Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Roy was awakened by a rustling sound.
Opening his eyes, he saw Misty already fully dressed, pacing back and forth inside the tent.
"Oh, why isn't it daylight yet..." Misty muttered in a low voice. "My legendary Water-type baby, wait for me, your big sister is coming to get you right away~"
Roy didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Is that really necessary? What time is it?"
Hearing his voice, Misty immediately pounced over and lay on Roy's sleeping bag.
"Of course it's necessary! That's a legendary Water-type Pokemon!"
She was wearing a pink short-sleeved T-shirt and white hot pants; her pair of beautiful legs glowed white in the morning light.
Because of her prone position, her neckline was slightly open. From Roy's angle, he could just see the pale pink lace trim inside.
Hmm, she changed to pink today.
Completely unaware, Misty excitedly shook Roy's shoulder. "Get up, get up! We need to set off quickly!"
"Don't shake me, don't shake me..." Roy got a headache from her shaking. "Alright, alright, I'm getting up."
He sat up, and Pikachu was also woken up, rubbing its eyes. "Pika?"
Misty had already rushed out of the tent to call Delia.
"Sister Delia! Wake up! We're about to set off!"
Delia's gentle voice came from the tent: "Okay~ I'm getting up now~"
Fifteen minutes later.
After a quick wash, packing up the tent, and eating some dry rations for breakfast, the three of them set out on the road to HopHopHop Town.
Along the way, Misty remained in a state of extreme excitement.
"Roy, what exactly is that legendary Water-type Pokemon you mentioned like?" She walked beside Roy, her eyes sparkling.
Roy pursed his lips. "You'll know when we get there."
"Oh, just give me a little hint~" Misty pulled on his arm, shaking it.
The T-shirt neckline swayed with her movements, and from Roy's angle, he could see the pink lace trim swaying inside again.
"Is it blue?"
"Blue? I guess you could say that."
"Is its body slender?"
"Uh... depends on how you define slender."
"Are its skills powerful? Can it use Hydro Pump?"
"It can do something even more powerful than Hydro Pump!"
Misty became even more excited. "Wow! What about its personality? Is it gentle?"
Roy thought of Psyduck's perpetually blank face and nodded. "Quite gentle. It basically won't attack people on its own initiative."
"Great!" Misty skipped along. "It's my ideal Pokemon!"
Delia listened from the side, smiling gently without asking much.
After walking for about two hours, a dense cluster of skyscrapers appeared ahead.
"We're here." Roy pointed. "That's the HopHopHop Town."
Misty looked up and was stunned.
Before her was a forest of steel and concrete. Office buildings dozens of stories high were crowded together, their glass curtain walls reflecting the piercing sunlight.
The streets were wide, but there were few pedestrians. Occasionally, men and women in suits and high heels walked by quickly, their faces bearing expressions of fatigue and anxiety.
There was an oppressive feeling in the air; even breathing felt stifling.
"This... this is the HopHopHop Town?" Misty looked at the scene before her in disbelief.
This was completely different from the city she had imagined!
Skyscrapers were everywhere, glass walls were everywhere, oppressive grays and blues were everywhere, and even greenery was rarely seen.
"My legendary Water-type baby... lives in a place like this?" Misty felt a bit heartbroken.
Roy glanced at a district information sign standing by the roadside and explained, "This is the financial district of Celadon City, equivalent to the downtown CBD. Time is money here; everyone is thinking about how to make money every moment. It's normal for it to feel oppressive."
He pointed ahead. "If we go further, to the residential area near the Pokemon Center, it will be much better. There are residential buildings, shopping malls, parks, and things like that over there."
Misty nodded, but the heartache on her face was still plain to see.
"My legendary Water-type baby actually lives in such an oppressive place..." she muttered softly. "I wonder if it gets headaches, or if it's in a bad mood."
"Once I catch it, I must take good care of it, soothe it, buy it lots of delicious food, take it swimming, take it..."
Listening to her, Roy's mouth twitched.
Headaches?
Well, you'd have to see if the Duck God even knows where its head is.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but purse his lips to suppress a smile.
Seeing his expression, Misty asked suspiciously, "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing." Roy said solemnly. "I just think you'll definitely be a good owner."
"Of course!" Misty raised her chin proudly.
The three continued forward.
There were more and more pedestrians on the street, but they all seemed to be in a hurry.
Office workers in suits walked quickly with briefcases tucked under their arms, coffee cups in hand, eyes fixed on their phone screens.
Professional women in suits trotted in high heels, checking their watches as they ran, for fear of being late.
Everyone was expressionless, everyone was in a rush, everyone was like a wound-up machine.
Misty looked around and said softly, "The people here are so strange, they all seem so busy..."
Delia said gently, "Big cities are all like this; everyone is rushing about for their livelihood."
