SUNSET…
The sun was dipping low, painting the forest clearing in soft, warm orange light as everything finally settled.
I had just said goodbye to Arbok, watching her long, powerful figure slip quietly into the tall grass and disappear among it.
I felt a pang in my chest. "Take care, Arbok," I whispered, my voice barely louder than the evening breeze.
Lopunny leaned gently against my side, her soft fur against me.
Her paw rested lightly on my arm, comforting and close.
"Lop~♡" she hummed softly, a quiet, understanding sound.
She knew exactly how I felt, and just being there made the sadness a little lighter.
We stood like that for a while, the two of us, watching the last traces of daylight fade as the forest grew calm and still around us…
We didn't have to wait long at all.
The distant roar of engines started growing, cutting through the quiet air.
Blue and red lights flashed brightly through the tall grass, dancing like Volbeat and Illumise in the fading sun.
Before I knew it, a whole convoy of four police cars came rolling smoothly into the wide-open clearing, way more vehicles than I ever thought they'd send.
I blinked in surprise, my mouth dropping open a little.
I'd pictured just one car, maybe two at most, with Officer Jenny pulling up like she always did in Verdian city.
Not… this.
It felt like the entire police force had shown up just for those poachers.
Officers jumped out right away, moving fast but super calm, spreading out across the grass to check the area, secure the poachers, and make sure everything was under control.
I stood there, waiting to see someone close among them.
Then I spotted her near Officer Jenny.
The officer stepped out confidently from the front car, teal-green hair pulled up in that classic high spike, police uniform sharp and spotless, black heels clicking softly on the ground.
I couldn't even tell the difference between her and Officer Jenny in Viridian City.
Same face, same everything.
It was clear there were a lot of Officer Jennys, and Nurse Joys too, who looked exactly alike.
My memories of the past were still a little hazy in places, but this part I remembered perfectly.
Though, I'd stopped wondering about it long ago.
I just accepted it and moved on.
But more than Jenny, the one who really grabbed my attention was the quick, graceful blur of green that leaped out excitedly from the same car, moving like a shadow in the wind.
Meowscarada. My Meowscarada!
She looked exactly the same as when I'd last seen her: sleek light-green fur, fluffy cape-like collar shimmering softly, pink eyes shining behind that mysterious black mask pattern.
"Nyaaa~♡!" she cried out happily, voice bright and full of joy.
She bounded straight at me and leaped high, crashing into my chest with so much happy force that my feet slipped on the grass.
I fell backward onto the ground with a soft thud, landing flat on my back while she landed right on top of me, face buried against my chest.
Her short, fluffy tail flicked wildly behind her, brushing against my leg in quick, excited little waves.
Her soft paws moved fast over my shoulders, arms, and chest. Her pink eyes were wide and watery, searching every inch of me, checking again and again that I was really okay and not hurt.
I laughed softly from the ground, wrapping my arms around her and hugging back just as hard. "I'm fine, I promise. I missed you too…"
Lopunny walked over with a gentle smile.
"Lopuu~" she said calmly, reaching out to place a soft paw on Meowscarada's shoulder, letting her know everything was okay.
Meowscarada finally eased up a little.
She lifted her head from my chest, pink eyes still shiny but much softer now.
"Nyaa~♡" she purred low and relieved, giving me one last gentle nuzzle.
A soft, familiar clearing of the throat broke the moment. "Ahem, ahem…"
We all turned at the sound.
Officer Jenny stood a few steps away, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised, but a small amused smile on her lips as she watched us tangled on the grass.
Hearing her voice, we quickly untangled ourselves.
Meowscarada hopped off me with a quick, embarrassed "Nyaa~" and stood up fast.
Lopunny reached down with a gentle paw, and together they pulled me to my feet.
I brushed the grass off my back, face a little warm, while both of them stayed close on either side.
I stood straight, trying to look normal again. "Officer Jenny…" I started, stepping forward.
Meanwhile, Lopunny quietly explained what had happened, telling the whole story.
Meowscarada listened with wide eyes, letting out the occasional curious "Nyaa~?" or surprised "Meow~?"
Catching poachers definitely hadn't been part of our plan.
…
"Thank you for coming so fast, Officer Jenny," I said, stepping up beside her.
She turned with a warm, professional smile. "No, young man, thank you. You did incredible work here. Because of you, a lot of Pokémon are safe now.
"I… I'm just glad it all worked out."
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling embarrassed under her praise. I looked toward the long grass for a second.
"It wasn't just me, though. It was all Arbok. She's the real hero."
Officer Jenny blinked in surprise. "Arbok?"
"Yeah," I said, nodding toward the tall grass where Arbok had disappeared.
"A wild one. We… kind of became friends. She fought and protected me. Without her, I wouldn't be standing here."
Her eyes widened for a second, then softened with clear respect. "Befriending a wild Arbok enough to battle for you? That's extremely rare, young man. You're very lucky. So… did you catch it?"
I shook my head right away. "No. I didn't even try. She was wild, and she deserved to stay that way. We just… helped each other this one time."
Officer Jenny studied me for a moment, then gave a small nod.
She probably figured Arbok had something important to protect in this territory, or maybe she was just stronger than most wild ones.
Either way, she didn't push it.
She crossed her arms, voice turning firm but still kind. "But next time, call us first. That's our job. No more solo hero stuff, got it?"
"Yes, ma'am," I said quickly. "Promise."
"What's going to happen to those poachers?" I asked, glancing over at the cars where the cuffed men were being loaded in…