Celadon City Police Station
Nozomi had lost count of how many times he'd dealt with Officer Jenny by now—third? Fourth? Maybe even more.
But this wasn't the time to be dwelling on that.
"Hello, Officer Jenny," he greeted.
Beside him, Erika introduced him politely. "This is Nozomi, a psychic. With his help, I'm sure we'll be able to find the source behind those missing children."
To their surprise, Jenny's eyes lit up in recognition. "Mr. Nozomi—what a surprise to see you here!"
Erika blinked, puzzled. "Wait, you two know each other?"
Jenny looked equally surprised. "Miss Erika, don't you know who Mr. Nozomi is? He's quite famous around Kanto now."
"I… didn't know." Erika looked a little embarrassed by her ignorance.
Jenny smiled, realizing she was being serious. "Mr. Nozomi is well-known among the police. He's helped us capture several key Rocket members. Not long ago in Saffron City, he even joined Miss Sabrina of the Saffron Gym, along with Elite Four members Lance and Lorelei, to plan a raid against Team Rocket. Hundreds were arrested—including two high-ranking executives."
Erika's jaw dropped. It was the third time that day Nozomi had left her stunned.
So that's why he could own such a powerful Pokémon like Dragonite—and he was a psychic, too. Everything suddenly made sense when seen through that lens.
Jenny's praise made Nozomi scratch his cheek awkwardly. "You flatter me, Officer Jenny. I just played a small part."
"Don't be modest," Jenny replied. "Lance and Lorelei both publicly stated that you were the key contributor to that operation."
Nozomi opened his mouth but couldn't find words.
So Lance had thrown him under the spotlight—and Lorelei went along with it too? Great.
Then again, thinking about the endorsement deal he'd signed with Silph Co.—and the clause saying the more famous he became, the higher his future fees would be—he decided to let it slide.
"Let's put that aside for now," he said, steering the topic away. "We should talk about the missing children case."
Jenny nodded. The longer such cases dragged on, the greater the risk to the victims.
"Please come with me, Mr. Nozomi. We've pinpointed several locations with high-frequency psychic waves, but we can't determine which one is the source. We'll need your help."
She pointed to a city map of Celadon pinned to the wall. Seven locations were marked with red dots.
"Leave it to me," Nozomi said.
He, Jenny, and Erika headed out together, sweeping each site with Nozomi's psychic senses.
"Not here.""Neither is this one… next.""This one feels close—but no.""No psychic waves at all here."
After checking five places, he detected traces of psychic energy at four—but none carried the hypnotic resonance matching the trance symptoms shown by the missing children.
"This is the sixth location," Jenny said, pointing at a large building ahead. Her expression was tired—not so much physically as mentally. Five fruitless searches in a row had left her feeling drained and frustrated.
Nozomi glanced around. The surroundings looked oddly familiar.
Closing his eyes, he focused his mind. At once, he sensed psychic ripples in the air.
The wave covered a wide range, and the rhythm was identical to that produced by a Psychic-type Pokémon using Hypnosis.
"This must be it," he said, eyes opening. "Follow me."
Jenny and Erika's faces brightened with hope as they followed him toward the building.
Nozomi already remembered this "episode." The kidnappings had been caused by someone who'd formed a club using Psychic Pokémon to help people treat insomnia—with disastrous side effects.
Jenny stepped up to the door and knocked firmly. "Is anyone home?"
The door opened to reveal a man dressed like a butler. "Ah—Officer Jenny? How may I help you?" He blinked at the trio behind her, confused.
"I'm here to investigate a missing children case," Jenny said seriously.
"Missing children? There haven't been any children here," the butler replied, shaking his head.
"We're not here looking for missing children," Jenny clarified. "We're investigating the cause of their disappearances. May we come in?"
"Oh—please, please, come inside."
They entered the main hall. There, surrounded by a small crowd, stood a Drowzee on a raised platform, its six fingers waving rhythmically in a mesmerizing pattern.
"That's a Drowzee?" Erika asked, startled.
"Yes," said a middle-aged man who approached them with a courteous smile. "That Drowzee is our club's treasure. Welcome to our facility! How may I assist you?"
Jenny didn't mince words. "We're investigating the missing children. Evidence suggests that this Drowzee is the cause."
"What? Impossible!" the man said incredulously. "Drowzee never leaves this building. It only uses Hypnosis to help our members overcome insomnia! How could it be responsible for abductions?"
"It's the psychic waves," Nozomi interjected calmly.
"This Drowzee's psychic power is extremely strong—probably nearing the point of evolution. Its energy has begun to leak uncontrollably. Whenever it uses Hypnosis, the psychic field spreads far beyond this room. Children's minds are especially vulnerable, so they fall under its spell even from a distance."
The man's skeptical expression wavered. He had, of course, heard about the missing children in Celadon—but he'd never imagined his Drowzee might be the cause.
Seeing his hesitation, Nozomi offered, "If you doubt me, why not test it yourself? Have Drowzee use Hypnosis on you at full strength."