Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"Hmph, I don't think those two women are any good doctors," the former chairman of the medical device company snorted.

Meanwhile, Mei Dan's confession continues—

"After hearing the purpose of my experiment, Hayden and the others really took the white light underground as a summoned god. It wasn't until the two of them pushed the unconscious naughty Thunderball out of the ground that everyone finally realized they had been mistaken."

"However, I reacted faster than them. After all, I had imagined that moment countless times in my mind, which is why I quickly noticed the anomaly of the white light."

"If it were a true deity, there would be no need for it to cause such a continuous rumbling sound beneath the mansion. If it were a true deity, it should have appeared the moment the white light appeared, without needing any preparatory actions as if it were accumulating energy. Finally, if it were a true deity... it shouldn't have responded to such a farce."

"At that moment, I finally realized that it was not a sign of divine intervention, but an impending explosion, a cruel shadow cast by death."

"But Miss Zhulan had already stopped the 'big explosion' of the Mischievous Washing Rainbow before the explosion occurred, right? You weren't actually in any danger at the time."

Officer Jenny asked, puzzled.

"Yes, I am very grateful to Miss Champion for saving all of our lives. But before that, there was a moment, even if it was just a fleeting glimpse, when I had already met death head-on."

"You mean, you faced the fear of death back then? And that's how you came to understand everything?"

"Yes. Although people often see aging as a sign of death, a sudden crisis is not the same as a slow, gradual death."

Meidan lowered her eyes sadly—

"Standing before that mass of white energy that was about to devour everything, I realized that my trust in science was a lie as described above. I realized that I had never truly believed in the theories I defended. The reason I chased after the phantoms of gods was not to prove the perfection of truth, but simply to seek a kind of spiritual numbness that transcended reality."

"Standing before the inescapable death, I realized for the first time that all my doubts were nothing more than the superstition of a fanatic. With my physical body about to give way and my thoughts about to vanish into nothingness, in this moment when only my own heart could question me, I discovered that I actually believed in the existence of God—otherwise, why would I sincerely pray in my heart?"

"Your wish back then wasn't to survive, was it?"

The champion of Bamboo Orchid, who saved everyone just before the explosion, spoke slowly—

"Your wish in praying to the gods was that the others in the mansion could survive the explosion. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why you, who saw the truth of the white light earlier than everyone else, still stood at the forefront like a stubborn nail."

"My legs just went weak with fear," the old man replied, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Thank you again, Champion Bamboo Orchid. I shouldn't have prayed to the gods, but to you."

"I don't know why, but whenever I was in this mansion, whenever I tried to open my mouth to offer a reasoning, someone would rush up and tell me all the solutions I wanted to give. However, there is only one solution that I must tell Professor Mei Dan in person."

The mythologist tapped her knuckles on the long table in front of her, with an ancient document bound by the mansion owner a hundred years ago beside her.

"God exists."

The Sinnoh champion stated this with certainty.

—As ancient poems and prose have said.

Let people's thoughts reach the heavens.

Such a wish circulated among the people.

"Mr. Hayden just mentioned the question of how the world works. I don't want to refute him here, nor do I intend to question his worldview and attitude towards life, but in his world framework, the most basic unit that constitutes the world we live in is 'language'."

"What's wrong with that? Didn't we ultimately create the civilization of the entire world precisely because of something like 'language'?" Hayden raised an eyebrow.

"Pokémon also have their own language, even older than ours. However, to this day, no civilization has been discovered in the world that was solely constructed by Pokémon. Therefore, in my opinion, the fundamental laws that constitute the human world are not 'language' that becomes false in some sense once spoken, but rather the unique written language of humans."

The pages were turned gently, and another short poem written in ancient script appeared before Zhu Lan's eyes.

—At the ends of the earth, do you know that I understand your heart?

The person who once haunted my dreams has gone to a distant land.

Those who were once my constant companions have vanished into the past.

—I only wish to see you one more time, but it's impossible; all that's left is a heart full of fruitless memories.

"Even words full of falsehoods become etched in history the moment they are written down. Just as verbal agreements may fade with time, but written contracts have binding force. As a scholar of mythology, I prefer to believe in the true aspects of this world."

Mei Dan spoke in a low voice; even he, who had once turned against the gods, couldn't help but voice his doubts, just as he had in the past.

"Even so, can you be so sure that gods exist? You should know that what I mean is not some inferior imitation created by humans, but the ultimate philosophical concept, the true creator god who creates the world and dominates the present moment."

“No, Medan, you’re wrong. This is the only, and most fatal, mistake you made in the entire research.”

