Ethan returned home later that day, still thinking about how to deal with Jerry. He realized that Mew was too kindhearted to be used for violent purposes, but perhaps other Pokémon could handle a more direct approach.
He briefly considered having Ditto transform into someone else to assassinate Jerry, but dismissed it as unsafe. If Ditto were discovered, it could create more complications. He figured the situation might rest for a bit until the following afternoon brought an unexpected development.
Ethan was at Laboratory No. 2, checking on some Pokémon eggs, when an alert flashed on his system interface: Pokémon Watchdog. A tense look crossed his face. He accessed the Pokémon Monitor and found it was an alarm from Pokémon Paradise.
He tapped in, quickly saw it concerned a Pichu labeled as "in danger," though not severely harmed yet, just too weak to resist. His expression tightened. Substituting himself into Pichu's perspective, Ethan witnessed a chilling sight:
A masked man, the same intruder from the day before, was back. He had captured a Pichu.
"So he's returned…?" Ethan thought grimly. "Is this Jerry's doing, or something else?"
From Pichu's viewpoint, Ethan saw the masked man wearing insulated gloves that resisted Pichu's electric attacks. "Don't bother," the intruder sneered in a muffled voice. "That fruit I left was drugged. Enough to knock you out good." He shoved the little Pichu into a special bag, darkness swallowing Ethan's visual feed.
"Pichu fell for a trap," Ethan realized. "Too young, not cautious enough. Must fix that. But first, I need to rescue him."
Leaving the viewpoint, Ethan pulled up the map on his Pokémon Monitor. A red dot on the mountains indicated the Pichu's location, moving steadily west. It is not along the main entrance; it's a hidden route.
"He's using a back path out of Pokémon Paradise." Ethan's mind raced. He reconnected to Pichu's perspective. Soon he heard a car engine roar, meaning the masked man had gotten away by vehicle.
"So he has Pichu in a car..." Ethan exhaled. "If Jerry is behind this, I'll let the law deal with him. But is it Jerry...?"
Yet all signs pointed to it. The masked man had fled to Fowler's company yesterday. Who else would try to kidnap Pichu in secret?
...
Leaving the lab in a hurry, Ethan followed the moving red dot on his monitor. After a short drive through the city, he located the building where the signal stopped Ciguli Biotech Lab No. 3, owned by none other than Jerry Fowler. He parked near the entrance, circling the block as though minding his own business.
"Jerry, you're making this too easy," Ethan muttered, glaring at the lab from his car. "You're not going to force me to do the dirty work, so I'm going to call the police to deal with you instead."
He pulled out his phone and dialed the local police station. Short and succinct, he explained that a Pichu was stolen from Pokémon Paradise and was currently inside Jerry Fowler's laboratory. The police promised to send officers to investigate.
"Better for the cops to catch him in the act," Ethan thought, glancing at the building's windows. "Let him face real consequences."
Still, he worried about Pichu's safety. Opening Pichu's viewpoint again, he could see a dimly lit lab bench. The masked man placed Pichu on top, ignoring its weak struggling. Another figure stepped into frame.
"Have you seen Ethan or any other observers?" the second man asked in a hushed tone.
"No. Yesterday I snuck in from the other side. I found this Pichu, left a drugged snack, it worked like a charm!" The masked man laughed. "We can dissect it for secrets. The Organization wants new data on these Pokémon."
"Right," the second man said harshly, "We'll see what info we can extract. If anything goes wrong, we'll frame Jerry."
"Of course. He's perfect as a scapegoat. That video evidence can 'prove' he ordered it."
The masked man left for a smoke, leaving Pichu alone with the second conspirator, who fiddled with test instruments. Ethan's brow knitted. "So it's not Jerry's plan at all. They're trying to set him up. But either way, it's big trouble."
He ended Pichu's perspective. "If Jerry's being set up, he's still no friend of mine. But at least this means he wasn't the direct puppet master. I'll let them all go down, though. Doesn't matter who's behind it. I'll see them arrested."
...
Within ten minutes, plainclothes officers arrived. They showed a search warrant, marched past the confused security staff, and spread through the corridors in a swift, coordinated operation. Ethan followed at a distance, letting the professionals do their job.
Caught completely by surprise, the two conspirators could not hide the kidnapped Pichu or the equipment they had used to take his blood. The police swooped in and detained them both. The masked man's eyes widened when he saw Ethan calmly watching the raid.
"You!" the intruder stammered, stunned that Ethan could show up undetected. Pichu, lying weakly on the table, gave a faint squeak. The police recognized it as the stolen Pokémon, quickly collecting evidence of the abduction. Lab records, specialized gloves, traces of doping chemicals enough to cement an airtight case.
As officers led the captives away in handcuffs, the masked man seethed. "Our group… you can't track us. Jerry will take the fall anyway."
Ethan said nothing, only tightening his fists. "Let the police unravel it," he thought. "They'll see some leads, maybe enough to trace the ring behind these men. If they aim to frame Fowler, so be it, I won't complain."
One detective nodded at Ethan. "We'll bring Pichu to a veterinary clinic, then return it to you."
Ethan offered a grateful nod. "Thanks. Let me know how to assist in prosecuting. This was a blatant kidnapping and illegal experimentation."
The detective assured him they'd contact him soon, then escorted the culprits out. Lab employees watched in shock, uncertain of the scheme behind it all.
...
Outside, the afternoon sun shone on Ethan's car as he leaned against it, exhaling a mix of relief and anger. The conspiracy was more twisted than he'd assumed someone manipulated these men, possibly planning to pin blame on Jerry.
Regardless, Jerry wouldn't escape scrutiny, not after the masked man had run to his facility. The police were sure to question him, and any evidence might incriminate him or lead to bigger fish.
"Fine. Let them bury each other," Ethan mused. "I only need my Pokémon safe. Jerry can handle his own troubles."
He thought back to how easily Pichu had been snared by a simple drug-laced treat. Ethan resolved to implement new training for younger Pokémon, warning them not to accept random food. He also vowed to expand on-site security at Pokémon Paradise, so no more masked intruders slipped in.
At day's end, Ethan drove off, quietly satisfied that the conspirators had been caught red-handed and Pichu was safe. Though the deeper "organization" remained hidden, at least the immediate threat was neutralized. And if Jerry found himself unjustly implicated, Ethan wouldn't shed a tear.
"One crisis down," he thought, steering onto the main road. "Time to focus on the next like getting Suicune hatched to clean up Japan's potential wastewater disaster. And ensuring no more Pokémon get kidnapped under my watch."
His phone buzzed a message from the vet clinic, confirming Pichu was recovering fine, ready for pickup soon. Ethan smiled faintly. "Good news. Looks like we nipped this fiasco early enough." He pressed the accelerator, mind already turning to tighten security measures, wrap up statements for the police, and continue building his grand Pokémon vision free from sabotage.