Harmonia | Pokémon

prologue

MORE OFTEN than not, when something interesting happened in Nuvema Town, the smallest town in the entire Unova region, the rest of the world didn't find it quite as exciting. However, it was exactly that fuel that fed the fire when Adam White disappeared. The region couldn't believe that the quaint little town was capable of such a heart-wrenching tragedy. The unfortunate event happened so close to home that it affected all of the town's residents. The kids weren't allowed out of the house, and adults seldom interacted with anyone outside of their homes. Even Aurea Juniper, the town's very own Pokémon Professor, and the only reason Nuvema Town was even featured on any maps, shut down her laboratory for new trainers for an entire month—the longest it had ever been closed before.

The day the search parties declared Adam White to be a lost cause, and put an end to their efforts to find him was a sad day, and not just for Nuvema Town. They captured the sorrow on the front page of newspapers all over Unova. The region was in shambles. Nuvema Town had been a symbol of peace, and comfort, but that was no longer a valid description. Adam White was missed by all, and he had landed in the prayers of many.

In that small town sat the loving, mourning White family, distraught from the loss of both a husband and a father. Downstairs sat the newly widowed Erin, and upstairs was their daughter, who was just seven years old. Then, suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

This came as a shock to Erin, surprised that anyone would come to visit at such a miserable time. The neighbors obviously didn't like to leave their homes, much less talk about what happened, and the majority of the region knew how badly she was taking it. She double-knotted her robe around her body, then made her way towards the door, hoping her puffy eyes weren't as noticeable as she believed them to be.

When she arrived at the door and peered outside, her eyes widened in astonishment. This was the last person she would have expected to see, including her deceased spouse.

"Looker?!" Erin gasped, staring at the man in front of her.

"Erin, you know how I feel about you addressing me by my code name," he reminded her evenly. "We're old friends. Call me Robert."

"Yeah... Robert..." Erin trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?" Looker asked, looking impatient.

"Oh, that's right," Erin stammered guiltily, opening the door wider. "Come on in."

Looker stepped through the threshold, his stiff body sticking straight up as he strode through the house without emotion, taking a seat at the dining room table without a second thought. Erin carefully pushed the door closed, then claimed the seat beside him.

"So you're probably wondering what I'm doing here..." Looker assumed. He hadn't failed to notice the discomfort etched plainly into the woman's body language; her shoulders were held a fraction too far up, and this little detail caused her to look as rattled as she felt. Erin admitted her feelings with a rough nod in his direction. "Well, Adam's disappearance has left Interpol in a bit of a difficult situation."

"I would imagine," Erin commented forlornly.

"I give you my greatest sympathies, and I hope with every fiber of my being that he's out there somewhere. But as long as he is gone, his job position is open."

"I don't know how to help you there," Erin replied. "I can't exactly think of anyone off the top of my head with his genetic structure..."

A high-pitched "Mommy!" chimed through the room, interrupting the adults' conversation. A little girl, dressed in a long t-shirt and pajama pants came rushing down the stairs. Her long brown hair was secured into two braids, and her lips curled upwards in an adorable, childish smirk. She had natural laugh lines, even at her young age, from constant smiling. However, as soon as she realized that Erin wasn't alone in the room, she became reserved, looking nervous about the man sitting at the table.