Roy nodded. "So once we get near the Pokemon Center, the atmosphere will be completely different. That's the residential area; the pace will be much slower."
The three continued forward.
Crossing a wide road, a different scene finally appeared ahead.
Several residential buildings appeared in their view. Below the buildings were convenience stores, snack shops, cafes, and a small neighborhood park.
Although the backdrop was still skyscrapers, at least there was a sense of everyday life.
"We're almost there." Roy pointed ahead. "The Pokemon Center is right next to that neighborhood park."
Misty breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally... that stretch of road just now was so depressing."
Just as she finished speaking.
Suddenly.
"Make way! Make way!"
A woman's urgent voice came from the side.
The three turned to look.
They saw a young woman in a beige dress rushing across the road from the opposite side.
She was running very fast, completely ignoring the traffic lights and the cars on the road.
And right at that moment.
A police motorcycle was speeding toward them from the side.
The one riding the motorcycle was an Officer Jenny in a tight police uniform.
She clearly saw the woman crossing the road and slammed on the brakes.
But the speed was too high and the inertia was too great; the motorcycle still headed straight for the woman.
"Ah..." The woman screamed in fright, her legs going weak, and she froze on the spot.
Jenny's face also turned pale as she desperately squeezed the brakes, but it was too late.
At this critical moment.
Roy instantly rushed to the woman's side, grabbed her waist, and pulled her aside.
At the same time, his eyes narrowed, and his Aura Power was instantly released.
The invisible Confusion was like a giant hand, suddenly propping up the speeding motorcycle and forcing it to slow down!
Screech! The motorcycle tires rubbed against the ground with a piercing sound, emitting white smoke.
It finally came to a stop less than a meter away from Roy and the woman.
Jenny lurched forward due to inertia, her chest slamming hard against the handlebars, making her brow furrow in pain.
But she didn't care about the pain and quickly hopped off the bike.
"Are you guys okay?" she asked nervously, looking at Roy and the woman in his arms.
Roy shook his head. "We're fine."
He looked down at the woman in his arms.
The woman was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old and quite pretty, with an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and fair skin.
Due to the shock, her face was somewhat pale, her eyes were red, and teardrops still hung from her eyelashes.
She had a kind of delicate beauty.
"Are you okay?" Roy asked.
The woman finally came to her senses, looked at Roy, and tears immediately gushed out.
"Th... thank you..." her voice trembled. "If it weren't for you, I... I..."
Her legs went soft, and she almost couldn't stand.
Roy supported her. "Careful."
The woman leaned into his arms, her chest rising and falling gently from her panting, her warm body pressed against Roy through her thin dress.
A faint scent of perfume drifted into his nose.
Delia and Misty also ran over.
"Roy! Are you okay?!" Misty looked at him nervously.
"I'm fine." Roy shook his head.
Jenny took off her police cap, revealing long blue hair and fine beads of sweat on her forehead.
She looked at Roy with surprise and gratitude in her eyes.
She then turned to the woman and said in a serious tone, "Ma'am, how could you just run across the road? It's too dangerous!"
The woman's tears welled up again. "I'm... I'm sorry... I... I can't find my child... I was too frantic..."
Jenny was taken aback. "You can't find your child?"
The woman nodded and said through sobs, "My son is five years old. I took him to the park to play this morning, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone... I've looked everywhere and can't find him... I was so frantic that I just wanted to get to the police station to report it..."
Jenny's expression changed.
"Another missing child..." she murmured.
Roy's eyes shifted.
Missing child?
Isn't this the disappearance case mentioned in the mission?
He looked at Jenny. "Have there been many missing children recently?"
Jenny sighed and nodded. "In the past month, there have been several cases of missing children in HopHop Town. They all suddenly disappeared when their parents weren't paying attention. We at the police station are busy beyond belief, but we don't have a single clue."
She rubbed her temples, her face full of exhaustion. "I just received a report that another child was missing and was rushing over; that's why I was riding so fast."
Hearing this, the woman's face turned even paler.
"Will... will my son also..."
Her body swayed, and she almost fainted.
Roy supported her. "Don't worry, when did your son go missing? In which park?"
The woman forced herself to say, "Right over at the neighborhood park, about half an hour ago... I just looked down at my phone for a second, and he was gone..."
Roy thought for a moment and looked at Jenny.
"Officer Jenny, if it's alright, I'd like to assist you in investigating this case."
Jenny was stunned for a moment. "You?"
Roy nodded. "My name is Roy, I'm a Trainer. I've assisted the police in other cities before, handled a few cases, and accumulated a bit of experience."
He paused and added, "Moreover, I have a special method for finding missing persons."
Looking at Roy, Jenny didn't know why, but her originally irritable and anxious mood slowly calmed down.
It was as if this man before her had a special magic that made people inexplicably feel at ease.
