Pokémon Detective Case Files.

Among the detective's photography equipment, there were even more advanced covert cameras than this black matchbox, but Azure deliberately chose this low-resolution model.

This was a minor adjustment made for the safety of the detective's activities. Because the shooting angle was from the ceiling above, even if the matter were investigated later, the other party would only think that they were accidentally captured by the restaurant's surveillance cameras, and would not suspect that the photo was actually taken secretly, let alone associate it with a private investigator's surveillance.

At this point, the commission has been essentially completed.

Tomorrow I'll submit a written case report to the client. As for the secretly taken photos, I'll hand them over in person when the client pays the commission. That way, it'll be safer for both of us.

As for today, the detective is off work, so let's enjoy the delicious food served in front of us.

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Well, in terms of the result, I didn't expect the food at that restaurant to be so delicious.

The Carlos-style creamy macaroni was delicious and the accompanying mushroom soup was excellent value for money, completely offsetting the disillusionment brought on by the investigation into the infidelity case.

The Pokémon's meal looked quite lavish, consisting of a large amount of energy cubes and berry sweets. Although it was unclear what they tasted like, Eevee and the others seemed to be enjoying their meal very much. Even Archaeopteryx showed a rare expression other than its deadpan look for a moment.

After leaving the restaurant, Azure didn't put the Pokémon back into their Poké Balls. Instead, she carried Eevee, Ditto on her shoulder, and Archaeopteryx on her head as she strolled towards the office.

The city of Feiyun is brightly lit at night, and strolling through the bustling streets with friends is a unique and enjoyable experience.

And just then—the first case that Azure had been waiting for arrived in a flash.

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Back in the Kanto hunting grounds, Azure had a terrible experience of being targeted by a wild Tauros.

Once provoked, the stubborn Bull Pokémon will launch a relentless "Tackle" attack until either it or its opponent is unable to continue. Its pack members, seeing this, will not only refrain from intervening but will also raise their horns and join in the chase with equal fervor.

At the time, Azure, still a novice, was unaware of Tauros' protective nature and recklessly threw a Hunting Ball at the smallest member of the herd, resulting in it being chased for several kilometers by a large group of enraged Tauros. It was only with the help of the powerful leader Pokémon in the Safari Zone that it narrowly escaped death by hiding in a Kangaskhan's pouch.

Whenever she recalled that scene, those bloodshot bull eyes, like thorns in her back, would send a chill down the girl's spine...

Today, on the bustling night market streets of Hezhong Feiyun City, she felt that same thorny sense of crisis again—the feeling of something cutting through the air, gradually approaching, and finally rushing towards her.

Where did the enemy come from?

A vehicle driving on the road? The alleyway behind you? A customer in a shop? Or a Poison-type Pokémon under a manhole cover?

The girl subconsciously commanded her Pokémon, making Eevee and Ditto surround her in battle mode, while she still looked around warily.

However, the two little guys, who were suddenly sent to the ground, looked at each other with puzzled expressions, completely unaware of what their trainer was so nervous about.

"I sensed someone watching us! We're being watched! Eevee, why are you so relaxed? Where did your 'Awareness' ability go?!"

Bilan forced herself to calm down and desperately analyzed the current situation. She was familiar with the streets here. She and Douzi had walked through this place when she first came to the Union. Although there were a few poorly decorated residential buildings here, the overall security was not chaotic. Otherwise, there would not be such a lively crowd here at night.

—Based on this, the chances of the attackers being thugs or robbers are not high.

So, could it be that my surveillance investigation was discovered? Or are criminals connected to the Plasma Group coming to seek revenge?

No, neither.

The girl ruled out both possibilities one after another.

It's impossible that the cheating husband's electric squirrel could have made Azure feel such a strong sense of crisis; and even if Team Plasma had its eye on her, the detective assistant who stayed behind, it's unlikely that they would have attacked her on a crowded street.

So what exactly is going on?

"Guwawa—"

Just as Azure's reasoning was getting stuck in a maze, the primordial bird sitting on Azure's head suddenly cried out.

Blue wings drooped down and touched the girl's cheek.

Then, Archaeopteryx spread one wing and pointed to the night sky above its head.

"You want me to... look up at the sky?"

The girl raised her head, looking just as bewildered as Eevee and Ditto had been before.

What I saw was a dense matrix of office building lights... and a huge black shadow.

