Pokémon Detective Case Files.

With traces of legendary Pokémon appearing in regions like Kanto and Sinnoh, the world seems to have entered an era where gods roam freely.

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"Although I no longer pay attention to the messy things in academia, I have to say that you people who study mythology have indeed produced some real research results."

The mansion owner, named Meidan, sat on the sofa in the reception room, took a sip of the black tea brewed by the maid, and said to Zhulan, who was sitting on the other chair—

"More than fifty years ago, those guys who tried to prove that Mew was the origin of the world spent the Alliance's funding, running around the world all day, studying eyelash fossils in rocks, and using more than two thousand classification methods to categorize one hundred and fifty discovered elves—but in the end, they only proved a wrong research conclusion and got nothing but a lot of scrap paper that needed to be transported by truck. In comparison, the achievements of you mythologists are much more remarkable."

Mei Dan, with a smile that was hard to decipher—whether it was praise or sarcasm—swirled her teacup as she spoke.

"Just strolling around the museum a few times, looking at the inscriptions on the stone tablets, and moving artifacts unearthed from the dust to the altar on the mountaintop, can create such a commotion. It's truly remarkable."

Well, that's just pure irony.

The level of malice is at least 90%.

Officer Jenny rolled her eyes and sipped her tea, observing how the champion of Bamboo Orchid would deal with the sarcastic old man's offensive.

"I think you might be referring to the 'Pillar of Spears' incident caused by the Red Sun of the Galactic Group."

Zhu Lan remained expressionless, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and spoke calmly. Her gaze passed over Mei Dan opposite her, seemingly still observing the interior layout of the Mori Mansion.

Mei Dan nodded, continuing the sarcastic tone of the conversation—

"God of Time, God of Space... Tsk, those are rather nice names, but unfortunately, in the videotape they look like two monsters that can only howl. Oh dear, I hope I won't be punished by the gods for talking nonsense like this."

"As far as I know, there are no records of humans suffering misfortune for criticizing legendary Pokémon in ancient books. In fact, in the Sinnoh region in the past, people had a long time of confusion about the identities of Dialga and Palkia, but even so, there were still stories of 'gods giving power to help people' during that period. It can be seen that compared to some humans, these Pokémon who are regarded as gods are relatively magnanimous."

The mythologist said softly, "Or perhaps, these beings beyond common sense don't actually care how people talk about them."

Chapter 265 The Argument for Truth

"Hehehe, that's natural. All those so-called gods and legends you talk about are, in the end, just a few more powerful Pokémon. Expecting those guys to monitor the world all day long is asking too much of them."

Mei Dan put down her teacup, casually leaned back in her chair, and crossed her arms with a disdainful air.

The old professor glanced sideways at the champion of Bamboo Orchid, seemingly waiting for the mythologist's counterattack.

However, his opponents made no attempt to retaliate.

"Hmm. Based on current records, we haven't discovered any Pokémon with such powers. From a mythological perspective, Arceus, revered as the creator Pokémon in the Sinnoh region, might possess such abilities, but we also can't be certain whether this magical Pokémon truly exists. What abilities does it have? Is it the true creator god of the world? Everything is still inconclusive, and there's no point in trying to refute it."

As far as Zhu Lan was concerned, the remarks Mei Dan made that questioned the existence of gods had been widely discussed by scholars from various fields decades ago, with voices of support, opposition, and neutrality all present, but no one could provide conclusive evidence.

It wasn't until recent years, after several major events, that people were able to observe traces of legendary Pokémon activity with undeniable certainty. The balance between theism and atheism began to tilt slightly towards the former, and this great debate of the century began to show signs of resolution—but only some clues were found.

Arguments without concrete evidence from either side are like castles in the air. Zhu Lan remembered her original purpose for coming to the Mori Mansion and didn't want to waste time in such a place, so she went straight to the point—

“Mr. Medan, when we came to visit, Miss Zina mistook us for guests you were entertaining. But we came uninvited today, and we didn’t even know who lived in the mansion before we met you. So I think you must have another important guest today, Mr. Medan?”

"Huh? Other guests?" Zina, who was serving tea and water, looked embarrassed, as if she had messed things up, but Meidan shook her head nonchalantly.

"It's just about entertaining our big spenders; they're all guests."

Seeing the mansion owner still wearing his white lab coat, and recalling what Zina had said about him working in the basement, Officer Jenny perked up—

"A sponsor? Could it be that someone is sponsoring Mr. Mei Dan's research?"

