Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"Then why is it necessary to defeat the opponent quickly?"

Vinnie seemed to know something about the Grand Contest, tilting her head as she asked.

"In a normal, spectacular battle, shouldn't both sides tacitly leave enough opportunities for their Pokémon to fully display their most spectacular side?"

“That’s right, that’s the second reason why I don’t like participating in the Grand Contest.”

Zhu Lan casually stepped forward and patted the little girl's shoulder affectionately, catching Miss Winnie Xia off guard.

"Just like that previous coaching battle, if it were Champion Alder from the Unova region coaching you, he would probably deliberately have the Pokémon lower the power of their attacks by one level, so that the students could withstand a few more moves in the battle and gain more insights into the battle—but I can't do that. Once I see the weakness in the opponent's defense, I can't turn a blind eye; once I sense the flaw in the opponent's battle rhythm, I can't remain indifferent."

"Can't you... show mercy?"

"No, no, I can still restrain my power to avoid accidental injury. It's just that, how should I put it, I can't ignore those attack opportunities that are right in front of me."

The Sinnoh champion chuckled self-deprecatingly, but to Venusia, it sounded like the mockery of someone with absolute confidence.

In that instant of confusion, Winnie, guided by the actions of the Bamboo Orchid Champion, inadvertently cleared the path leading to the Forest Mansion.

At the same time, the champion, unwilling to miss the opportunity, stepped forward without hesitation, brushing past the owner's daughter, and turned around with a smile before standing in front of the gate—

"So, for this reason, call me cold-blooded, a warmonger, or a violent maniac, I personally don't really like the battle system of the Grand Contest. Perhaps elegance and glamour don't suit me. Neither I, nor Roserade, nor Milotic could possibly let the aesthetics of a move or any other reason cause me to miss the opportunity to defeat the enemy in one blow during the battle."

She suddenly recalled an experience from a past Grand Festival. At that time, through the introduction of Melissa, the Gym Leader of Homestead City, she had a Grand Battle exhibition match against a Coordinator from the Hoenn region. The battle was quite intense, and in the end, she defeated the Trainer's Water-type Pokémon using Roserade, sacrificing a large number of Grand Battle Points.

Cynthia still remembers the first thing that trainer said to her after the battle—

"If the colors of the petals released by Roserade's final move were distributed in a ratio of white, red, and blue of 7:2:1, the visual effect would be perfect."

Sigh... I really don't know what to say.

Everyone has their own beliefs and principles, and I am ultimately different from that kind of trainer. Compared to breathtaking flashiness, I prefer a simple and efficient way of battling. But perhaps for that person, power without flashiness is meaningless, and so-called strength is merely a byproduct of pursuing beauty. Which is better or worse, no one can decide, and no one else's judgment is needed.

Oh right, I think his name is Mikuri, and he's apparently the gym leader of a big city...

Collecting her thoughts, the champion of the Bamboo Orchids waved her hand again: "Let's go, Officer Jenny. Now is not the time to slack off and relax. Let's go investigate what's going on in the mansion. I'm still waiting to uncover the mythological relics."

"Don't rush me, I'm coming, I'm coming."

Officer Jenny put away her phone, which she seemed to be searching for something, and followed Venus past her, chasing after Orchid into the mansion, teasing her as they went—

"What warmonger and violent maniac? Nobody in the world would say that about you. Even Victor Hugo wouldn't dare to make such a joke."

Suddenly, Miss Officer Jenny seemed to think of something, paused, and then denied herself: "However, if it were your younger brother, he might roll his eyes behind your back and say that the word 'champion' carries more weight than all the words describing violence combined."

Perhaps to his detective brother, even this coveted "champion" title is nothing more than a feather in his eyes, utterly useless...

Thinking this to herself for no apparent reason, Zhu Lan ignored the policewoman's teasing and quickened her pace to enter the Forest Mansion.

The two headed straight for the basement, which Miss Zina had indicated earlier. The entrance to the basement of the Forest Mansion was located to the side and rear of the main building's staircase, completely invisible from the main door, a very clever design.

Whether it was Orchid, who was interested in mythological relics, or Officer Jenny, who was investigating the history of the mansion, both planned to go to the basement first. They wanted to see what exactly that research, which Professor Medan had kept secret for decades, was all about.

