Trust is a two-way street.

  Blue had id all her secrets bare, so August had no reason to keep hiding his own.

  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an identification card and pced it in front of her.

  Blue picked it up and flipped it open.

  "International Police… Kanto Division, Senior Inspector—August?"

  Her eyes widened as she looked up at him in shock.

  Of all the possibilities, this was the st thing she had expected.

  "Actually, I'll be promoted to Inspector soon," August corrected. "A few days ago, I took down a group of Team Rocket members who were trying to capture Mew."

  Blue took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of thoughts in her head.

  Suddenly, everything made sense.

  No wonder he had the authority to access the League's database.

  No wonder Professor Oak left the decision about Squirtle to him, even though she had stolen it from the b.

  No wonder he had so much money…

  Wait, no. That one didn't seem reted to being an International Police officer.

  "So, now that you know who I am… what do you pn to do?" August asked.

  Blue hesitated for a moment, then looked straight at him.

  "…I want to find my parents."

  Twelve years of captivity, spent in a pce like the Masked Corps.

  She had finally escaped, finally gained her freedom.

  Aside from wanting to travel like a normal trainer, her biggest wish was to reunite with her parents.

  Twelve years was a long time.

  Her memories of their faces had faded, but her desire to see them again had only grown stronger.

  Hearing her request, August nodded.

  "Your parents, huh? Got it. I'll help you find them."

  The International Police had access to the League's database—finding someone was easy.

  However, since he was only part of the Kanto Division, he could only search records from Kanto and its closely connected region, Johto.

  If her parents weren't in either of those regions, he'd have to ask Lance for help.

  Blue didn't mind.

  Just knowing someone would help her was enough.

  She had already waited twelve years. What was a little more time?

  Now that her lifelong wish was on the verge of coming true, she felt almost dreamlike, as if it weren't real.

  "…Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked, looking at August seriously.

  If he hadn't outright refused the Rainbow Wing and Silver Wing earlier, she would have offered them in return.

  August's expression shifted slightly. "Since you're asking… I do have something in mind."

  "What is it?"

  "How about joining the International Police as one of my informants?"

  Informants.

  The International Police often recruited unofficial members to provide intel or assist with certain operations.

  When August made the offer, Blue froze.

  She pointed at herself. "An informant? Me?"

  She was still technically on probation for the Squirtle incident.

  And honestly, she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to be of any real help.

  August saw through her concerns and smiled.

  "The Squirtle situation? Only three people know about that—me, you, and Professor Oak."

  "I obviously won't say anything. As for Professor Oak, he's already forgiven you. Once I tell him about your background, I doubt he'll have any issues either. You're not pnning on confessing to anyone else, are you?"

  Blue shook her head. I'm not an idiot.

  "As for your strength… You're selling yourself short."

  "The battle techniques you've shown so far are already solid. Sure, you're not at my level, but I'm an exception."

  "Besides, I think your personality, infiltration skills, and talent for disguise make you perfect for the job."

  Blue's personality?

  Clever. Crafty.

  It hadn't shown much under his pressure, but that was only because the power gap between them was too big.

  If she had been up against those Team Rocket grunts he'd encountered before, she could've probably pyed them like puppets.

  Hearing his assessment, Blue felt like August understood her better than she understood herself.

  "And most importantly—"

  August's expression turned serious.

  "You escaped from the Masked Man. You stole Ho-Oh's and Lugia's feathers from him. Do you really think he'll just let that go?"

  "Joining the International Police isn't just about helping me—it's about protecting yourself."

  "And who knows? Maybe one day, we'll take down the Masked Corps together."

  That st sentence was the final push.

  She had escaped, yes.

  But would the Masked Man truly leave her be?

  And then there was Silver—the little brother she had practically raised.

  At the thought of him, Blue made up her mind.

  "I'm in."

  Whether it was to repay August or to secure her own safety, becoming his informant seemed like the right choice.

  "Welcome aboard!"

  August immediately stood up and shook her hand.

  As they shook, he added, "Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that official agents have to go through strict evaluations—and that my rank isn't high enough yet—I would've recruited you into the International Police directly."

  "…?"

  Blue narrowed her eyes.

  His eagerness was a little suspicious.

  Could it be that their current mission was more dangerous than he was letting on?

  Curious, she patted Clefairy's head and cautiously asked, "Is our mission… really difficult?"

  "Difficult?" August thought about it. "Well, it might be a little tricky. But since there's no deadline and no direct orders to complete it, it's actually pretty rexed."

  Blue thought back to the past few days—how August had been so free that he spent his time bullying rookie trainers for fun.

  She instinctively nodded.

  Yeah. If it were truly urgent, he wouldn't have been that id-back.

  "So… when do I get to meet my colleagues?"

  With her safety secured and her search for her parents underway, Blue figured it wouldn't hurt to try making some new friends.

  Excited by the thought, she looked at August expectantly.

  However, in response, he avoided her gaze.

  He coughed. "Ahem. You do have colleagues… but, uh, there was a bit of an accident."

  A sudden sense of unease crept up Blue's spine.

  Then August continued, "During a past operation, some of your colleagues—who were also my predecessors—ran into a slight problem. A number of them… got captured by Team Rocket."

  Blue pressed her lips together. "A number of them? How many are left?"

  Hearing the exact same question he once asked Lance, August finally understood how he must have felt back then.

  Sighing, August slowly raised his hand, spread his fingers wide…

  And gently patted Blue on the shoulder.

  ---

  T/N: LMAOO HE DID WHAT LANCE DID