"Captain, we've got something."
A young officer—clearly still a rookie—rushed into the police station, clutching a stack of files. He dropped them onto the desk in front of Captain Tobita, eyes bright with determination.
"Based on the evidence at the scene, it looks like the mercenary known as Ghost Fox was involved. All known case files connected to him are in here."
Tobita didn't speak right away. He began thumbing through the documents but motioned for the rookie to brief everyone present.
"Ghost Fox committed his first murder about a year ago. Back then, the target was just a qualified, mid-tier trainer. But over time, his targets have gotten stronger and stronger. That suggests his own strength is increasing as well."
The rookie paused to flip a page and continued.
"He's not the fastest-rising mercenary, but he's definitely the most elusive. We still don't even have a clear image of him. The only confirmed details are that he uses ghost-type or psychic-type Pokémon… and carries very powerful bombs."
"The bombs he's used have steadily grown in power. At present, they're strong enough to seriously injure Elite-tier Pokémon. And whether he has even deadlier ones? That's still unknown."
Tobita skimmed the files but found little of use. Ghost Fox was cautious to a fault—so much so that they didn't even have a blurry photo of him.
But then, something about a recent victim caught his eye.
"Forget the Ghost Fox for now. We need to focus on these three."
He pulled out three photographs and pinned them to the whiteboard.
"Start a town-wide search immediately. See if we can find any traces of these people!"
"Yes, sir!"
The officers snapped into action. The rookie lingered, knowing he'd be accompanying Tobita personally.
The reason was simple: the young man was fresh out of the academy. Thanks to top marks, he had earned the chance to study under Captain Tobita, one of the most respected figures in the town's small but seasoned police force.
"Walk and talk," Tobita said, already headed for the door.
He wasn't keeping secrets. The rookie had promise, and Tobita saw value in sharing his experience.
"From the Ghost Fox's file, one thing's clear—he's extremely cautious. Now that the job's done, he's likely long gone. Chances of tracking him down right now are slim."
"But something's odd about the Carl case."
Tobita looked over his shoulder at the rookie.
"You've read the background report on Carl, right? On the surface, he looked like an average civilian. But in reality, he was an agent for Pokémon hunters. And among those he worked with, the most notable are the Henderson Brothers and a man named Ray."
"If they were smart, they'd be lying low now. When a middleman gets killed, most hunters disappear to avoid drawing police attention."
"But they haven't. That tells me they're still in town… which means they're after something."
The rookie's eyes widened in realization.
"Carl's resources?"
Tobita nodded.
"Exactly. Either his money, his intel network, or both. The most likely scenario is this—either Ray or the brothers hired Ghost Fox to eliminate Carl, so they could replace him."
"And once Ghost Fox finishes the job, they turn on him too. That way, they erase all loose ends and take over Carl's network without raising suspicion."
"So now," Tobita said, voice low and sharp, "our job is to let them play it out… and catch all of them when the dust settles."
The rookie was beaming with admiration.
In truth, Tobita could've transferred to a city precinct long ago. But he'd turned it down.
"Too old," he'd claimed. "Besides, someone has to look after this town."
The department chief had respected his decision—and already marked Tobita as a future police chief upon retirement.
Tobita wasn't lacking in ambition. He simply had a deep-rooted connection to the town. He wanted to protect it in his own way.
As for the young officer? His journey was just beginning. Tobita was happy to teach him everything he could before the kid moved on to bigger stages.
Meanwhile, Jack—aka the Ghost Fox—had already scouted the area and was about to act.
But when he noticed police activity, he pulled back, reevaluating his plan.
"Didn't expect the local cops to react so quickly," he muttered in his apartment.
"Makes this contract job a little more exciting."
He marked a new route on his map and began modifying his strategy.
Elsewhere in the town, both the Henderson Brothers and Ray were also lying low.
But tension was building.
Even with police closing in, the rivalry between the two factions had reached a tipping point. Neither side could afford to wait much longer.
Soon, one of them would make a move—and Jack would be ready.
This was exactly what Tobita wanted.
If everything played out just right, he could nab two infamous Pokémon hunters and a deadly mercenary in one sweep.
And the message would be clear:
This town isn't a playground for killers.