Rotom put the address Amelia had sent into a map. It was a few streets away from the warehouse, overlooking the entrance. It was further away than Joe expected, but after some thinking he figured it was the right choice. The further away Amelia was, the safer she was. It was better to use binoculars to spy on a foe than to get too close.
Joe texted back. Said he was on his way. Passed by a food place with order to go. Joe didn't know how long they'd be waiting to raid the warehouse, and he'd like to act on a full stomach. He texted Amelia. Asked if she wanted anything. She gave him an order.
He arrived with food. He looked around, mildly confused. Across the road was a normal corner store. He saw movement. Upstairs window. Vertical slats of blinds moved. Green eyes looked at Joe. He went inside. There was a teen girl behind the counter. A door to the girl's left burst open and hit the wall. The girl jumped out of her skin. Amelia appeared with a smile.
"This way, Joe." She said, gesturing to herself. Ushered Joe to the back.
Joe apologised to the girl as he walked into the staff area. They went around a corner and up stairs. The staircase was thin and narrow and sounded like it would collapse under Joe's weight. All the while Amelia's rear swished about in front of him. It was bigger than he first thought. He did his best not to look, but there was something captivating about the way women rolled their hips as they walked.
They moved down a hallway and into a dingy room with dust floating in the air. There was little light. Joe understood. He'd seen detective movies. When surveying a location, the detective had to keep a low profile. That meant no lights that would suggest a room was being used when it usually shouldn't be.
"Pumpkaboo, if you don't mind."
The place got a little brighter. Joe saw a table in the middle of the room. Atop it was this Pumpkaboo Pokemon. Short and round. Bottom half orange, top half brown. Its face looked like it was engulfed by thick brown hair.
Amelia grinned. Smacked a whiteboard with pictures plastered all over it. Pumpkaboo turned to the board with a playful hop, two circles on its belly letting out beams like headlights from a car.
"Well then, let's get down to business."
Joe observed the board as he placed food on the table and sat down. Pictures of Pokemon being escorted into the warehouse. Timestamps pinned to them, poorly written like they were done in a rush after a brief glance at a watch.
Amelia waited for Absol to sit before she started. "You know most of it already. Pokemon are held at this warehouse longer than the law allows and I'm certain the people operating the warehouse are part of a gang."
Joe nodded. Knew there was more to this than just transporting Pokemon. Gangs weren't known for being law-abiding citizens. If they commit one crime, they might as well commit a few more.
"This gang in particular seems to be taking rare Pokemon from both the wild and stealing them from people. They sell for a good price on the black market, so this whole thing is textbook smuggling. Get them to another country and sell them."
Joe began tapping a foot against the wooden floor to try and calm himself. He didn't like the sound of that. "Just to be sure, how certain are you that this is a gang and not a totally innocent company transporting Pokemon normally?"
"Very. In fact, I undersold it. That big guy you almost fought? A while ago he appeared in a gang in Kanto. But now he's here, with a different gang. Do you know why?"
Joe considered it. Tried to remember the word. A group of gangs working to achieve the same goal while staying somewhat disconnected. "A syndicate?"
"Yep." She gave a toothy grin. "They messed up sending this guy, it connects them. Now we know this small-time gang is part of something bigger. But…" She let out a heavy sigh. "...You remember the detective? He said that if these people are part of Rocket Syndicate, then we've got a big problem. They're heavily compartmentalised. No one can pinpoint their headquarters even though police have raided multiple bases. Low level thugs can't tell the police what they don't know, and they have no clue where HQ is. So, while we'll be helping free some Pokemon, it'll lead nowhere. No big fish at the end of the line, so to speak."
"Wait, go back. Rocket Syndicate?" Joe asked.
"Ah, right. They're not known here in Johto yet. Most gangs in Kanto seem to be united by one leader and became one group. Rocket Syndicate. They made themselves known a few months ago, mainly through odd jobs like stealing paintings, but they go after Pokemon when they can. The warehouse we're about to deal with is one of few operations outside the country."