The shadowy figure, backlit, hurtled straight toward the azure sky, just like a raging Tauros soaring through the air!

"Ibu, prepare to use..."

The girl was about to give the command to unleash a move, but then abruptly stopped herself. Eevee, who was just about to battle, looked at its trainer with renewed confusion.

There are no coincidences without a reason in this world.

A Pokémon flying in the night sky, Eevee's "Aura of Danger" being nullified, and the location they're currently in... if these three elements combine...

"Phew—so that's how it is."

Azure breathed a sigh of relief, her whole body relaxed, and she stopped pacing around in panic. She calmly watched the dark shadow that was rapidly growing larger in her field of vision.

"Buyi~"

As the distance closed, the outline of the shadow gradually became clear. At this point, even Eevee fully understood the situation before him and couldn't help but let out a surprised cry.

The creature rushing towards us under the cover of night was a majestic, valiant eagle.

The valiant eagle, of course, had no intention of attacking the acting detective. It carefully flew down in front of Azure, lowered its body, which was as tall as a person, and drooped its head with its white crest feathers.

"You must be the brave eagle that fell from the high-rise building last time. You've recovered very well."

Azure stroked the beige feathers behind the crest of the other, comforting the warrior who had once loyally charged straight to the ground.

What happened to the family that raised the Warrior Eagles?

Just as this question arose in Bilan's mind, a small figure emerged from the nearby crowd.

"She really is a detective older sister! And there's Ibu from back then too!"

A familiar voice reached her ears, and a little boy of about preschool age reappeared before Bilan. He was dressed the same as when Bilan first saw him, still wearing loose pajamas unsuitable for going out—it seemed he had rushed out of the house again.

"Warrior Eagle and I have always wanted to thank the big sister. When we saw her at home today, we immediately ran down! And we actually met her!"

Having experienced the tragic incident of the elf falling from the building, the child seems to have matured a little. At least in front of outsiders, he has changed his address for the elf from "Eagle Eagle" to the full name of Warrior Eagle. From a psychological perspective, this shows the boy's efforts to overcome his willfulness.

The little boy tried his best to explain the situation while bowing deeply to the azure sky, just like a brave eagle.

“Uh…didn’t you already thank me back at the hospital?” Bilan said, recalling.

"At that time, all I said was sorry."

The child answered very seriously.

“You are the savior of the Warriors Eagles. Only Mom thanked you. I regretted it for a long time.”

"Alright, alright." The acting detective placed his hands on the heads of the warrior eagle and the little boy respectively. "I accept your thanks. Now, let's cheer up."

Despite the girl's efforts to act like a mature and dignified adult, the boy and his pet couldn't help but stare blankly when the boy and the warrior eagle actually raised their heads.

What they saw was a pair of seemingly emotionless, dead fish eyes—the very same Archaeopteryx that remained silently perched atop its azure head.

They hadn't noticed it much in the darkness, mistaking it for some kind of unusual headdress. But now, up close, it was undeniably strange. The warrior eagle froze, and the little boy instinctively took two steps back.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward without anyone noticing.

Fortunately, the female detective was unaware of this awkward situation.

She was simply amused by the situation—she never expected to run into someone involved in an incident that happened a few months ago on the street.

No, it should be said that he had only stepped into this neighborhood again today. Just as Kentaro guards his territory, the Warrior Eagle and this boy who likes to look out the window also regard the scenery under the sky in this area as their "hunting ground," which is why they were able to find themselves so quickly.

"By the way, detective sister."

The little boy suddenly became awkward and hesitant, and it was unclear what he wanted to do.

Under the curious gaze of the blue-eyed child, the child tilted his little face up—

"I have an important case that I would like to entrust to you."

Sometimes things like that happen.

Chapter 196 A Frail Girl and Intersecting Time and Space

In preschool, the little boy has a classmate named Sachiko, a sickly little girl who seems to have a magical constitution—she would suddenly disappear from time to time.

Sometimes, while her friends were playing with her, the girl would disappear like smoke in the blink of an eye. No matter how hard the children searched, they could never find her in the classroom.

This should have been a very serious situation, but the children in the class seemed oblivious to it.

Because if this situation is left unattended, Sachiko will reappear from somewhere as if nothing happened after a short while.

—It's just like a Ghost-type Pokémon that loves to play pranks.

