Pokémon Detective Case Files.

But I always feel that this explanation is a bit too deliberate, like some kind of marketing rhetoric. Is that really the case?

Looking at Hayden's feigned nonchalance, Officer Jenny pondered.

She certainly hadn't forgotten the most crucial mystery at hand: the inexplicably decapitated android head. What had happened to that unfortunate Rotom that caused its android body to be separated from its head?

Officer Jenny has a general idea about this... but still needs some corroborating evidence.

Hayden, meanwhile, habitually shrugged and continued answering the previous question, completely unaware of what was happening.

"Don't be fooled by Mei Dan's previous demeanor. That guy is a master in his field, and he puts in an extremely passionate and dedicated effort into projects that interest him. This is something that ordinary employees who only know how to clock in and out can never achieve."

"I originally thought the android project would take at least twenty years to see results, but I didn't expect that Medan would only take eight years to present that green-haired guy to me... For such a meritorious collaborator, isn't it perfectly reasonable to give him a villa and grant him a two-year vacation?"

“That’s true… or rather, not doing it would seem harsh.” Officer Jenny nodded in agreement.

"But using linguistics to calculate the gods is one thing, but why is Medan so enthusiastic about the experiments on artificial humans?"

Actually, the answer to this question could be found with just a little thought, but Officer Jenny still pretended not to know and asked the question—

After all, previous encounters have already proven that Director Hayden and Professor Medan are not the same. To get him to reveal the most important information, it would take some classic intelligence tactics.

"That's a rather unprofessional question, Miss Officer Jenny. Are you feeling sleepy because it's so late?"

The entrepreneur was sharp-tongued, but subtle facial and body language revealed a significant relaxation. Indeed, once humans discover they have an intellectual advantage, they can't help but become complacent…

Intelligence is like a liquid; it always flows silently from high to low.

Hayden shook his head and reminisced about the past—

"What else could possibly pique Meidan's interest? He used to think that as long as humanity continued to explore those forbidden zones that originally belonged only to the gods, people's reverence for myths and legends would gradually be eroded. When we decode genes, create species, fly, and walk among the stars, faith and religion would lose all their place. So back then, I just tried to persuade Meidan, who was still teaching at the university, and he enthusiastically joined the project."

"Didn't you have any other options at the time? Although Medan is exceptionally capable, there are always limitations to conducting research alone, right?" Officer Jenny asked, blinking.

—Another foolish topic. With androids already successfully developed, these questions are no longer worth discussing.

"No, my old classmate is indispensable."

Hayden raised his clean-shaven chin; rebuttals always make one proud.

"Not everyone is qualified to represent atheism and question God. The reason Mei Dan stood on the debate stage was precisely because of his past achievements and qualifications in the field of biology. Moreover, in that conservative era, outstanding scholars like Mei Dan who dared to act were extremely rare. Even if they did, they would mostly only appear in the research labs of evil organizations... As for personal limitations, with my influence in the medical field, I naturally have other ways to solve them."

It seemed they were discussing some sensitive information, and the entrepreneur became evasive. Officer Jenny, while secretly making a note, quickly changed the subject—

"Why does it have to be the Forest Mansion?"

Officer Jenny looked around at the walls inlaid with strange metallic patterns.

"The research on the bionic humanoid has long been completed, and there is no longer a need for new Rotoms to participate in the experiments. Why did you go to such lengths to rebuild a villa in the Hundred Generations Forest as Professor Medan's vacation spot?"

“Because it was Medan’s own request,” Mr. Hayden said.

"If a god really does appear at the end of the word arrangement, my old classmate hopes that he can face the other's anger or approval alone at that time. Of course, he believes in his heart that a god does not exist, so when we visited the Mori Mansion, he did not turn us away because of his research."

"Furthermore, just as experiments require the elimination of unexpected variables in advance, living in a secluded place also helps to avoid interference from the external environment. Setting up the computer room in the basement of a closed villa can prevent Mei Dan from being startled by external noises while the computer is running and mistaken for a deity descending."

"But even living deep underground in the Forest Mansion, there's still the possibility of interference from the outside world, right?"

Officer Jenny scratched her head, puzzled—

"In fact, didn't we just experience such an unexpected event not long ago?"