“Yes.” Mei Dan nodded. “He is the founder of Hayden Pharmaceuticals, and the director of Hayden in Zhuqing City. I cannot disclose the research content, as it is a kind of academic secret.”

Zhu Lan had never heard of this name before and was still quietly drinking her tea. Now it was Officer Jenny's turn to be completely astonished—

"Hayden from Zhuqing City! He's a big shot. Hayden Pharmaceuticals is a world-class corporation involved in the development of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and it has achieved remarkable success in the field of vaccines. A boss of this caliber must have several well-staffed hospitals and research institutes at his disposal. Why would he specifically hire someone to conduct research in the desolate Hundred Generations Forest?"

"Hehe, once a person becomes famous, they can no longer do whatever they want as they used to. Sometimes, when they are forced into a corner, they can only rely on their old classmates to lend a hand."

Mei Dan answered with a smile, but her tone still carried a hint of sarcasm.

It's unclear whether he was implying something in his words or if he was just naturally sarcastic.

"So, Mr. Medan and this Hayden were classmates. Are you currently in this mansion, helping him with some research that he can't personally disclose?" Officer Jenny asked tentatively, feigning nonchalance. "It wouldn't involve illegal activities like illicit drugs, would it?"

“If you’re so worried, Officer Officer Jenny can bring people to search this place another day. Whether you let the Pokémon with their keen sense of smell investigate or turn the mansion upside down, the equipment and materials are all here, so I have nothing to hide.”

Mei Dan didn't care about the stall.

"Could you reveal the specifics of the research?" Zhu Lan asked, also a little curious.

"No comment." The mansion owner's face immediately darkened, but then he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "However, if you want to visit the research lab, I won't stop you. In short, this research topic is one I will absolutely not reveal to outsiders."

The research site was open to inspection, but the researchers were adamant about not revealing the content of their research? Officer Jenny and Orchid were both puzzled.

After thinking for a while without finding an answer, the policewoman had no choice but to continue pressing, "If that's the case, why come to such a remote place to do research? And why hide in this mansion surrounded by trees?"

Medan then flashed his signature sarcastic smile again, pointing his chin at the Sinnoh region champion: "Heh, you'll have to ask these believers in myths and legends."

It turns out that Professor Medan and his sponsor Hayden's research began more than a decade ago.

At that time, Medin's radical atheistic views offended many academic authorities, forcing him to retire early from the University of the Seaside after many years of teaching. It was around this time that he received an invitation from an old classmate. Medin then completely abandoned the academic battle against God, went into seclusion, and began a secret research project sponsored by Hayden at home.

However, things are unpredictable. Just when the name Meidan was almost forgotten by everyone, a sneak attack from the past, like a "precognition" move used by a superpowered elf, unexpectedly struck this retired scholar who had lived in seclusion.

Ten years ago, as a staunch advocate of atheism, Mei Dan naturally participated in many public speeches and debates, and even appeared on several television programs.

Although the scholars and experts at that time could not produce enough conclusive evidence, it was precisely because of this that the most intense debates often occurred when neither side could provide convincing evidence, and the tension continued to escalate uncontrollably, even showing a tendency to spread from academic debate to personal attacks.

In the midst of verbal battles with her opponents, Professor Mei Dan, who was already known for her sharp tongue, naturally also had moments when she spoke without thinking.

Two years ago, Mei Dan's remarks mocking theism were unearthed online.

"Heh, thanks to the impatient efforts of you mythologists, the Sinnoh region has now become almost the private domain of theists. Even little kids who are still in school are starting to point at the reconstructed images in the Pokédex and say things like, 'This is the creator god,' 'This is the guardian of time and space,' 'This is the nightmare god,' 'This is the Registeel king,' and so on... In this atmosphere, if those guys suddenly see an old geezer on their phone screen advocating these anti-theistic arguments, they will naturally fly into a rage without any regard for right or wrong."

The old professor sighed heavily: "At first I didn't pay much attention, but after a few days I found out that I had become famous online. It was as if the whole world had heard my speech overnight, and people would point at me when I walked down the street... Damn it, I couldn't have achieved this level of fame even ten years ago."

Officer Jenny leaned closer to Bamboo Orchid and whispered, "Is there really such a thing?"

The champion thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "I think I saw similar news a few years ago, but I didn't pay much attention. That's probably when I first heard of Mr. Mei Dan."

If Hugo were here, he would probably be happily explaining the details of the whole affair; that guy never misses any rumors or gossip online.

"Of course, if it were just old program videos being seen, I wouldn't have had to slink away to this place. The problem is that after that, I started being harassed by my old adversary—a fanatical theist."