If you ask Sachiko where she went, the girl will only blankly reply, "Nowhere. We were playing together the whole time."

The little girl's expression was incredibly sincere when she said this, as if she had really been playing with her old friends during the time she disappeared... It was chilling.

This situation is by no means accidental.

Once, Mingming was holding a group activity in the preschool class. All the children lined up neatly in a row, and several teachers stood guard around the classroom.

Even at this time, Sachiko still inexplicably disappeared.

That time, all the teachers at the preschool were alarmed, and the adults began to search the entire school with great anxiety, checking every corner from the classrooms to the restrooms. In the end, the preschool principal even prepared to contact the parents to ask if Sachiko had returned home...

Just as the incident was about to escalate to an uncontrollable level, Sachiko reappeared.

This time, she found herself unknowingly at the end of the assembly line, watching curiously as the adults busily searched for her.

"I've been standing here the whole time."

When asked by the teacher, the little girl answered in a way that seemed to make no sense, and her expression, devoid of any distress, left everyone equally puzzled.

Habit is a very powerful force. After a while, as this happened more and more often, even the preschool teachers stopped being surprised by the girl's sudden disappearance.

Because of this special physical condition, the girl's situation in class was not very good.

Preschool children don't know what backstabbing is, but gossip is something that can grow in the shadows.

Absurd excuses are like shameless lies, and a personality that only brings trouble to others is no different from a prank. In the end, Sachiko is regarded as a liar by the children and teachers, and is isolated and ostracized by everyone in the preschool, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Sachiko became a girl who vanished without a trace, like air. A "ghost" who could disappear at any time without attracting attention.

In this situation, the only person willing to befriend the little girl is the little boy who made the request to Azure.

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"Don't you think Sachiko is lying?"

On the living room sofa in the young client's home, Bilan earnestly inquired about the case.

The boy's parents were initially surprised to see the detective arrive, but then immediately gave a warm welcome to Azure, who had once saved the life of the brave eagle.

The family of three on the thirtieth floor looked full and cozy. The window at the far end of the room had its railings raised, but it wasn't completely sealed off with security bars—the Warrior Eagle had probably flown out from here before.

Azure couldn't help but look at the young boy before her with admiration. In just a few months, this child had not only recovered from his devastating defeat and completely given up his habit of throwing things from high places, but he had even extended a helping hand to a girl who was being ostracized… Human offspring truly are creatures brimming with potential; this is the true beast of possibility. Compared to him, Eevee, with its mere eight evolutionary forms, paled in comparison.

When questioned by the detective, the boy lowered his head and stammered, "Sometimes, misunderstandings can happen even if you don't lie. So, I felt I should help her."

The client's words lacked coherence, but Azure could understand what he was trying to say.

In reality, bizarre events occasionally occur. Accidents in closed dead-end alleys, one in a billion chances, dreamlike collectibles under the light and shadow... In just a few months after moving into Feather Residence, Azure has witnessed all sorts of seemingly unsolvable mysteries.

In cases like these, even mature adults can become confused, let alone young and naive children.

"I understand. So your request is to investigate the truth behind Sachiko's mysterious disappearances, is that right?"

Azure asked the boy for confirmation.

Does such a thing as a special physical constitution really exist in the world? Is it possible for humans to possess special abilities, like Pokémon, that can be triggered under certain conditions?

Probably so. After all, there are detectives like that, and highly skilled psychics and superpowered individuals can accomplish all sorts of incredible things...

However, in this current case, whether the little girl Sachiko truly possesses a special constitution remains to be seen. A detective's reasoning must be based on sufficient evidence; otherwise, it's merely a pastime for puzzle enthusiasts.

However, the boy shook his head.

"Sachiko said she knows what that constitution is all about, so there's no need for an investigation. What needs to be commissioned is something else."

"Oh?"

The female detective was somewhat surprised.

She subconsciously glanced at the little boy's parents, who were watching the situation from a distance, trying to get some kind of clue from their faces.

—The two parents, who worked at the air freight company, looked embarrassed. Noticing Bilan's gaze, they shook their heads in unison.

The information obtained was quite clear: before they even arrived, the boy had already told his parents about Sachiko's situation. However, even though the couple was quite reasonable, they still couldn't believe what their child said and just took it as a joke between toddlers.

Judging from their wry smiles as they looked at themselves, those were probably very incomprehensible childish remarks.