Joe wasn't getting that holiday anytime soon. Joe and Absol looked at each other briefly. They knew what they were doing next. Fighting crime in Kanto. Sounded like good training too. Joe had no idea where Raikou would appear, so he'd just have to hope he was roughly in the right place at the right time.
He thought about it some more. Joe watched the news but hadn't heard of any other criminal organisations. Rocket Syndicate sounded like the only big group in the area. Maybe big and strong enough to control a Legendary Pokemon. It worked for Joe. The simplest answer was usually the correct one. He'd bet on it.
If Joe was wrong then there wasn't much he could do about it. Couldn't be in two places at once. He had to trust others. Joe wasn't the only do-gooder out there. Detectives. Subjugators. Macro Cosmos employees. Other independents like Joe. He might wake up tomorrow and hear that someone else had saved Raikou. The same could be said for Rocket Syndicate. No doubt there were detectives on the case. If they couldn't find Rocket HQ then Joe didn't stand a chance.
Joe would act based on the idea that he would be the one to save Raikou and stop Rocket Syndicate though. It'd push him to try his best. But the best-case scenario was someone solving these problems sooner.
"I just had a bad feeling." Amelia pointed to the two of them. "You're not thinking of fighting Rocket Syndicate, are you?"
"I can't think of anything else to do." Joe nodded.
Amelia sighed. Put a hand on her forehead and scrunched it. "Whatever. That's your problem, not mine. A syndicate is too big for my liking. I'm not prepared for that sort of trouble. I'll stick to dealing with small gangs."
"Size doesn't matter. You're dealing with bad guys all the same. Cleaning up the world." Joe was a firm believer of people understanding their limits. Going after a syndicate sounded dangerous. Amelia was right to stay away. If Joe had any sense, he'd stay away too. "I'm sure you've done good work and will continue to do good work."
"...I appreciate that. Sometimes it's a thankless job, you know? I've gotten multiple gangs arrested but I do work like this." She gestured to the room. "Working in the shadows, gathering information."
Joe understood. Working for a detective didn't involve thanks. People were doing their jobs. Nothing more, nothing less. But the occasional thank you went a long way.
"That's why I became a reporter too. I think if more people know what's happening in the world, the efforts of people like you and me can be recognised. I can't say I'm a good writer, but I'm doing what I can." Amelia shrugged. Moved to the table and rummaged around in a paper bag.
Joe wasn't hungry, but he decided to eat now to get it out of the way. During this time, Joe and Amelia spoke about life in general. Where Amelia came from and how she reached this point. Amelia was from a country called Unova. A Pokemon had been stolen in front of her eyes, so she had a particular dislike of the black market where rare Pokemon were sold to the highest bidder. She had been young and couldn't do anything about it, but someone the size of Joe stepped in and saved the day.
People called him Nomad. Tales of the Nomad stretched far and wide. No one knew his name. He never gave it. After helping someone he'd just grab his bag, sling it over a shoulder and keep walking. Sightings of him still occurred to this day.
"From that moment I knew what I had to do. Injustices need to be dealt with." She took a big bite out of a burger. "What about you? What made you want to fight crime?"
Joe thought about it. "It's the right thing to do."
"That's it? No great story? No personal investment?"
"Well, actually…" Joe spun a grand tale of. He once witnessed another Pokemon world be destroyed and he couldn't do anything about it. The universe took pity on Joe and so he was brought to this Pokemon world. He could at least save this one.
If Joe had to be honest, his reasons went back to an earlier point. Amelia appreciating a thank you. It felt good to be needed. People needed help and Joe could help. It gave him a purpose.
Amelia laughed. "That's got to be the plot of a cheesy movie." She enjoyed talking with Joe. He knew to be serious when necessary, but he could play around. Her immediate impression of Joe had been a negative one. Just another brute causing trouble, but he just so happened to clash with the right people which made him an ally. But no, Joe had a genuine heart of gold.
They cleaned up and Amelia went back to the board. Smacked it once again. "So, the plan. We're breaking in."
