The Right Way to Use a Camera (Please Bookmark)

"Officer Jenny?"

Azisa seemed to have gained some faith in the Great Detective Officer Jenny, so she turned to her for help.

Officer Jenny froze. She looked at the pink sea before her, then at her own Pokémon, and went blank. What was she supposed to do? Was the Great Detective Officer Jenny about to acquire a humiliating chapter in her history?

She could already imagine reporters asking about this after she became famous. How would she answer? Officer Jenny sank so deep into the scenario in her head that she couldn't pull herself out.

Dian sighed. He couldn't help her out this time.

"Misdreavus, stop playing around. Go find that little Glutton."

Ghost-types—or at least Misdreavus—didn't recognize people simply by appearance. They sensed something deeper, their emotions or inner selves.

So even with countless Hoppip before Misdreavus, each one was distinct to her. Finding Dian's Hoppip wouldn't be easy, but it wasn't impossible.

Black shadows spread around Misdreavus, swiftly wrapped her up, and began to spin. When she reappeared, she was back to normal.

"Mis!"

Misdreavus fluttered about as if announcing her grand entrance, then flew into the pink sea.

Dian figured that even Misdreavus would need some time to find the little Glutton in there.

"Growlithe, come back."

Officer Jenny finally came to her senses. She recalled Growlithe, then called to the Jumpluff drifting in the breeze, "Jumpluff, ask the Hoppip if a lone Hoppip has joined them recently."

"Jum!"

Jumpluff cried out and flew toward the Hoppip.

Dian looked at Officer Jenny in surprise. That was a good move.

Come to think of it, Officer Jenny handled things quite sensibly when she wasn't insisting on playing detective.

Azisa bit her lip and waited anxiously.

She hadn't caught that Hoppip, but in her heart, she already considered the little Pokémon family.

As the three of them waited in silence, a commotion suddenly broke out among the Hoppip nearby.

"Hop, hop."

"Hop, hop?"

"Hop, hop. Hop, hop."

The Hoppip began chattering among themselves, then slowly parted to form a narrow path.

"Odd!"

An Oddish squeezed its way out with some effort, followed by a dazed-looking Hoppip.

Hoppip swayed, seemingly confused. But the moment Hoppip saw Azisa, the little Pokémon brightened and leaped toward her.

"Hop, hop!"

"Hoppip! I finally found you!"

Azisa hurriedly caught the leaping Hoppip and wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. "I was so worried about you."

"Officer Jenny, you made her cry," Dian said out of nowhere.

"Huh..."

Officer Jenny bowed to Azisa almost by reflex. One glance was enough to tell she had received thorough professional training.

Only after bowing did she realize what she'd done. "Wait, everything worked out! Why am I apologizing?"

Dian turned away at once, as though nothing had happened.

By his reckoning, those two big Gluttons ought to be coming out about now.

Sure enough, a delighted Misdreavus slowly emerged from the pink sea, along with a Hoppip bound in black shadows. Both Pokémon were taking huge bites of the pink fruit they held.

Officer Jenny's Jumpluff floated beside them, holding a small pink fruit too.

"Those two Gluttons..."

Dian sighed helplessly.

Just then, a powerful whirlwind swept in from afar.

The once-cool breeze carried a faint fragrance, mingled now with a restless force.

Yet when the gust struck the Hoppip, it turned wonderfully gentle.

"Hop, hop..."

The Hoppip rode the wind away, gradually gathering into a long pink ribbon in the sky. It swayed overhead, shifting into all kinds of shapes.

Soon, the pink sea had gone with the wind. Only grass swaying in the gale remained.

"It's beautiful..."

Azisa's eyes shone with wonder. She was utterly absorbed in the beauty of nature.

But a flicker of guilt suddenly entered her gaze. "Hoppip, did you want to travel to Paradise with the others?"

Azisa looked down at the Hoppip in her arms, unsure whether what she had done was right.

"It might have just smelled this fruit," Dian said.

He picked up a pink Berry and handed it over. "I'd guess it's their favorite food."

Sure enough, the Hoppip in Azisa's arms took it at once and began eating with a happy expression.

Seeing that, Azisa smiled too. "Thank you. I'm Azisa. I work at the Weather Bureau nearby."

"Dian. Pokémon Trainer." After that brief introduction, Dian turned to see what the Great Detective Officer Jenny was doing.

After all, she hadn't said a word for a while.

Officer Jenny was crouching elegantly in the grass, apparently doing something in secret.

"Jum."

Jumpluff greeted Dian when he came over. This Pokémon didn't seem shy around strangers, either.

Dian nodded, then leaned over to see what Officer Jenny was up to.

Scratch, scratch, scratch...

Her pen raced across the page.

With a black pen in one hand and its cap between her teeth, Officer Jenny rapidly filled a small notebook with lines of tiny writing.

Dian read over her shoulder for a moment.

"Thanks to the Great Detective Officer Jenny's keen intuition, Boy A and Azisa of the Weather Bureau recovered their missing Pokémon.

Both were moved to tears with gratitude and had no way to repay the Great Detective Officer Jenny. But the Great Detective Officer Jenny shook her head, indicating that she had no need for worldly rewards. Wherever there was a case, she would be there..."

Dian stared in disbelief. What on earth was this?

She hadn't just rewritten events. She'd falsified them!

And unless he was mistaken, that notebook was for recording witness statements and case details. Was it really appropriate to use it for her autobiography?!

Then Dian noticed a wrong character.

"Third line down, seventh character. You wrote it wrong."

"Oh! Thanks!"

Delighted, Officer Jenny hurriedly corrected it, then turned back to continue writing.

Click...

Her pen stopped. Slowly, like a Robot, she turned her head and discovered Dian right behind her—much too close.

Wooooo!

Dian could almost hear a train whistle.

Officer Jenny's dashing face flushed red. She sprang away, clutched the notebook to her chest, and pointed at Dian. Trembling all over, she couldn't get a word out.