Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"But even if it were all perfectly logical, the person on the other end of the phone might be faking their identity. An ordinary person wouldn't expect something like this to happen, right?"

"Detectives are not ordinary people."

Through the phone receiver, Bilan answered calmly, as if it were common sense.

“Your voice was too low on the phone, and your tone was tense the whole time, without any relaxation; when I interrupted, your replies were delayed by several seconds each time. These are all unnatural behaviors that only appear when you are impersonating someone else.”

In fact, Lady Kuribayashi's flaws didn't stop there—

Nowadays, it's very rare to find a landline phone in a home. The number that Bilan dialed was clearly pointing to a private cell phone, so the call must have been made to Sachiko's mother's cell phone.

If the husband answers the phone, then his act of directly requesting a detective would be very unnatural.

Not only did he not say hello, but he also talked on the phone for so long without saying a word, and he frequently showed his true feelings on the phone, making sounds of tears and sobbing. It is hard to believe that a middle-aged man with children would do something so damaging to his male dignity when facing a young woman.

Azure finally confirmed that the person opposite her was not Sachiko's father because of his description of the day the prank started—"I started it, and the other person imitated and responded without being outdone."

In the story of Sachiko as told by the boy, the first to ignore the game and the first to lie to Sachiko, saying that only the two of them would be left to depend on each other from now on, was the little girl's mother.

Once you've told a lie at the beginning, it's very difficult to turn back...

Humans always seem to repeat the same mistakes.

Azure's prolonged silence seemed to have caused the client to misunderstand; she panicked and began to plead incoherently—

“Detective, I’m a despicable liar, a hopeless fraud, utterly unworthy of sympathy… But we’re truly at our wits’ end. The doctor said we could try medication, but can those drugs really save Sachiko from her current predicament? Ultimately, can that strange illness really be explained by a simple psychological disorder? Why is it that even after we’ve returned to a normal life, Sachiko’s condition has worsened, to the point where she can’t even see living people? If it were you, Detective, who can see through my disguise, perhaps you could find the root cause of this worsening, and maybe Sachiko could be saved… All the blame lies with us as parents. Sachiko is just a child; she did nothing wrong. Detective, may we turn to your wisdom?”

"Of course, because I already accepted this request," Azure thought to herself, bored.

However, there is one point that needs to be corrected here.

If that meticulous detective in the white coat, who is absolutely particular about the rigor of logic, were sitting here, he would probably say the same thing before accepting the case...

“Mrs. Kuribayashi, in the events you described, it is not Sachiko who is currently in trouble. Although she claims to be jumping repeatedly between the two dimensions, this situation has not put her in danger. In the little girl’s eyes, the people who need to be saved are not herself, but you two.”

Azure's tone turned stern, her words like the "ice spikes" used by Shellder, mercilessly stabbing at the opponent's vitals.

"Therefore, please do not use such a ridiculous excuse as 'treating your daughter's mental illness' to make a request. Your child is perfectly healthy. Even if the world separation she speaks of becomes a reality, she will only lose the parents who abandoned her. She may be sad, but she does not need anyone's pity. So in my opinion, compared to the reason of illness, a request like 'correcting time and space so that Mom and Dad can stay with Sachiko forever' is a much better request."

"Okay, I see."

After hearing Bilan's correction, the person on the other end of the line took a deep breath, and then she solemnly said—

"Miss Detective, please help our family reunite."

“Very good.” Azure nodded, a smile returning to her face.

"The Hugo Detective Agency has accepted the case, and as the agency's agent detective, I will take full responsibility for handling this case."

"I don't care about the commission fee, Miss Detective, please do help us realize our wish to reunite the three of us."

"Hmm, just call me Azure." The girl thought for a moment and asked, "Speaking of the reunion of the three of you, where is your husband now?"

“He’s at home with his daughter,” Mrs. Kuribayashi said. “Ever since Sachiko couldn’t see both of us at the same time, it’s become unbearable for the three of us to be at home together. We have to take turns going home to be with Sachiko. I’m currently in the staff quarters of the Shirasu-do Circus, which is why I can talk to the detective like this without anyone else around.”

"Oh, I see." Azure suddenly realized.

Chapter 201 The Exploration of Azure

After ending the call with Sachiko's mother, Bilan pondered for a long time.

It's highly unlikely that the lady distorted the facts to deceive me—leaving aside the trick of changing her voice out of caution, if she genuinely opposed Azure's investigation, she could have simply hung up the phone without a word, or perfunctorily cooperated with her so-called "police questionnaire" and then hastily finished the matter, without having to go through the trouble of requesting her assistance.