"You mean those Rotoms that coexist with the mansion? Don't worry, ever since Aying and the others repaired the power lines connecting the Forest Mansion, the habitat of those plasma sprites has changed. Now they mainly gather in the substation some distance from the Forest Mansion, and near the high-voltage cables even further away..."

Hayden then asserted, "So, there are hardly any Rotoms in the mansion these days. What happened at noon was just an accident, probably related to the sudden appearance of the androids."

"You were also surprised by the appearance of this bionic head, because it had been stored somewhere at Hayden Pharmaceuticals before?"

Officer Jenny sincerely and kindly inquired of Hayden, inviting him to give clear "yes" or "no" answers on questions that were favorable to him. This allowed her to seize the initiative in the conversation without arousing the suspicion of the person being interrogated.

"Of course, the location is the coastal mansion where Meidan used to live."

"The coastal city and the Eternal Forest span the entire Sinnoh region, and are separated by the Corolla Mountains, which stretch for thousands of miles. I don't think it could have flown here in Mr. Hayden's Corviknight sedan, could it?"

Hayden, already in rhythm, nodded eagerly—

"That's natural. Besides, Aying and I didn't originally come from the coastal city in the east. We just recently had negotiations with Galer's pharmaceutical representatives in the nearby Watervein City."

As expected, Officer Jenny lowered her eyes, concealing the glint of shrewdness in them.

When people try to prove their innocence, they often like to flaunt their honesty.

Judging from Hayden's Icewalker and Shiny Corviknight, this pharmaceutical giant, who has just stepped down from the front lines, has a very close relationship with the Galar region.

What kind of business could possibly require the original company founder to step down from his previous position so that he could finally take charge of it personally?

What kind of job requires Hayden to use the reconstruction of the Forest Mansion as a cover, and also to fly thousands of miles to the other side of the Sinnoh region to negotiate with people in person?

Officer Jenny pursed her lips slightly and licked her dry lips with the tip of her tongue—this next piece of intelligence might just be the biggest find of the trip.

Compared to this news, things like androids and whether or not they have gods are like pop-up ads that only distract from the view on a webpage.

So she spoke calmly, her tone casual, as if she were just making a perfunctory remark and didn't care at all about the answer, and asked—

"Professor Mei Dan must be very grateful to those people, right?"

"This is since..."

Before the word "however" could be uttered, Hayden, the director who founded a giant pharmaceutical company, froze.

Chapter 290 Resolution - Slowpoke's Tail

"That's natural—Professor Medan received a lot of help from researchers in Galer when he was researching androids in Binhai City, and he was naturally very grateful to those who assisted him at that time."

Officer Jenny continued, following up on Hayden's words, a contented smile on her face.

She suddenly understood the conditioned reflex of the champion of Bamboo Orchid, who said that "once you see a flaw, you can't ignore it."

"The android project, which was originally expected to take twenty years to complete, was able to shorten the time significantly and achieve its ultimate goal in just seven years. This was not only due to Professor Medan's outstanding personal abilities, but also because the commercial groups that promoted this project were not limited to Hayden Pharmaceuticals."

Officer Jenny, having grasped crucial intelligence, was beaming with pride. Her earlier decision to stay at the Mori Mansion under a pretext was indeed correct—she had almost been fooled by that old fox, Hayden.

"Mr. Hayden, the medical representative from the Galar region that you personally met before coming here—the one backed by that mysterious business organization, isn't he? Over the years, like a Libra doll spinning at high speed, you've skillfully maneuvered between the Sinnoh and Galar regions, expanding the company you founded with great flair. You've really had a tough time."

"I don't understand what you're saying. It was just a slip of the tongue..." Hayden said evasively.

Officer Jenny ignored the businessman's explanations, waved the tablet in her hand, and continued speaking to herself—

"While reviewing cases in this meeting room, I chatted with the colleague on night shift and looked up some basic information about your company. In it, I discovered a very interesting fact—"

"Hayden Pharmaceuticals has grown from an unknown small company into the behemoth it is today, naturally requiring countless capacity expansions and capital financings along the way. Of course, these are all perfectly legitimate business operations, and we have neither the capacity nor the inclination to nitpick your company in this regard..."

