Early in the morning, Austin Black received an unexpected guest, Zorro, the Section Chief of the Jubilife City Police Headquarters.
Zorro wore a brown bowler hat and a neatly tailored suit, his presence calm and precise. If he were shorter and a bit rounder, Austin would have sworn he had stepped out of an old detective series.
[Image]
They had met before. Zorro was Bell's husband, lived nearby, and was around forty-five.
"Mr. Zorro."
They were acquaintances at best. Bell visited often with her Growlithe, so Austin knew her far better.
"Austin, I apologize for coming so early." Zorro removed his hat slightly.
It was not even seven-thirty.
"It's fine," Austin replied. "I was about to start training anyway."
Zorro nodded. "I need to be at work by eight-thirty, so I'll keep this brief."
Straight to the point. That matched what Austin knew about him.
"Go ahead."
"I'd like to ask you to take in an Arcanine."
Zorro placed a Poké Ball on the table.
Austin glanced at it, puzzled. "Move training?"
Zorro shook his head, a faint trace of fatigue in his expression. "No. It's… more complicated."
He paused before continuing.
"This Arcanine graduated with top marks and was assigned to one of our most elite units. I cannot disclose the unit's name."
"Do you know Team Galactic?"
"I do."
They had already fallen. Cyrus was gone, the commanders captured, and only scattered remnants remained.
Zorro continued, voice steady.
"During an operation against Team Galactic, Arcanine was ambushed. In a cave on Mt. Coronet, a flash bomb went off, followed by multiple Electrode using Self-Destruct."
"What?!" Dad blurted out before covering his mouth.
Zorro glanced at him and went on.
"Arcanine survived. Officer Jenny and the medical team stabilized him."
"At first, we believed he had fully recovered. Physically, he had."
Zorro's tone lowered slightly.
"But any stimulus similar to that flash bomb triggers a severe reaction. Even routine training exercises."
They had tried everything. That much was clear.
"We ran multiple assessments. His talent is exceptional, and he's still young, but…" Zorro exhaled quietly. "He can no longer serve. He has been retired."
Silence settled over the room.
An elite Arcanine, forced out at its peak.
Ethan frowned. "Why did it come to that?"
Zorro shook his head. "We don't know."
Austin's gaze rested on the Poké Ball.
He had a good idea.
Not a physical injury. A psychological one.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
He had seen it before. People who seemed fine until a sound, a flash, or a memory dragged them back into something they could not escape.
Knowing the condition did not mean he could fix it.
Austin exhaled. "Then why bring him to me? I'm not equipped for this."
Zorro met his eyes.
"This was Mr. Blue's suggestion."
Austin blinked.
Blue.
That made even less sense.
Zorro continued, filling in the gaps.
"Arcanine's former handler, an Officer Jenny, heard Blue was in the region and tried to reach him."
"The request moved through several contacts before reaching me. I brought it to him."
"And he recommended you."
Austin leaned back slightly, still processing it.
There had to be a reason.
"I'll ask him about that later," Austin muttered.
Zorro nodded once.
"The handler cannot leave her post. She serves in a special unit."
"So I brought Arcanine here myself."
The Poké Ball sat between them, quiet, carrying far more weight than it should have.
Zorro had no reason to lie to Austin. He knew Austin and Blue were acquainted, so that any falsehood would fall apart quickly.
Since the recommendation came from Blue, Austin took it seriously. "What exactly do you need me to do? Treat him?"
He already knew his limits. This was not something he could casually agree to.
"I don't like making promises I can't keep," Austin added.
If Zorro expected a full recovery, Austin would have to refuse.
Zorro shook his head. "No. Just let him stay here and recover. We'll cover the expenses monthly, based on the standard for retired police Pokémon."
That changed things.
Austin nodded after a brief pause. "Alright. I'll take him in."
At that moment, a mechanical female voice echoed in his mind.
Ding!
[New side quest detected - Arcanine's Treatment (Optional)]
Zorro's expression eased for the first time. "Thank you. I'll leave Arcanine in your care."
Dad stepped forward, eyes slightly red, and gripped Zorro's hand. "You can count on us."
Zorro gave a small nod. He could feel the sincerity in Ethan's voice. "I will."
Dad meant every word. The thought of Arcanine being forced out like that did not sit well with him.
Zorro checked the time on his pocket watch.
"I need to head to work. I'll leave him with you."
Austin nodded. "You're welcome to visit anytime."
Zorro gave a final nod, then left without delay.
The responsibility had been handed over, but Austin understood one thing clearly. This was not urgent work. It would take time.
A long time.
As he looked at the Poké Ball, another thought surfaced.
Arcanine was not the only one.
Feebas likely had the same kind of condition.
Austin had researched it before. PTSD, and in Feebas's case, something more severe.
Complex PTSD.
Two common triggers stood out.
Long-term exposure to stress, such as neglect or repeated bullying.
And a persistent sense of worthlessness.
Both applied to Feebas almost perfectly.
Before evolving into Milotic, Feebas was seen as one of the most undesirable Pokémon. Weak, ignored, and often discarded. The additional trauma made everything worse.
Austin exhaled slowly while rubbing his face.
This is going to be complicated.
He shifted his focus back to the system prompt.
Arcanine's Treatment (Optional): Help Arcanine overcome his psychological trauma and regain confidence.
Reward: A fragment of Arcanine's memory.
Hint: Connected to Dialga and Palkia.
He paused for a bit before accepting.
. . .
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