What exactly is it that would warrant ten years of sponsorship from the head of Hayden Corporation? Why was this research kept secret and entrusted to his old classmate, Professor Mei Dan, to conduct alone? And why was Mei Dan so confident that outsiders could not possibly discern the specifics of the research from the equipment and facilities alone?

.

At the same time, under the midday sun, a huge gray-brown silhouette appeared.

It was a gigantic bird that appeared to be assembled from metal, its sharp wings flapping and reflecting a blinding light. And beneath the two sharp claws of this metal bird, a magnificent and gleaming luxury car was clutched.

The third wave of guests at the Forest Mansion is about to arrive.

Chapter 270 The Basement and the Vanished Notebook

"Champion Zhu Lan, as a police officer, I have a question I'd like to ask you."

In the basement of the Forest Mansion, Officer Jenny, dumbfounded, turned her head toward Orchid inching by, like a mechanical doll with rusty joints.

"If the information I found on my phone is correct, this Professor Meidan teaches biology at Binhai University, which includes Pokémon and humans, right?"

"Yes."

The Sinnoh champion nodded calmly.

"To be precise, it should be biotechnology. Genetic engineering, which we often hear about, is included in this broad category. However, the subjects taught by scholars do not always fully represent their research fields. Professor Mei Dan should also have knowledge of some other interdisciplinary subjects in addition to biotechnology."

"Is information technology also considered an interdisciplinary field within biology?"

Officer Jenny raised her arms, spreading them out in front of the countless computer mainframes that resembled a gray forest, expressing her shock and bewilderment.

She had expected to see laboratory equipment such as beakers, droppers, microscopes, and operating tables in the basement, but what she saw completely exceeded the policewoman's expectations.

Before the two, amidst the rows of mainframes, faint lights constantly emanated, indicating that "the machines are running," resembling a shimmering green starry sky.

No one could have guessed that such a set of futuristic computer equipment was hidden in the basement of such a secluded and remote old mansion, whose exterior walls were even completely covered by trees!

"Bioinformatics, molecular biology, bionics, or even research on virtual Pokémon like Porygon—these fields all require the use of information technology. Professor Mei Dan's research topics are probably related to these fields as well."

Zhu Lan looked around at the rows of instruments, strolling and talking. The air seemed to pulsate with a crowded yet orderly rhythm as these electronic devices operated. A red Rotom phone popped out of her pocket, snapping photos of the surroundings.

Officer Jenny frowned and shook her head repeatedly: "Even if they have a connection, it's impossible to bury a giant computer under the Forest Mansion, right? It's really strange. When exactly did they move these instruments into the forest? Is there a problem with heat dissipation?"

"Judging by its size, it doesn't seem like a supercomputer." The knowledgeable champion scholar stopped and turned to Officer Jenny, who had returned behind him, and said—

"Although I don't know much about the field of computer science, I have seen real supercomputers at the research and development center in Zhuqing City. Such machines occupy at least several hundred square meters, and a basement definitely cannot hold such a huge instrument. This place is at most a computer cluster of ordinary size, which is normal for doing research such as Pokémon gene sequencing... However, there are only two researchers in the building, Professor Medan and his assistant Neil. If you want to do a large-scale project like gene sequencing, you probably don't have enough manpower."

Orchid's explanation did not offer Miss Officer Jenny much comfort; in her view, there was no difference between a supercomputer and a computer cluster.

The policewoman walked to the long table at the far end of the basement, looked at the huge, black-screened electronic monitor on the table, and sighed with a worried expression.

"Now I finally understand why Mei Dan was so confident that we couldn't find any clues to our research here. It turns out that all the specific research details were hidden in the computer, and we didn't know the password, so we couldn't see them at all."

Zhu Lan pointed into the distance: "Isn't there a small room right opposite the monitor? It shouldn't be the server room. Can you tell anything from inside?"

"Oh, there? I went in and looked at it before I came down."

Officer Jenny crossed her arms and said with an expression that said, "Go ahead and come in if you want."

"Inside is Mei Dan's bed and desk, which is probably where the professor slept while working—though it's called a desk, there's not a single piece of paper on it. If it weren't for the unmade bed next to it, you'd never guess that anyone had ever lived here. It's really strange, isn't it? Are even researchers starting to go paperless these days?"

"No research notes... Well, if you have a computer and a handheld tablet, most of the functions of pen and paper can indeed be replaced by the touch screen of a monitor."