Jenny looked at Roy, a sense of trust welling up in her heart.
"Okay." She nodded. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Roy."
Roy smiled. "It's my honor to assist a lady officer."
Jenny's face turned slightly red.
She took the walkie-talkie from her waist and handed it to Roy.
"This is my spare walkie-talkie; the frequency is already set. Let's split up; contact me anytime if you find anything."
Roy took the walkie-talkie. "Okay."
He turned to Delia and Misty. "You two go to the Pokemon Center and wait for me first. I'll head over after I've handled this case."
Delia nodded gently. "Okay, be careful."
Misty pulled on Roy's sleeve. "Then my legendary Water-type baby..."
Roy smiled. "Don't worry, it won't run away. And..." He lowered his voice, "maybe that legendary one is waiting for you at the Pokemon Center."
Misty's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Really." Roy said solemnly. "So go quickly; maybe you'll run into it as soon as you walk in the door."
Misty jumped up excitedly. "Great! Sister Delia, let's go!"
She pulled Delia and ran toward the Pokemon Center.
After a few steps, she turned back and shouted at Roy, "Wait for my good news!"
Then she sped away.
Roy looked at her back and smiled.
Go on then, go and have your fateful encounter with your Duck God.
He turned to Jenny.
Jenny had already put her police cap back on, and her tight police uniform accentuated her perfect figure.
She noticed Roy's gaze, looked down, blushed slightly, and quickly buttoned up.
"Um... Mr. Roy, how should we act now?"
Roy thought for a moment. "You go handle that new missing child report first. I'll look around nearby to see if there are any clues."
Jenny nodded. "Okay, keep in touch."
She straddled her motorcycle, started the engine, and took the woman with her.
Roy stood where he was, looking at the skyscrapers all around, and activated his Aura Power.
Invisible waves spread out.
According to his memories of the original story, the white-collar workers here were under too much pressure and had somehow found a Drowzee and a Hypno, using them to hypnotize themselves and release their stress.
But these white-collar workers weren't professional Trainers and didn't know how to control the Pokemon's power, causing the hypnotic waves to spread out.
The children of HopHop Town were affected, guided by the hypnotic waves to run to corners of the city to Mimic Pokemon.
So the missing children were actually still in the city, just hiding in some corner, mimicking Pokemon behavior.
The source of the hypnotic waves should be on the top floor of some office building, at the place where those white-collar workers gathered.
Roy closed his eyes, and his Aura Power fully expanded.
Countless pieces of information flooded into his mind.
Pedestrians, vehicles, buildings, Pokemon...
But the city was too big, there were too many buildings, and the hypnotic waves were very weak. Even with Aura Power, it was difficult to pinpoint them accurately.
Roy opened his eyes and frowned.
Searching like this was too inefficient.
He thought for a moment and decided to change his approach.
Those white-collar workers attending the gathering would have to go there, wouldn't they?
As long as he found people going to the gathering and followed them, he could find the gathering place.
Roy began to wander the streets.
He focused his attention on those office workers in suits, especially the middle-aged men with tired expressions and anxious eyes.
These people under the most pressure were the most likely to attend that kind of stress-relieving gathering.
After wandering for about half an hour.
Finally.
Below an office building, Roy saw a few suspicious people.
Three men in suits were standing below the building, talking.
One was short, balding, with a beer belly, his face full of exhaustion.
One was tall and thin, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, but his gaze held a hint of excitement.
There was also a middle-aged man of average build and appearance, his expression hesitant.
Roy approached quietly and pricked up his ears.
"Hey, forget it, can I really get a good night's sleep if I go up?" the short one asked, his voice filled with fatigue and expectation.
The tall one rubbed his hands excitedly. "Of course! Besides sleeping, you can do something stimulating to release stress! I found out about this on a paid forum."
The short one was stunned. "Stimulating? What is it?"
The tall one chuckled and lowered his voice. "We worry about business and finance, and the pressure is too much! Our nerves are too sensitive! Many comforts are beyond our reach, you know what I mean?"
The short one blinked, still not quite understanding.
The tall one leaned in and whispered, "This hypnosis can perfectly release primal instincts!"
The short one's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course it's real!" The tall one patted his chest. "I tried it once, and that feeling... tsk tsk."
The middle-aged man beside them interjected, "Is it really that magical?"
The tall one looked at him. "Oh, are you going or not? It's right on the top floor, and we're already here."
The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment. "I'm... I'm going. I just want to get a good night's sleep anyway. I don't want to mess around with anything else."
The tall one waved his hand. "Fine, fine, suit yourself. Anyway, I'm going to try something stimulating."
As the three spoke, they turned and walked into the building before them.
Roy looked up.
This was an office building of over forty stories, its glass curtain walls reflecting the piercing sunlight, with the top out of sight.
He thought for a moment and followed them inside.