If Hugo were here, he might already be able to glimpse the truth based on the existing information alone. But Azure is just a substitute detective, having solved zero real cases on her own. Even though she can see through gender-based tricks right under her nose, she really can't answer the questions her clients ask over the phone.

While Sachiko's parallel universe theory is certainly not self-consistent, her "constitution" is definitely not just a simple psychological illness. Otherwise, not only would the problem of not seeing her parents at home, but also her occasional disappearances from school would be difficult to explain.

It seems that some unseen force is gradually turning the girl's fantasy, born from a momentary misunderstanding, into reality.

Where does this power come from—is it from the awakening of a special ability within the little girl? Or is it caused by the activity of some special Pokémon? Or perhaps, somewhere in Flying Cloud City, there truly exists some mysterious force capable of distorting space and time?

Although countless hypotheses can be proposed at this point, they are all just general explanations—how would a psychic manifest themselves when their abilities awaken? What kind of Pokémon would trigger such an event? What kind of power could distort spacetime? Countless questions remain ambiguous, and even if all of this knowledge were clarified, it would not mean that the case could be solved smoothly.

Unlike the detective in the white coat, who possesses a wealth of knowledge and can effortlessly find a plausible explanation for every hypothesis while snapping her fingers, Azure, once she begins to delve into the details, naturally finds herself, like an ordinary person, trapped in an information desert of scarcity.

So, does that mean we can only wait until tomorrow to begin the actual investigation...? Azure frowned slightly, her heart heavy.

It wasn't because she admired the reasoning methods of an armchair detective, but because she didn't want to start a search haphazardly like a Pokémon caught in a battle when she had no clue what to do.

Having been a trainer herself, she knew all too well that if she simply hoped for good luck, victory would often be a distant dream.

Only those who aspire to become the world's strongest trainer have a chance to become champions through hard work. Those who strive to become league champions often only manage a draw against the Elite Four members. Trainers who dream of becoming Elite Four members may not even be able to collect all the Gym Badges.

Similarly, if a detective starts praying that a stray clue will advance the investigation, then that detective is not far from ruining his reputation.

……and many more.

If it were that person, they might be able to offer some useful advice—based on the available information, it could even be said that no one else could do it.

An idea flashed into the girl's mind.

She glanced quickly at the clock hanging in the Yuqi Residence. It was midnight. Yes, there was no better time to consult that person than now.

Fortunately, the Earth is still rotating, and time zones still exist in this world.

Bilan took out her phone and dialed what was probably the umpteenth call of the night.

.

"Oh, it's Blue. How was your trip to the Unova region?"

The familiar voice reached my ears, and it was as if a breeze from my hometown swept through the closed office, filling it with the scent of grass and soil from the town of Pallet Town in the Kanto region.

"It's me, Professor Oak."

A smile appeared on Azure's face: "I've found a new job in Union State. It's more accurate to say I'm living here now than traveling."

"I see. The kids from back then have all grown up." The world-renowned Pokémon professor remarked with a sigh. "It feels like just yesterday you were at the lab receiving your Pokédex and starter Pokémon, and you had barely stepped out of your homes."

"Doctor, you must be joking, right? If you really have these symptoms of Alzheimer's, you must see a doctor."

"You young people are making a fuss over nothing. Green said the same thing to me the other day." Professor Oak laughed heartily, just like before.

"Don't worry, I won't be easily defeated by something as ambiguous as time until I've explored all the mysteries of Pokémon around the world. You know, in recent cutting-edge physics research, time has been proven not to exist. That's quite an interesting discovery. The pillars of the world that we once believed to be real are defined as an illusion in another dimension's theory. I really wonder what Dialga, who is hailed as the god of time in Sinnoh legend, thinks of time?"

Having traversed most of the globe, the Kanto region was bathed in sunshine on a sunny afternoon, a time for the professor to leisurely enjoy afternoon tea.

He truly lives up to his reputation as a world-renowned Pokémon professor; even when chatting over tea, he discusses such profound and mysterious topics.

"Putting my business aside, Xiao Lan, you actually found a job in the Unova region..."

After exchanging pleasantries, Professor Oak began to inquire about the younger man's recent situation.

"Did you apply for a position like Gym Leader in the local area? Hmm, Raven City in Unova is a world-renowned art capital. You wouldn't happen to be like Sabrina from Goldenrod City and have entered the entertainment industry, would you?"