As Zhu Lan spoke, she followed Rotom's phone to the small room. Inside, there was really nothing but a bed and a set of tables and chairs.

The table and chairs were simple iron fixtures without cabinets or drawers, roughly made but seemingly durable. A table lamp with adjustable brightness sat on the tabletop. The bed was simply covered with a white sheet, with blankets and pillows scattered haphazardly, resembling a hospital bed.

It's unclear whether these items were originally part of the Forest Mansion or were brought into the Hundred Generations Forest by Professor Meidan.

"However, if Professor Medan uses this place as his workplace, it's quite strange that there isn't even a single reference book he can consult at any time."

Miss Champion casually checked the desk lamp on the table, fiddled with it for a bit, and after turning on the knob switch, the bright white light instantly dispelled the gloom in the basement.

"Furthermore, the presence of a desk lamp here indicates that Professor Meidan's work here indeed requires reading or writing. The light bulb shows signs of aging, suggesting that its owner has used it many times. Whether it was used for reading, writing, or some other purpose, the fact that there isn't a single piece of paper around here is truly unacceptable."

Officer Jenny looked at the Sinnoh Champion, deep in thought under the lamp, and found it somewhat amusing. Her clear, bright eyes blinked, as if to say: "Truly worthy of being Hugo's sister; is that inquisitive research spirit a family trait?"

Seeing that Zhu Lan was completely unaware of her spying and had put the lamp back in its place, Officer Jenny continued to ask—

"Back to the main topic, Miss Zhulan. Since the research materials that should have been here have mysteriously disappeared, do you think the owner of the mansion might have hidden all the research materials because he was afraid of the two of us? After that guidance battle, didn't Meidan disappear for a while? Maybe he moved those reference books away at that time."

Are the books to be moved in such a short time?

Zhu Lan thought for a moment and said, "That's a possibility, but the more crucial question is—what would be the point of doing that?"

"significance?"

"Professor Meidan couldn't possibly have known in advance that the two of us would be coming to the Mori Mansion. If it was really inconvenient, he could have simply prohibited us from exploring the basement under the pretext of research confidentiality. Why would he go to such lengths to move research materials for two strangers?"

“What’s the point… no, it should be said that there’s absolutely no point. It’s precisely because there’s no point that we were put in this basement.”

With Zhu Lan's guidance, the quick-thinking Officer Jenny immediately came up with the answer.

"These documents should have been moved long before we arrived at the mansion!"

Seeing the Sinnoh champion still deep in thought with his arms crossed, the policewoman instantly cleared her mind—

"At this moment, the most reasonable explanation is that letting the two of us into the basement was just a convenient excuse; the research secrets inside had already been moved out long ago. The reason they did this was not to deceive the two of us, but to deceive another visitor who had already announced their travel plans."

Zhu Lan looked up, gazing meaningfully at the black ceiling. A thread of the mystery had already appeared before her.

"The visitors who should have arrived at Mori no Yaman today were not us, nor Neil and Vinnie, but Professor Medan's old classmate, Mr. Hayden, who founded Hayden Pharmaceuticals."

Chapter 271 The Prelude to the Storm

At this moment, Mr. Hayden, the founder of Hayden Pharmaceuticals, is standing in front of the gate of the Mori Mansion that has just been cleared.

The luxury car that had been carried under the claws of the large metal bird was now parked safely on a lawn not far from the forest. A black-clad steward, who looked no different from a bodyguard, stood respectfully beside Hayden with his hands behind his back.

Mr. Hayden looked to be about the same age as Professor Medan, but his well-tailored suit and meticulously styled short gray hair made him appear much more energetic than his old classmate. The old man wore a black bowler hat and held a finely textured, round-headed wooden cane, exuding the air of a wealthy and elegant man.

Having arrived at their destination, the big boss of the pharmaceutical industry didn't rush to knock on the door. Instead, he elegantly smiled and used the hard candy-like energy cube in his hand to feed the Wicked Corviknight that had brought them here.

"This Shiny Pokémon that the Galar branch just sent over is pretty good; it flew quite steadily the whole way. I originally thought that Pokémon that are born different from their kind in their species would have some personality issues, but it seems that its personality is alright?"

The greyish-brown Corviknight lowered its head meekly before Hayden, carefully eating the energy cubes provided by its trainer with its metallic beak.