"Isn't that illegal?" Joe wasn't complaining. A bit of operating in the grey. Committing a crime to save others. If it benefited people or Pokemon then Joe would do it.
"It won't be. We'll be operating with the best interest of victims in mind. That means basic crimes like breaking and entering or trespassing are ignored."
Now that he thought about it, Joe had heard something like that before. Police could do it. If they saw a problem through a window of private property, they were allowed to break in if necessary. All for the wellbeing of a victim. Apparently this courtesy also extended to civilians. That was good to know. Joe could play vigilante. He finally remembered. Just cause. Having a justified reason to act for others.
Amelia continued. "So what we're going to do is enter through the back door, so to speak. I had one of my Pokemon damage the fence. Enemy guards patrol every twenty minutes, so it should be easy to enough to enter between patrols. Once inside, we'll start freeing Pokemon from cages and escorting them off the premises."
Joe was more than okay with this. He wanted to act right now. But a thought occurred to him. "Why are we the ones doing this?"
Amelia sighed. "My contact, ah, his codename is Looker, is part of the World Police. He's fighting crime in loads of countries so he's usually busy. He's worried he won't make it in time. On top of that, he can't always get others to act. Local police aren't part of the World Police and don't always like a higher power coming in and controlling them. If we take evidence to the local police, how long do you think it'll take them to act? This crime isn't a priority. 'Oh no, a company left Pokemon in cages for two minutes longer than they're legally allowed. What a terrible crime.'" She began biting the nail of her thumb. "I'm worried that if we go to local police and this gang catches wind before anyone does anything, they'll move the Pokemon. That causes more trouble for us." Amelia realised she hadn't fully answered the question. "Basically, we have permission from a detective, and I don't trust anyone else to do this."
"Roger." Joe replied. Joe didn't need the intense justification. He was going to do it regardless of what Amelia said. Joe liked rules and order, but sometimes some needed to be broken for the sake of others. It was good to know Amelia was the same. "So when do we strike?"
Amelia looked at her watch. "Now."
Time flew. Joe rose and looked through the blinds. It was indeed nighttime. Maybe it was the boyish urge within him, but he wondered if Amelia had any face masks or dark face paint to further help them blend in.
They left, Amelia once again scaring the girl at the counter and Joe apologising to her. They gave the warehouse a wide birth so they weren't spotted. Walked through streets, buildings hiding them. They arrived at the back of the warehouse. They could see it around a corner. Amelia held Joe back. Waited for a guard to walk out of sight. Then they approached.
Amelia pointed at one section of the wire fence and they crept to it. She held a hand out near the fence and a little yellow spider hopped to her palm. It fit perfectly in her hand. Joltik. It had been left here to bite through the fence and avoid detection. Joltik had done a fine job. It crawled up Amelia's arm and nestled itself in her hair. The species liked static and sometimes women with long hair could generate a buzz.
Joe moved to the fence Amelia had indicated. Pulled the corner up slowly so it didn't make too much noise. Amelia and Absol crouched through, the latter's horn almost getting caught on the fence. Joe stepped through and let the fence down gently.
Joe's senses were put on high alert. The hair on the back of his neck rose. Awareness that he was trespassing and should keep an eye out for trouble.
They moved to a metal wall. Reached a door with light shining out of a square window. They peered inside. Sure enough, rows of Pokemon in cages. All shapes and sizes. No sign the Pokemon were going to be moved. Some of the bigger Pokemon were bashing against the bars. Why were they trying to use raw strength? Even small species could pack a punch. Use a move that would devastate metal. There had to be some sort of energy dampening system.
Amelia pulled out what looked like a purse. She opened it. It now reminded Joe of a compact toolkit. That's pretty much what it was. Amelia pulled out two items with a hand and put the pack away. A thin metal rod and a screwdriver. She inserted both into the lock and began moving them. A woman of many talents. Joe hadn't expected to see lockpicking with his own two eyes.
It took over a minute, but Amelia eventually unlocked the door. They went inside. Bulbs on long dangling wires lit the warehouse.
"You take the right, I'll go left." Amelia pointed Joe to the first cage and moved to her own.