At this point, Mei Dan revealed an expression of deep disgust.

Chapter 266 The Fanatic's Carnival

People are too lazy and always willing to accept all sorts of unverified assertions. These baseless assertions spread among themselves, merge with each other, and form circular arguments, eventually drowning out the ancient rationalism and skepticism in their subconscious, flooding the world like a tidal wave.

This is the origin of superstition.

Hearing the mansion owner's resentful words, which sounded like he was exposing a criminal, Zhu Lan Champion sighed softly and felt a little more pity for Professor Mei Dan.

While the mythological study of the bamboo orchid mainly relies on archaeological excavation and theoretical argumentation, field investigations involving visits to local communities are also an important part of the research.

Therefore, this Sinnoh champion often travels to villages and towns in the Sinnoh region and even around the world during his vacations, visiting local villagers and elders to collect various folk customs and different versions of legends and tales. Sometimes, if he's lucky, he can even witness some unique local festivals and ceremonies.

During that time, I naturally encountered many people with biased thinking and incomprehensiblely stubborn attitudes—

Some of them are stubborn individuals who cling to outdated ideas in remote villages, obstructing local development for the sake of tradition; others are pitiful and pathetic people who grew up in the unique local cultural environment and have a distorted understanding of the world; but the largest group of them are the fanatical believers of theism that Mei Dan mentioned.

Thanks to the rugged terrain of the Colosseum Mountains, remote villages outside the reach of cities in the Sinnoh region are often hidden like scattered fragments in the corners of the world. There's a reason these places haven't developed into cities: to spiritually combat the harsh natural environment, all sorts of strange and wonderful beliefs have emerged.

There are people who worship the Nine-Tailed Fox, praying for sunny days and a bountiful harvest, and offering young children as sacrifices every year—though it's just a simple ritual where the chosen child spends one night at the altar, and can go home after a peaceful night, merely a formality, and hasn't had any accidents for decades. But when Zhu Lan probed the locals' reactions, she discovered that everyone, including the child's parents, believed that even if the "sacrifice" disappeared, it was an auspicious sign of the gods descending to earth, and naturally, there was no need to investigate. This sent a chill down her spine.

Some neighboring villages worship Dialga and Palkia respectively. Despite having no conflict of interest, the two villages are bitter enemies. Their differing beliefs, coupled with years of accumulated resentment, have even led to large-scale battles between the two villages, involving Pokémon and resulting in countless injuries.

Some even claimed to be messengers sent by Arceus, the creator god, and brazenly established a theocratic society resembling an underground kingdom in a certain town. This ultimately forced the Sinnoh League to intervene and forcibly disband this so-called "Arceus Society." However, while the society's leaders were imprisoned, no one knew whether the scattered followers might secretly trigger new crises.

Such theistic fanatics always appear in large groups. In the past, when information was scarce, they could only remain in a corner of the world, steadfastly upholding their beliefs and convictions. But now, with global signal coverage and everyone able to access the internet, the high-speed highway of information exchange has become an effective weapon for them to wage holy wars.

On the other hand, Officer Jenny's expression was slightly subtle.

The timing of Mei Dan's public criticism was far too coincidental.

How come it happened exactly two years ago? Isn't that exactly the time when Group Galactic reached its peak of power and finally met its demise at the summit of Mt. Coronet?

At that time, in order to ensure the smooth execution of his insane plan, Sun committed a series of heinous crimes in the Sinnoh region. Behind him, Team Galactic's various businesses also mobilized. At that point, they no longer needed to hide their strength or conceal their intentions, and began to openly wage an economic and propaganda war against the Sinnoh League, greatly weakening the authority of the Sinnoh League.

While the entire alliance was racking its brains over this, being toyed with by a ruthless genius in a labyrinth, the police department received advice from a detective—

"Team Galactic has indeed been a bit too reckless lately, even draining the three great lakes of Sinnoh. Those who worship the Lake Spirits must be furious... Ah, right, how about mobilizing those who worship gods? If we just stir up an undercurrent beneath the surface of the internet, the public opinion war between the League and Team Galactic might be completely reversed without any cost..."

The other Officer Jenny heard Hugo's suggestion. This Officer Jenny didn't know what the occasion and environment were like in their place. Perhaps the detective had warned that such a response might cause some hidden dangers, or perhaps it was just casual conversation. He regretted his suggestion halfway through.

In short, what followed was that Officer Jenny, inspired by the suggestion, immediately relayed it, and several high-ranking members of the alliance quickly passed a secret resolution within the alliance, which was then perfectly implemented.

