RWBY: Detective Pikachu

Howard Clifford

Ruby stood in the elevator with the woman, with Pikachu perched on her shoulder. It was weird, at one point she didn't feel comfortable with him on her shoulder. Now she was happy to have him sitting there. He was soft, cuddly, and made her feel safer in this strange situation.

They were in Clifford Enterprises tower, and making their way to who knows where.

Then, the elevator doors opened, and they found themselves walking into a large, beautiful office.

"Thank you, Miss Norman," the man in the seat said, his back turned on them.

"Yes, thank you, Miss Norman," Pikachu said. "That'll be all."

Ruby giggled at Pikachu, and "Miss Norman" walked back into the elevator.

"What a blabbermouth," Pikachu said.

"Please, come in," the man in the chair said.

Ruby walked further into the room, and Pikachu crawled down her arm and onto a nearby table.

On the window, projections of different videos, each showing different species of Grimm, were playing, showing their abilities.

"Magnificent creatures, aren't they?" the man said. "Imagine being able to evolve into the best possible version of yourself. That greatness inside you, just waiting to be awoken." The man turned on a light on his chair, revealing him to be Howard Clifford. "Hello, Ruby."

"He knows you?" Pikachu said.

"I see you've partnered with (Y/N)'s Pikachu," Howard said.

"And he knows me, too," Pikachu said.

"You knew (Y/N)?" Ruby said as Pikachu picked up a magnifying glass.

"The case (Y/N) was working on," Howard said, "it was for me."

"That's a twist!" Pikachu said. He put the magnifying glass to his eye, and whispered: "That's very twisty!"

Ruby giggled at him, before turning back to Howard.

Howard lifted a tube of R. "This compound threatens everything I've built."

"He knows about the R," Pikachu said, setting down the magnifying glass. "How does he know about the R?"

"I hired (Y/N) to trace it to its source," Howard said. "Imagine my shock when the answer... turned out to be my own son." He turned his wheelchair around, and slowly moved away from them. "I've devoted my life to protecting humans from Grimm by partnering with hunters. A partnership where our bravery and courage bring out the best in us. In doing so, I'm afraid I neglected my responsibilities as a parent." He was looking at a photo of him and Roger. He turned back to Ruby and Pikachu. "Roger resents the hunters. I think he's lived in my shadow for so long, he actually wants to destroy my legacy!"

"Well, there's no such thing as 'daddy issues' without 'daddy'," Pikachu said.

Ruby chuckled at that, before getting back on topic. "But, Mr. Clifford, how could you let him do that?"

"Ever since my illness put me in this chair," Howard explained, "Roger has taken over more and more of the company. He controls the board. He also controls the police and the politicians. And he owns the press. (Y/N) is the only one I can trust. That's why you need to find him."

Ruby lowered her head, and crossed her arms, wishing she could find (Y/N). But she knew he was gone. She couldn't deny it anymore. He was gone, and he wasn't coming back. But... at least she still had Pikachu.

Pikachu, on the other hand, was mad at Harold for mentioning (Y/N). He cared about Ruby more than anything at this point, and he didn't want her to feel upset. And he knew that merely mentioning (Y/N) would upset her.

"You haven't heard," Ruby said. "(Y/N)'s dead."

"Oh, no, Ruby," Howard said. "(Y/N)... is alive."

Ruby was confused. What did he mean? Was (Y/N) really alive? Was Yoshida wrong?

Pikachu's anger grew. He'd already given her false hope, and he didn't want Harold to do the same. If (Y/N) was dead, he was dead. There was no reason to play with her emotions the way Harold was. Wait a second... why did he care about Ruby so much all of the sudden?

Harold pressed a button on the wheelchair. Ruby turned to her right, and saw a vehicle moving straight towards her.

"Look out, Rosie!" Pikachu yelled.

The vehicle flew over their heads, and landed in the middle of the room. Then, the room began changing shape. It was turning into the road (Y/N)'s car crashed in.

"Advanced holographic imaging," Howard explained, moving over to them with his wheelchair. "Since being confined to this chair, I've invested ways of bringing the world to me. This was recreated from police footage. It allows us to see things that they, and even hunters, cannot or don't want us to see."

Ruby walked around the crash, and saw (Y/N) climbing out of the car. She gasped, tearing up again. "He's alive!" She was overwhelmed with joy that the person she loved most did indeed manage to survive.

Pikachu looked at (Y/N), and back up at Ruby. A part of him was happy to see that (Y/N) was alive, and his jellies were actually right. But still, he felt a little jealous of him. Why was he jealous? Ruby's a human, he's a Grimm. It would never happen!

Then, Pikachu noticed himself crawling over to (Y/N).

"Pika," Hologram Pikachu said.

"It's me," Real Pikachu said. "I was with (Y/N) in the crash!"

"He needs my help!" Ruby said, running to (Y/N) and trying to grab him. But her hands went through. Oh yeah, hologram. She turned to Harold. "If he's alive, why didn't they find him?"

Harold looked up. Ruby and Pikachu turned around and looked up, and they saw it!

They didn't know what it was. All they knew is it was some sort of Grimm, and it was hovering over (Y/N) and Hologram Pikachu.

"What is that?" Ruby asked.

"Mewtwo," Harold answered. "A man-made abomination created in a laboratory using DNA from the fossil remains of the ancient Mew."

"I can't believe it," Pikachu said. "If that thing came from Mew, then we're looking at the most powerful Grimm in the world!"

Ruby looked up at Mewtwo. He held his hand out, and a red beam of light shot at Hologram Pikachu. He passed out, as Real Pikachu watched.

"That's it!" Real Pikachu said. "That's what happened to me! Mewtwo wiped my memory! But why?"

Mewtwo then shot another beam of light at (Y/N), and his body lifted from the ground and disappeared.

Ruby's eyes widened, and she reached for him. "Wait, wait, wait!"

The car exploded, and the hologram faded and turned back into Harold's office.

"Wait," Ruby said. "Wait. Wait, wait! Where did it take him?"

"That's for you to solve now," Harold said. "Find Mewtwo... and you will find (Y/N)!"