Joe followed orders. Crouched in front of a small cage. A little white bug was inside. It had dull ice spikes across most of its body. It trembled at the sight of the giant. It sunk as far into the cage as it could.
Joe couldn't pick locks. As he considered how to quietly and safely free the Pokemon, he looked around the cage. It was a box of thick metal except the front which was a door of bars instead. The single hinge keeping the door in place was old and worn out. Joe reached around the back. Felt a small cube. Peered over the box. The cube at the back had a green LED light. An energy dampener. Not like Joe knew what one looked like. He just couldn't think of another reason for there to be a device attached to the cages.
Joe didn't have many options. "Absol, break the padlock. I'll catch it so it doesn't hit the ground." The floor was concrete. He held a hand underneath the lock and Absol raised a paw. She slashed at an angle and the metal was cut into chunks. Joe caught it. Placed it on the floor gently. Opened the door. Reached a hand inside. "Come on, it's okay. We're here to help."
Absol looked at her paw. The tips of her claws. A strange sensation had assaulted her as she slashed the lock. The effect of the energy dampener leaked beyond the cage. The weird sensation was energy being channelled back into her claws.
It took a moment, but the little Pokemon realised it was being freed and crawled out. Joe moved his hand. Let the animal walk on the ground. He moved onto the next one. Repeated freeing a dozen Pokemon. The amount was increasing from Amelia's side too. They'd freed at least thirty together. The bigger Pokemon were antsy. Ready to start a fight. Amelia and Joe had barely managed to calm them. Said they didn't want the group to split up just in case. Said the group wasn't leaving until everyone was saved. The bigger Pokemon calmed down, agreeing that everyone needed to be saved.
Joe reached another small cage. Another white Pokemon, but this one stood on two legs. It had a green head, or maybe it was hair. Looked like a bowl cut. It had red horns atop its head. One up front, one facing the back. Joe felt it was vaguely familiar, but the features were wrong. He'd probably seen an evolution at some point.
"Human, it's dangerous here."
Joe perked up. Looked around. It wasn't an echo. More like his internal monologue had been hijacked. He was hearing a very clear voice in his head, but they weren't his thoughts. He must be going mad.
"In front of you."
He turned to the small white Pokemon. "You can talk?"
It nodded. Sounded like a young girl. "You're in danger."
Joe felt a chill run down his back. He put one hand on the corner of the cage. Grabbed a bar with the other. Strained. Pulled with all his strength. The singular hinge cracked and buckled. The door flew off. He let the cage door fly off and clatter to the ground as he swiped the Pokemon inside. Kicked the ground to jump back. Absol moved with him.
The wall of the warehouse behind the white Pokemon's cage was torn open. A big orange and black leg came in, a hefty paw crushing the cage.
If Joe had been any slower then the animal in his arms would've been seriously hurt. The energy dampener probably cut off defence energy too. A lack of an energy shield was how Pokemon got permanent injuries and scars.
The attacker, Joe identified as an Arcanine, had burst through the metal wall. Half its body was inside. Big front legs. Head surrounded by beige fur. A muzzle that opened to reveal embers. The embers grew into a great Flamethrower. The fire was aimed at Joe.
"Absol! Ice beam!" Joe realised his mistake fast, but the damage was done. Only seconds passed from the moment he sensed danger to the moment he commanded Absol. It could be difficult to make the right choice when the brain had limited time.
Joe's impression of Absol was based on the meadow of ice when he went back to save her from Raikou. An instinct he'd need to change. Jasmine had spoken at great length about type matchups. Joe should know better, but applying the information years after hearing it wasn't optimal in this situation.
Absol reacted automatically to the command. She wanted to be part of the team so she listened without thinking. Channelling the energy was instinctual. An orb of ice spawned in front of Absol's mouth. Arcs of frozen water flew towards Arcanine. They were engulfed by fire and melted. From the side, lanky shadow arms grabbed Arcanine's head and closed its fire-breathing mouth. The flames that had escaped struck concrete as Absol jumped.
