Disappearance

Yuga, puzzled, asked Glenn, "So, why did you come here?"

Glenn replied, "Just to see you!"

Damn, he came to see me!

Yuga stood in front of Glenn, turned slowly, and said, "Alright, you've seen me. Are you satisfied? Can you leave now?"

Glenn scratched his head, looking a bit silly, "Well, that's the thing, but something doesn't feel right."

Yuga pushed his shoulder and guided him outside the shop, saying, "There's nothing wrong. Just go do whatever you need to do."

Finally, with Yuga's urging, Glenn reluctantly walked away.

Watching his small admirer's departing figure, Yuga shook his head lightly.

The next day, after Yuga finished training his Pokémon in the Ecopark, he walked to the shop's entrance. He stretched lazily, enjoying the warmth of the rising sun on his skin.

After a moment of basking in the morning sunshine, Yuga was about to turn back into the shop when he noticed Officer Jenny passing by with her Growlithe.

Initially, Yuga didn't intend to pay attention, but his mind changed when he saw what Officer Jenny was carrying.

"Officer Jenny," Yuga called out.

Upon hearing his voice, Officer Jenny and Growlithe stopped in their tracks.

"It's Mr. Shimizu. Is there something you need?" Officer Jenny still held a great deal of respect for Yuga, considering that not long ago, he had helped the police station immensely. Moreover, Yuga was powerful and deserved respect.

With a smile, Yuga said, "I just wanted to ask if something's wrong. I noticed you and Growlithe seemed in a hurry."

Hearing this, Officer Jenny furrowed her brows, looking uneasy. She said, "Recently, I don't know what's happening, but children have been disappearing inexplicably. Just yesterday, a boy who had just arrived here vanished at the Pokémon Center."

As she spoke, Officer Jenny raised the backpack she was carrying.

"See, this is the backpack the boy left behind."

Yuga remembered this backpack; it belonged to Glenn. He had pushed Glenn out of the Day Care with this bag just yesterday.

He couldn't believe that in just one night, the boy had gone missing.

"Officer Jenny, is there anything I can do to help?" Yuga felt a responsibility since it was because of him that Glenn had come to Verdanturf Town.

"It would be wonderful if Mr. Shimizu could assist," Officer Jenny said with immense relief, as she had been overwhelmed with the situation these past few days.

"Please wait a moment; I'll be right back."

With those words, Yuga dashed back into the shop, retrieved Florges, Dragonair, and Absol from the Ecopark, and brought them with him. He also decided to bring Houndoom along since it was a search mission.

On their way, Yuga released Houndoom and asked Officer Jenny, "Do you have any clues about the missing children?"

Officer Jenny replied, "We don't have many leads, but at the scene where the boy disappeared yesterday, we found this piece of black cloth."

She took out a tattered piece of black fabric from her pocket. It looked worn and torn.

Yuga reached out and took the fabric from Officer Jenny's hand. Surprisingly, it felt incredibly soft, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it carried an ominous aura.

Since he had undergone the baptism of the Light of Life, Yuga's sensory abilities had improved considerably.

Yuga handed the fabric to Houndoom, who smelled it and detected a peculiar energy.

This energy was similar to Dark-type energy, belonging to the power of darkness, which Houndoom, as a Dark-type Pokémon, was quite familiar with.

However, Officer Jenny's Growlithe couldn't sense it.

Houndoom nodded in agreement with Yuga's speculation.

Yuga handed the black torn fabric back to Officer Jenny and explained, "If I'm not mistaken, this piece of cloth belongs to a certain Pokémon, likely of the Dark or Ghost type."

Officer Jenny asked in astonishment, "Are you suggesting that a Pokémon is behind these child disappearances?"

Yuga nodded and replied, "We don't know if someone is directing this Pokémon's actions or if it's acting on its own."

Officer Jenny's expression turned serious. "Regardless of the circumstances, we must find these children as soon as possible. Ghost and Dark-type Pokémon are not to be underestimated. Delaying could put these children in danger."

Yuga agreed with a nod and then asked Houndoom, "What about you, Houndoom? Can you sense the same energy as on this fabric and determine a direction?"

Houndoom sniffed the fabric and nodded in response.

Officer Jenny, excited, said, "What are we waiting for? Let's go quickly."

Yuga agreed and instructed Houndoom, "Lead the way, Houndoom."

Previously, during the incident in the Mount Coronet, his Houndoom had stayed in the background while Flint's Houndoom took the lead. This time, Yuga's Houndoom finally had a chance to shine, and he couldn't help but feel a bit proud.

Houndoom marched forward briskly, guiding Yuga and Officer Jenny to the outskirts of Verdanturf Town.

"Have the children been taken to this location?" Officer Jenny asked, surveying the overgrown grass and trees.

Yuga shook his head and said, "I don't know; we haven't found the main source yet."

Houndoom stopped, lowered his head to sniff the surroundings, and then closed his eyes to sense the energy. He looked left, then right, appearing somewhat uncertain about the direction.

"Don't hesitate," Yuga encouraged. "Choose the direction that feels most promising."

Houndoom turned to Yuga, nodded, and selected a direction before dashing off.

Eventually, Houndoom stopped at the entrance of a cave, gazing inside where darkness engulfed everything.

"Is this the place?" Yuga asked as he caught up to Houndoom.

Houndoom nodded gently.

"It doesn't seem like a place where anyone would be," Officer Jenny remarked, peering into the pitch-black cave.

Yuga responded, "That's why it might be the work of a Pokémon."

Officer Jenny nodded and said, "Let's go inside; the truth will become clear once we do."

Thus, they followed Houndoom into the cave step by step.

The cave wasn't deep, and they soon reached its end.

As soon as they arrived, a massive shadowy sphere shot towards them, but Houndoom deflected it with a Dark Pulse.

Yuga and Officer Jenny now had a clear view of the Pokémon within the cave.