The manager bowed and explained considerately—

"This heterochromatic armored raven was born in one of the company's breeding facilities. It was raised separately in our research institute from an un-evolved juvenile tit, so it did not experience the unfortunate treatment it received among its kind."

Hayden nodded in satisfaction and used a Luxury Ball to put Corviknight back into his suit pocket. Looking up at the Forest Mansion in front of him, which only had one clean facade, he suddenly found it somewhat amusing—

"I wonder who tore down the wall surrounding the manor's woods. But it saves us some trouble. Ah Ying, it seems we don't have to climb the roof like thieves anymore."

"You flatter me, sir," the steward, known as Ah Ying, replied obsequiously.

"If it weren't for your funding to maintain and renovate this mansion, let alone living here like it is now, it would probably be difficult to even squeeze out space for small Pokémon to live in the gaps between the trees."

"It seems my old classmate has a lot more to thank me for. But if Meidan had realized that, we wouldn't have needed to make this special trip."

As Mr. Hagrid remarked, he casually raised his cane and banged on the door with the rounded end of the cane.

This time, the guests at Mori no Yamanokan did not have to wait too long.

The door opened almost instantly.

The young maid, Miss Zina, stood by the entrance hall, bowing politely to the two guests—she had already seen the Steel Crow landing outside the mansion through the window.

The mansion hall was empty except for Zina. Neil and Vinnie had returned to their respective guest rooms to rest, Cynthia and Officer Jenny had gone to explore the basement, and Professor Medan was alone in his bedroom on the second floor.

"You two must be the guests who were scheduled to visit today. Welcome! I'm an employee of this mansion..."

"Oh, you must be the maid, Zina."

Mr. Hayden gave Zina a quick glance up and down before immediately interrupting the maid's self-introduction, which she had been preparing for all morning.

"Young, quiet, hardworking... Hmm, it was a real relief to find such a suitable maid like you at the domestic service center."

A look of confusion flashed across Zina's eyes for a moment, as if she had many questions for this seemingly wealthy guest. But before she could speak, Hayden, accompanied by his butler, strode into the Forest Mansion.

"Then take me to see Mei Dan quickly, I have something important to tell him."

The visitor gave orders without turning his head. His words were polite and proper, but his tone was arrogant. While he was blatantly directing others, he leisurely strolled to the oil painting near the stairs and began to admire it himself.

Zina was momentarily at a loss. She exchanged a glance with the black-clad steward following behind the guest, and seeing that he had no intention of moving, the girl seemed to understand something.

So she quickly walked up to Mr. Hayden, who was admiring the paintings, and carefully whispered, "Please come with me."

Seeing the other party nod, Zina breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, this guest wanted to speak with Master Meidan alone, which was why his guard hadn't followed. Having figured out the guest's purpose, Zina led Hayden up to the second floor of the mansion and opened the door to a guest room.

Inside the room, Professor Medan sat comfortably in an armchair, flipping through a book. Behind him was a burning fireplace, its flames radiating a warm and inviting temperature.

"Qina, you can go out now. It seems this visitor wants to have a private talk with me for a while."

Meidan snapped the book shut and casually waved for the maid to leave. Zina then noticed that the book Meidan was reading was a thick, hardcover Pokédex.

Seeing that Zina had left the room, Hayden entered the room with his cane and closed the door behind him. He must have closed the door too hard, because there was a sound like a locking mechanism coming from the doorknob.

That strange feeling of unease from midday crept back onto Qi Na's shoulder. It was as if someone was watching her from behind.

The maid hurriedly turned around, but the stairwell remained empty. The oil painting hanging on the wall stood opposite her, except that the two scarlet hues in the center of the painting, resembling eyes, seemed even more intense at this moment.

"Qina, Qina!"

When the maid came to her senses, she saw that the door to the room next to Meidan's was open a crack. Miss Vinnie's short hair and an arm were sticking out from inside, waving at her.

"Come in quickly, I have something I want to ask you."

"Oh...yes, miss."

As if possessed by a Ghost-type Pokémon, a dazed and confused Zina nodded unconsciously and sleepwalked into Vinissa's bedroom.

On the first floor of the Forest Mansion, Ah-ying, the follower abandoned by everyone, stood alone, looking around the mansion with a complicated expression. Bored, his gaze wandered over the patterns on the walls, tracing the continuous designs that were either spirals or straight lines.