Silently, the name "Team Galactic" gradually became deeply associated with contempt for gods. Big data-driven publicity and promotion also played a role, and a group of fanatics suddenly appeared on the Internet who would rush to attack any content related to Team Galactic. As a result, the Alliance gained some advantages in its battle of wits with Team Galactic.

And it was at this time that Professor Medan was targeted by those fanatics.

It's truly a case of innocent bystanders suffering the consequences...

Officer Jenny glanced at Orchid beside her and saw her pick up her tea again and sip it with a natural expression, clearly unaware of her brother's indirect connection to the incident.

She breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the alliance's secrecy was quite effective. She herself only learned some of the inside information because she attended that alliance meeting.

"...Sigh, it's all because of those stupid and crazy guys. It's one thing for them to cause trouble for me online, but they even found my address in Binhai City and did disgusting things like throwing paint and smashing windows."

Meidan was still complaining incessantly.

"I just couldn't stand it anymore, so I had no choice but to move to a place like this. Originally, I was planning to move out of the Sinnoh region altogether, but my benefactor Hayden helped me out again and introduced me to this house in the forest. Hehe, he even provided me with an assistant and maid who are easy to use."

"Uh, is that so... Wouldn't it be inconvenient to live in a house like this?" Officer Jenny asked a seemingly unrelated question, feeling a little guilty.

"Hehe, not at all. In fact, with less interaction with those idiots, my research progress has accelerated considerably."

“You said before that we could visit the laboratory,” Zhu Lan suddenly spoke up. “Then can we look at the other parts of this mansion?”

"Sure," Mei Dan shrugged, looking indifferent.

"The first floor, the second floor, and the basement below... Anyway, there are no secrets in this house, you can check it out as you please."

"It's not an inspection, I just want to do some research." Zhu Lan turned and toyed with the teacup in her hand, her gray eyes deep and unfathomable, as if she were lost in thought.

Ever since she entered this forest mansion, she has often had this thoughtful expression. Is it because she has discovered something?

"Du, du, du."

A knocking sound came from the door, but it was distinctly different from the knocking at the main entrance.

The sound came from above.

Hearing the noise, Qi Na, who was standing to the side, hurriedly walked towards the stairs, her small steps making a clattering sound.

"Hehehe, it seems my real guest has arrived."

Mei Dan nodded slightly, still wearing a sarcastic smile.

It was as if they were mocking the two uninvited guests, implying they weren't real guests.

Seeing the mansion owner's smile, Officer Jenny suddenly understood why the old man's words were targeted by superstitious people.

Chapter 267 Father, Daughter, and Research Assistant

Ironically, after the two uninvited guests, Orchid and Officer Jenny, the one who came to the Forest Mansion was still not the so-called "real guest" that Meidan had mentioned.

With a series of somewhat disordered footsteps, a Machamp and a Twintail were seen carrying large and small bags of supplies, entering the second floor of the mansion from the rooftop.

Behind the two Pokémon, another young couple, chatting and laughing, followed closely behind. The maid, Zina, followed behind them, respectfully closing the cover that connected to the roof.

Before they even reached the bottom of the stairs, the woman following behind the Twin-Tailed Hand immediately abandoned her companion, leaned over the second-floor railing above the hall, waved excitedly at Mei Dan, and shouted with great enthusiasm—

"Hey! Dad, long time no see! How's that shady research of yours coming along?"

The woman had short, neat hair and was gesturing animatedly, appearing exceptionally energetic, yet she wore a pair of refined silver-rimmed glasses. In her other hand, she carried shopping bags, and she wore a smart and fashionable winter outfit, some items still with tags on, clearly the result of a recent shopping spree at the mall.

Before Meidan could answer, she continued talking incessantly—

"This time, our research project just finished, and I want to get together with my friends in Baidai City. Well, I can stay here at home for at least half a month. Anyway, with Crobat and the others around, transportation won't be a problem. Staying here also means I can get some free meals from Ms. Zina, it's really a great deal, hehe... Oh dear, are we having guests over today?"

Zhu Lan and Officer Jenny, who had been facing away from the hall, turned around at the same time after hearing the noise and met the eyes of the two guests.

Everyone was silent for half a second, then—

"champion!"

"Bamboo Orchid Champion!?"

The young man and the woman exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

There was no way around it; although Cynthia was dressed casually this time and wasn't wearing her black coat, which was almost as iconic as the Champion's cape, everyone in the Sinnoh region recognized her. Even though the second floor of the Forest Mansion and the reception room were quite a distance apart, she was still instantly recognizable.