“Neither,” Azure replied directly. “I became a private investigator, and I fight crime and infidelity every day.”

The sound of spitting out tea came from the other end of the phone as Professor Oak coughed without any regard for his image.

After a long pause, he said, "A detective... Hmm, that's quite an interesting profession. Although I'm a little surprised, thinking about it carefully, it's quite suitable for someone as bold and meticulous as you, Xiao Lan."

"Being described by the professor as 'bold yet meticulous' is quite a mixed feeling. I'm starting to feel like I can actually hit a Ghost-type Pokémon with my fists."

Azure didn't hold back in her criticism.

"Ahem, enough of the small talk. Considering the time difference, it should be late at night in the Unova region right now. Xiao Lan, you're calling at this hour, so you must have something urgent to ask me, right? What is it?" The professor abruptly changed the subject.

“I do have a question I’d like to ask.” Azure paused for a moment, then asked, “Six months ago, Doctor, you recorded an interview with United States’ TV station, right? The interview was about time travel.”

"Oh, yes, that's right." Professor Oak recalled the debate at the time.

"Xiao Lan, did you see that program on Hezhong? The physicist's points were quite sharp. If I hadn't prepared detailed information beforehand, I really wouldn't have been able to withstand his aggressive questioning."

Yes, after searching online, I found that the expert who appeared as a Pokémon professor on the science program that caused Sachiko's misunderstanding was Professor Oak from Pallet City in Kanto.

Besides this doctor, who else could know so much about the mythical Pokémon that roam the world?

"Actually, I encountered a strange incident here in Unova, and the cause of this incident is related to your interview program, Doctor..."

Thus, Azure concealed the client's actual name and told Professor Oak the story as seen by Sachiko and Mrs. Kuribayashi.

With intertwined timelines and a prank that turns out to be real, how will Professor Oak evaluate this incident?

"Little Blue".

After hearing both versions of the story, Professor Oak remained silent for a long time, then suddenly said seriously—

"When I first heard that you were going to become a private investigator, I subconsciously felt it was a bit of a pity. After all, you could have achieved great things if you had used your abilities in Pokémon research. But after hearing what you said, I completely changed my mind."

Azure pursed her lips, listening intently to the speech from the authority in the field of Pokémon research.

"What was our initial motivation for conducting research? What is the purpose of exploring the truth of the world? Did we create the Pokédex simply to fill in the numbers? No, it's not like that. We conduct research to enable more people and Pokémon to coexist peacefully. Exploring the truth of the world is to determine our place within it, and to use knowledge and research to make this world a more beautiful and balanced place. Creating and collecting the Pokédex is not the goal itself, but rather to let everyone understand the loveliness of Pokémon, to avoid misfortune caused by misunderstandings, and to allow humans and Pokémon to complement each other. If we forget this initial motivation, the progress of science will become like a train that has gone off the tracks and is running out of control, ultimately destined to overturn and be destroyed."

"From this perspective, Azure, your choice of detective as a profession that helps others is undoubtedly correct. There are plenty of Pokémon scholars and great trainers in the world. No matter who is assigned to explore a research topic, the only difference is the speed of progress. But at this moment, the only one who can extend a helping hand to that child and that couple is you, as a detective."

"Thank you for your understanding, Doctor," Azure said sincerely.

"Don't thank me. I will tell you everything I know about this incident, whether it's about Pokémon or other academic fields. But before that, please listen to my request—"

Professor Oak's usually calm tone was unusually agitated, which surprised Azure. Could there be something hidden behind this incident that the Professor might be concerned about?

"Little Blue, please, you must save that child."

Ah, I see. I almost forgot.

Professor Oak, who lives in Pallet Town, is actually an elderly man who dotes on his grandchildren. How could he possibly remain unmoved if there were an innocent girl like Sachiko in such a tragic situation before him?

Chapter 202 The Substitute Detective Infiltrates the Campus

Schools are essentially synonymous with isolation and exclusion. One of their purposes is to separate children, whose minds are not yet mature, from the adult world, to prevent them from getting in the way or hurting themselves.

This is especially true for preschool education for young children.

In the fearless gaze of children, even the slightest abnormality can trigger endless shouting and screaming. In this sense, infiltrating a preschool that manages young children is sometimes more difficult than infiltrating a heavily guarded prison—at least the prisoners inside don't cry and scream at the slightest disturbance.