"However, the changes in your company's shareholding structure over the years are quite intriguing. About eight years ago, a business community composed of many small and medium-sized pharmaceutical distributors unknowingly became the second largest shareholder on the board of directors, with its shares second only to the founder, Mr. Hayden, at the time."

“Using equity to attract distributors is a perfectly normal business practice.”

Mr. Hayden, leaning on his cane, shook his head weakly as if trying to explain.

"If we operate in this way, firstly, the company can raise funds to expand its scale; secondly, in order to increase the value of the shares they hold, the distributors will naturally spare no effort to use the channel resources they control to help our company's products occupy the market, so that our Haiden Pharmaceuticals' medicines and medical devices can enter various pharmacies and hospitals in the Shenao area without any obstacles."

"Hmm. It's like a symbiotic relationship between Slowpoke and Shellder. The former extends its delicious tail to attract collaborators, and the latter helps the former evolve into a more powerful form."

Miss Officer Jenny nodded kindly, but then changed the subject—

"However, this is precisely where things seem unusual. Although the business community's license says 'Sinnoh Region Medical Sales Alliance,' it is actually a global organization. According to the investigation of the partners' hometowns, more than half of the distributors participating in the alliance are from other regions, especially the Galar region."

"Isn't that very strange? Eight years ago, although Hayden Pharmaceuticals showed some signs of growing bigger and stronger, it was far from being able to expand overseas. These distributors across the ocean are not venture capitalists in the financial city. They wouldn't invest just for some vague future potential. So why did they take a liking to Hayden Pharmaceuticals at that time?"

Hayden frowned and remained silent.

"Mr. Hayden. Eight years ago, when the android project had just started two years prior, you used the android project, which had just achieved some research breakthroughs, as the tail of that real Slowpoke to lure in the help of collaborators from the Galar region, right?"

"These are all just your conjectures..."

"My job is to speculate. Intelligence often reflects not the truth or evidence, but the needs of the recipient."

As if nothing had happened, Officer Jenny from the Alliance's intelligence department said something extraordinary.

"And that was exactly eight years ago. Just like when Meidan moved, it was exactly two years ago. It's like a fateful day, isn't it?"

Eight years ago, in the 114th year of the Alliance calendar.

This is a day that anyone who dedicates themselves to research or is passionate about academia will never forget.

Mewtwo, the first man-made Pokémon in human history, was born in Team Rocket's secret laboratory.

Under the orders of the leader of that evil organization whose ambitions rivaled those of the Red Sun, Mewtwo was immediately thrown into Team Rocket's battle to eliminate dissidents, demonstrating to the world its unparalleled power and lawless brutality.

Until Team Rocket abruptly disbanded two years ago, this Psychic-type artificial Pokémon was the symbol of the most powerful force on the entire planet.

"Eight years ago, intelligence agents in the Kanto region obtained top-secret information confirming that the Pokémon Team Rocket was controlling at the time were artificially created genetically engineered creatures. Because the undercover agents who obtained the information had already evacuated in time, the news was immediately made public by the Kanto League... and the world was in an uproar."

"Unlike the Porygon family that people later researched, Mewtwo, this artificial Pokémon, has body temperature and a heartbeat like a living being, has facial features and limbs like a human, and even has the superpower to communicate with people's minds. The shock it brought to the world at that time is unimaginable to people today. Although this news could not completely destroy the authority of the gods as Medan had dreamed, it was like a fierce hurricane, which had a great impact on the conservative atmosphere around the world."

Officer Jenny looked at the entrepreneur in front of her, her sharp gaze seemingly able to pierce through eight years—

"And so at that time, Mr. Hayden, you felt your opportunity had come."

When people see the value of artificial Pokémon, they will naturally also perceive the value of artificial humans.

"Initial attempts are often accompanied by risks and controversies, but when similar things happen a second or third time, humans will once again demonstrate an acceptance commensurate with their species status."

What was originally Hayden's personal science fiction instantly became a highly commercially valuable investment target after that day in the year 114 of the Union Calendar.

A path that investors have been eagerly anticipating—

Slowpoke's tail.

"As long as you stand on the right trend, even a bulky Snorlax can sometimes soar into the sky."

