[OOC THREAD]
//INTERNATIONAL POLICE CASE FILES: VANISHING TRAINERS
//RETRIEVING FILES; STAND BY. . .
//FILES RETRIEVED
Lumiose City
1820 Hours
Being a stranger in a foreign land would never be easy, and Hunter knew it. It was something he supposed he would have to get used to, if he meant to be an effective investigator for the International Police. It was his job to be the stranger, the outlander, the one who makes the local police feel like the big guns have arrived; he supposed it would get easier with time. The days of being those local police, always aware that there are bigger forces than you, were still too recent. The forces didn't get any bigger than the International Police-- the thought was rather sobering.
His afternoon was spent aboard a comfortable travel liner, inbound from his previous rec cycle in Johto. It was good to go home, see some old friends, hug mom, and get sloshed at the casino. He even had a battle with his old department buddies; it was good to know he still had the touch, and it helped to keep his Pokemon in shape. His time on the liner gave him ample opportunity to review the case file to which he had been assigned-- or it would have, if there had been any notes.
That isn't to say the previous investigations by the local blues were shoddy; it didn't appear that way at all. But the case file he'd received contained only two pages of reports, a few photographs, and a whole lot of the word "UNKNOWN" all over it. It was rather daunting, actually, how little information there was in the case. The only concrete facts available were the bios of the trainers that vanished, the only link between them being the sudden and complete nature of their disappearance, and the fact that each of them was a promising trainer in his or her region.
The sixth trainer, and the first in Kalos, had vanished from Lumiose City less than twenty-four hours ago. He had intended to meet with two of his cohorts at the Pokemon Center on Estival Avenue to prepare for a confrontation with the local gym leader, Clemont. When the trainer never showed, his friends became concerned and contacted police. Tracing back the trainer's steps turned up something of a suspected crime scene, and the LCPD had kept the scene secure awaiting the arrival of the International Police.
He figured he'd start with the Pokemon Center; the two witnesses, two young men, both trainers, had agreed to meet him there.
On the way, he pondered what kind of crime scene could be present for something like a disappearance. Perhaps there were signs of some sort of struggle, something to indicate foul play. That would admittedly be more than any of the other disappearances, so he supposed it could be a break, but even then it wasn't much.
For Hunter, detective work had always been easy. You follow the lead until it takes a dump, then you follow the next lead. But on this case, each lead felt like a stretch and there was hardly any evidence to claw at. Hunter could appreciate the challenge, but it also carried some weight on his reputation, which made him anxious.
He knew he was going to need help on this one.
The doors to the Pokemon Center slid open before him, and he stepped inside. The center lobby was somewhat busy, with an assortment of people sitting at the tables and on the benches in the waiting area, and a steady line of others at the reception desk. The steady hum of the Pokemon revitalizer sounded comforting to his trainer instincts. To his left, he saw two individuals matching the witness description stand, and approached. There were a few uniform policemen there, too; they probably escorted the witnesses. It was good to have some uni help.
Hunter put on his best, most personable and comforting smile as he approached the witnesses.