Pumpkaboo came barrelling in, using its entire body to smash into Arcanine's head using Shadow Sneak. Arcanine's head snapped to the side and Pumpkaboo, also affected by recoil, went spinning through the air.
Sensing trouble, Rotom came out. Hovered in Joe's field of view and showed him what Absol could do. He'd memorised this information earlier, but Rotom helped Joe refocus and act correctly.
Joe picked a move inspired by the inky shadows he'd just seen. Absol's front right paw was engulfed by dark energy. Absol jumped forward and used Night Slash. Hit Arcanine in the temple and sent it skidding back. Absol landed outside and Joe followed through the hole. The little white Pokemon held on tightly to the torso of Joe's shirt.
Pumpkaboo righted itself, shook its body and flew over to Amelia. She grabbed it. Held it in both hands. Pumpkaboo looked up with a worried expression. Amelia was shaking a little. She retaliated to help Joe but now it seemed like he could handle the fight. That was for the best. There was a reason she snuck about. Who wouldn't be scared when a giant seven-foot man was their foe? Amelia forced herself to move. She left the building. Stood behind Joe and watched.
Absol kept low and growled deeply while Arcanine barked. Behind Arcanine was Caveman. Should've known it'd be him. Joe stood tall. Squared his shoulders as he walked alongside Absol. Wanted to be ready. For some reason he thought a fight between people could occur. Caveman met his eyes. They glared at each other while circling.
Absol moved first under Joe's order. Her horn glowed pink and she launched an arc. Psycho Cut. It sailed through the air and hit nothing. Absol rushed in with Quick Attack as Arcanine opened its mouth and wrapped fangs in flames. Absol ducked and fired off a point-blank Shadow Ball. No travel time meant it hit instantly. Right in the neck.
Smoke scattered as Arcanine backed off. Roared. Summoned gold stars across the air around itself. Swift. The stars flew at Absol. She used Rock Slide to grab chunks of the ground around her and threw them forward. The two moves, a dozen strong on each side, clashed and created a series of explosions that lit up the area.
Flamethrower came through the smoke. Struck Absol. She barked loudly and jumped back, shaking soot lightly off her fur. Growled. It was a lucky strike. Neither side could see through the smoke. That gave Joe an idea.
Absol took chunks out of the ground again with Rock Slide. The rocks floated further into the air. Absol ran along them. Over the smoke. By the time she was spotted in the dark, she had the advantage. Arcanine turned, about to use Flamethrower again. It opened its mouth as fire built at the back of its throat. And then it received a Stone Edge pillar to the chin. Arcanine's jaw clamped shut.
Absol pounced with immense speed. Wrapped a paw in dark energy, cancelling Quick Attack. Pokemon could not use multiple types of offence energy at the same time. It was one or the other. Absol struck Arcanine hard in the head. Took it down to the ground. Cracked the ground and kicked up dust.
Absol jumped multiple times until she was near Joe. The dust cleared. Caveman saw the state of Arcanine. It was knocked out. Caveman returned Arcanine to its ball. Joe let out his breath. Didn't realise he'd been holding it.
"Useless."
Joe waited for more. Nothing came. "As talkative as ever." Joe commented. Joe waited for another Pokemon on the enemy team.
Absol further retreated to Joe's side. She had a bad feeling and started a low grumble. Caveman put the ball in a pocket. Joe grinned smugly. As he thought, Caveman was too big for his own good. Couldn't reach a Pokeball holster on the back of his belt.
Caveman flexed his fingers. Curled them into fists. Walked forward. Joe internally sighed. So it really did come down to this. Absol's grumble turned into a deep growl. She felt like this might happen. Absol didn't want to, but she could and would incapacitate a person if necessary. She raised a paw to walk. Joe stuck a hand out in front of her. Put the little white Pokemon on her back.
"I'm not going to use a Pokemon against people." Joe stepped forward to meet Caveman. He was calm. That came from experience. In a weird way, Joe appreciated the chance to brawl. This didn't happen often. Joe wanted to make sure he was still up to par. "This one's my fight."