Officer Jenny flicked her finger, as if a Snorlax was actually flying above the black ceiling.

"You took the android project, which had been underway for two years, to the Galar region, which at the time had the most open academic atmosphere. Naturally, you found the financial backer of Hayden Pharmaceuticals and Professor Medan's colleague there... I don't need to go into the rest of the story."

Hayden fell silent, his face grim.

"Oh, by the way. The Alliance's intelligence department has been very curious about something for the past few years—"

Officer Jenny clapped her hands lightly, startling the stunned entrepreneur.

"Since the Rotom research of the Galactic Group was made public two years ago, related research projects have been launched one after another in various places. In this Rotom competition, why did the Galar region ultimately come out on top and develop the mobile phone Rotom that is now popular all over the world?"

"Rotoms in that area should be quite rare, only occasionally appearing during thunderstorms at a local lake. Who exactly helped the Galar region overcome the problem of Rotom sourcing and ultimately achieve a breakthrough in the competition?"

"Oh, right, right, Hayden Pharmaceuticals seems to have obtained a lot of information from the Cosmic Energy Development Agency, right? It's impossible that the Galactic Group's report on Rotom's habitat wasn't included, right? Besides, could that evil organization have hidden more unknown research data about Rotom in the documents?"

Her implication was quite clear—

"Do we have reason to suspect that your company may be involved in leaks and Pokémon poaching activities...?"

"No! No, no, no! Absolutely not! Haiden Pharmaceuticals is a legitimate and compliant company!"

Hayden quickly interrupted Officer Jenny's mutterings.

The old fox's mouth has finally been completely pried open.

"We only shared information leaked after the destruction of Team Galactic within the board of directors. This was an agreement established when the board was founded. At the time, no one knew that this information might involve Alliance secrets! Moreover, Hayden Pharmaceuticals has never been involved in illegal activities such as poaching. During the reconstruction of the Forest Mansion, everything was done in accordance with the rules of the Natural Habitat Protection Ordinance, without disturbing the normal life of Rotom here at all—if you don't believe me, you can ask Aying. He still has the construction video from back then!"

"Is that so?" Officer Jenny asked with a doubtful expression.

However, the intelligence officer knew perfectly well that the reason the Galar region had an abundance of Rotom to aid in its development was because, upon receiving the intelligence, the locals immediately began artificially breeding the Rotom they had collected in the past. It wasn't because anyone was poaching wild Rotom from elsewhere.

While there is some competition among the alliances, it's far from intense enough to necessitate concealing research progress from each other; in fact, cooperation outweighs any rivalry. The claim of leaking secrets is entirely unfounded.

Unfortunately, Mr. Hayden was unaware of these things and was still trembling with fear.

Chapter 291 The Solution – The False Judgment Pot

"I see, I see, that's how it is... Well then, even if it's just a guess without certainty, could you elaborate on the source of their funds?"

Miss Officer Jenny crossed her arms, adopting a defensive stance of "I won't offend you unless you offend me," and listened attentively to Hayden's story, nodding occasionally in response.

Unlike the previous careless and hasty interview, and the subsequent aggressive attitude, the Alliance intelligence investigators now showed great patience.

The situation was as if Hayden were a toddler who had just learned to speak; Officer Jenny's tone was gentle and kind, yet she tirelessly guided him to reveal more information...

Just as she had predicted, the financial backer of Hayden Pharmaceuticals was indeed a financial conglomerate in the Galar region.

Through the distributor alliance, the other party not only acquired shares in Hayden Pharmaceuticals' board of directors but also secretly provided the latter with a substantial amount of additional funding each year to support all research projects within the company that could advance the bionic human program.

In addition to hiring consultants and experts from the Galer region to assist Medan's android research, this funding has played a tremendous, rocket-like role in many projects, such as the development of new materials for prosthetics, the mechanization of artificial internal organs, and the miniaturization of medical computers.

In fact, thanks to this funding, the hardware development of the android project nearly doubled. Coupled with the technical guidance provided by Medan, who oversaw the entire project, the research was successfully completed six years after receiving the funding.

The ambitious plan, originally expected to take more than 20 years, was miraculously realized in just eight years, within a normal business cycle.