still missing that real heavy hitter. Misdreavus's raw potential had him itching to train her, though a lingering respect for the mysterious girl from his dream kept him second-guessing.
Lucian's nudge had been the push he needed to bring him and Misdreavus together at last.
Thinking back to Lucian's earlier words, Luther's eyes drifted to where Misdreavus once wore a ribbon. He studied it for a moment, but no unusual scars caught his attention.
"Misdreavus, that Arcanine from the call earlier, do you know it?"
Misdreavus shook her head, then hesitated before giving a small nod.
Luther frowned, puzzled by her mixed signals, unsure what she was trying to say.
Noticing his confusion, Misdreavus wavered for a second before darting around him in a swirl of motion, her eyes flickering like she was wrestling with a tough call.
Finally, she hovered still, a trace of relief in her gaze as her body began to glow faintly.
"Wait, you don't mean… hold on a sec!"
Luther fumbled for his Poké Balls, quickly releasing his team to join them.
"Keep an eye on things while I rest, okay?"
With that, Luther settled into a cozy spot on the ground and glanced at Misdreavus. "Go ahead, you can start now."
A tide of sleepiness rolled over him, weighing down his eyelids until he drifted off completely. When he blinked awake again, the world around him had shifted.
Misdreavus hovered nervously, circling the Luther sprawled out on the ground below.
The setting felt stifling, a bare, windowless room with nothing inside but a lone blue dish set in front of its single door.
A second Misdreavus darted through Luther's form, flitting around the empty space, a ribbon with a gleaming red gem tied around her head.
Luther turned in shock to the Misdreavus beside him, her face twisted in deep anguish. This was a buried memory, one she'd locked away, too painful to revisit.
Yet, trusting Luther, she'd chosen to unveil it to him.
In the memory, Misdreavus drifted listlessly, her eyes hollow and lifeless, like a ghost already drained of spirit.
The door creaked open, and a researcher in a crisp white coat stepped in, a faint overhead light cutting through the gloom.
Misdreavus lashed out, hurling a Shadow Ball at the intruder, only for it to be deflected by an Alakazam and a Girafarig flanking the researcher, both wearing ribbons studded with jewels.
Luther couldn't believe it, the Pokédex praised Alakazam's brilliant mind, yet here it moved like a marionette, every gesture stiff and unnatural. Beside it, Girafarig's gaze wandered, unfocused and vacant.
The pair pinned Misdreavus in place, suspending her in the air as the researcher guided her down a cramped hallway.
Caged Pokémon lined the corridor, slumped behind bars like defeated captives. Most lay still, their energy sapped, though a few, like Misdreavus, stirred faintly.
The hallway ended at a glass door. When the researcher pushed it open, Luther's anger surged, nearly forgetting this was Misdreavus's memory, not reality.
Pokémon lay strapped to rows of exam tables, hooked up to strange machines. They looked heavily sedated, researchers slicing into their flesh with cold precision, then turning to study flickering screens and scribble notes on clipboards.
In the corner of his eye, Luther caught a hazy glimpse of an Arcanine, maybe the same one, maybe not.
Those Pokémon deemed "finished" were patched up haphazardly and wheeled back to their prison-like cells on carts.
Misdreavus, now bristling with sensors, was tossed into a cage with a rampaging Slaking.
The memory fractured here, Luther couldn't make out what happened next, only that Misdreavus's face contorted in agony.
When the scene sharpened again, Slaking lay still in the cage, its ribbon crumbled to ash.
Misdreavus panted heavily. Slaking, freed from its bonds, was too broken to stand. Meanwhile, the researchers erupted into cheers for reasons Luther couldn't grasp, pouring drinks from a prepared bottle and raising their glasses in a toast.
Behind them stretched rows of Pokémon on tables, motionless, their despairing eyes pleading silently.
(End of Chapter)