Although it's called preschool education, it doesn't mean that children learn nothing. In most areas, because many children leave home at a young age to embark on the path of becoming Pokémon Trainers, education before the age of ten becomes especially crucial.

No one wants to see a large group of semi-literate children who can barely read a few words swaggering through the streets, and parents certainly don't want their children to be deceived or cheated during their adventures.

Therefore, educational institutions must accelerate the learning progress of these future Pokémon Masters before they embark on their journeys, at least ensuring that they acquire literacy, arithmetic, moral character, and common sense sufficient to stand on their own in society.

This arrangement might seem like excessively advanced learning, and in the long run, it could potentially dampen children's curiosity and lead to a dislike of school. However, considering that most of them will soon be on a long vacation, their understanding of learning will be reset to zero, for better or worse, so this slightly advanced learning doesn't seem so unacceptable.

Of course, not everyone will eventually become a trainer and embark on a journey away from home; more than half of the students will choose to give up the adventure and continue their studies.

However, basic education should be equal. Instead of going through the trouble of assigning all children under ten years old to different schools in advance, building two different schools for these children, and then matching them with two different groups of teachers and teaching materials, it would be better to make the learning plan more compact and uniform.

Therefore, in addition to primary school, even preschool will assign children the most basic learning content. Once they fall behind in their studies, they may not be able to keep up with the learning progress. This is why, even when Sachiko is caught in a vortex of fantasy and reality and her parents are at their wits' end, the little girl still has to go to school every day as always.

.

"Well done, Ibrahimovic."

The day after talking with Professor Oak, Azure went out early in the morning to conduct a detective investigation.

At that moment, Ibrahimovic, with the end of a rope in his mouth, lightly leaped down from the tree next to the back door of the preschool.

The surrogate detective took the threading rope from her partner, tugged on it to make sure it was secure, gave Eevee a thumbs-up, and then put it back into its Poké Ball.

High in the sky, the Archaeopteryx hopped out from among the branches of the old tree. Although it still had that listless expression, it was doing a great job of its sentry duty—it would make noise among the leaves as a warning if anyone passed by.

Judging from Archaeopteryx's unhurried demeanor, it seems there's no danger of being discovered.

Azure took one last look at the street behind her. Since it was a weekday morning, the street was deserted. The only traffic camera that used to face the back door of the preschool was now perfectly blocked by Ditto, who had transformed into Dove.

It was the perfect time to infiltrate, when everything was ready.

Initially, Azure intended to infiltrate the school peacefully. Unfortunately, she discovered that a small preschool offered virtually no opportunity for an outsider to infiltrate.

In the preschool, the teachers don't wear fixed uniforms and know each other; there are only a few staff members, making it impossible to sneak in; the security office refuses entry to outsiders, and even parents can only enter the school briefly during dismissal time; furthermore, since it's just a preschool, there aren't any decent external activities. If Bilan wanted to pretend to be a scholar giving a lecture or a performer, she would probably just be politely asked to leave the school; she certainly couldn't pretend to be a young child. It would have been understandable when she first embarked on her journey in Kanto, but now, trying to act young would be a bit too self-deceptive.

Left with no other option, in order to observe how Sachiko "disappeared into thin air" on campus, the substitute detective had no choice but to illegally infiltrate the school.

"This mere preschool is harder to get into than the Rockets' headquarters..."

While complaining, Bilan mentally prepared herself and pressed the switch on the device on the hole-piercing rope.

Suddenly, a pulling force came from her hand, and Azure quickly climbed up the tree trunk, stepping on the thicker branches to reach a height of the Archaeopteryx.

The ropes laid out by Ibuki were far from over; the slender yet strong steel wires extended toward the clock tower on campus, with a horizontal distance of about ten meters remaining.

Originally designed to help people escape caves, this device is made of steel fiber. One end has a sharp grappling hook that can embed itself into rock, while the other end has a rope that can be several kilometers long. When the user presses a switch at the end, the rope automatically retracts from the grappling hook.

According to the advertisement, equipping oneself with this rope before exploring caves would allow trainers to be knocked unconscious by a wild Pokémon that jumps out, and then automatically pulled back to the surface by pressing a button while still conscious. Unfortunately, no trainer has yet personally verified the advertisement's accuracy. Those knocked unconscious are usually rendered speechless on the spot, unlikely to press the rope's button. Furthermore, the rope's slow retraction speed would preclude escape from the pursuit of fierce wild Pokémon – the supposed automatic return only works in the highly idealized environment described by the advertiser.