The mythologist, like a trainer discovering the last weakness of an opponent on the battlefield, pursued relentlessly.

"Gods exist in this world."

She said—

Even the mountain and lake gods in rural folklore, the fox spirits in remote villages, and the seasonal clouds that bring abundant rain and dew—even if the true identities of these Pokémon, who are mistaken for gods, have long been exposed and understood by people, the legends they leave behind are still genuine myths.

The notions that "there is a distinction between true and false gods," "if one is not a creator god, one is not qualified to be an object of worship," and "gods must be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent" have never existed in mythological studies. For us, gods are a concept, and any being that exists according to this concept can and should be defined as a god.

The old professor was not satisfied with this answer and retorted irritably: "I'm not talking about this kind of folkloric concept. Something either exists or it doesn't exist; that's a scientific question. I just want to find the answer to that question."

"Does a perfect circle exist in the world?" Zhu Lan asked.

"When you rotate a compass around a circle, the thickness of the pen tip is completely different at the beginning and end, so it's certainly not a perfect circle. When you print a circle pre-set by a computer, you're actually just drawing a grid of dots, which is also far from a perfect circle. Even if you use the most precise instruments and the most perfect equipment to create a perfect circle, particles at the microscopic level are still constantly and aimlessly rushing around, damaging the outer edge of this perfect circle... Under such circumstances, can we conclude that a perfect circle does not exist in the world?"

Mei Dan made a face showing his toothache. Although he was not convinced, the example of pursuing the perfect circle clearly reminded him of himself.

"God is a metaphysical thing, a conceptual existence above appearance. Therefore, the more you deny the existence of God as a substance, the more you affirm myth itself as a concept."

It's like constantly improving tools in an attempt to create the perfect circle.

"If you pursue ultimate perfection, then even if a perfect god stands in front of you, He will inevitably have imperfections—even if He once created the universe."

"In fact, you should have already realized that even the act of a god appearing in front of you can be used as evidence that he is not perfect. When you faced that white light, the reason you were sure that it was not a god was that you must have realized at that moment that a being with divine power should not have such a narrow mind."

"Uh...that's not how it is..."

The professor covered his head and face with his hands, truly unable to hide his unease.

In that instant, he negated his own experiment.

This step should have been considered long ago. Regardless of success or failure, what kind of experiment is it if it inevitably leads to the same conclusion?

Where in the world is there such a convenient method of proof by contradiction?

"Bamboo Orchid Champion".

At this point, Director Hayden spoke up.

"Since you said earlier that any being that exists according to the concept of gods should be called a god, then is it possible for humans themselves to become gods?"

"Do you want to become a god yourself?" The mythologist brushed a strand of golden hair. "If you're referring to an illegal sect like the Society of Arceus that exploits its followers, then I don't think the leader of such an organization has anything to do with gods."

"No, no, that's not what I meant."

Hayden shook his head as if sensing danger, and standing in front of the rectangular table, he spread his hands and said—

"Haven't there been similar concepts in science fiction? 'Any sufficiently advanced technology looks no different from magic.' Although superpowers and magic are nothing new these days, can't we also think of it this way—that as human science and technology advance further, we ourselves can perform miracles on behalf of the gods and exist in accordance with the concept of the gods?"

The same goes for androids, and the topics they referenced—this entrepreneur really loves science fiction... Officer Jenny thought to herself.

"What an arrogant idea. However, even without modern technology, humanity's plunder of divine miracles has never stopped."

With a gentle touch of her fingertips, Zhu Lan turned a new page to the ancient book and read aloud in a chanting tone:

"—Once upon a time, there was a hero. The hero led ten Pokémon to challenge Sinnoh."

"—In that great war, humanity proved its resilience."

"Sinnoh acknowledged human strength and returned to a world that did not belong to humans."

"The 'Sinnoh' in this legend can't possibly refer to the earth beneath my feet, it should refer to what we usually call Arceus, right?"

Hayden, unlike Medan, didn't mince words or have any reservations; he asked directly.

Mythologists nodded: "Based on the textual research and analysis of existing historical materials, as well as the murals and sculptures in mythological relics unearthed in various places, the two can indeed be identified as the same creature."

"However, as Medan said, the name Arceus was indeed a name chosen arbitrarily by humans. The origin of the name is actually full of coincidences. When a Pokémon professor determined that the true form of the Sinnoh Megatron was also a Pokémon, he settled on the scientific name 'Arceus' for this type of Pokémon. Later, as more and more circumstantial evidence supporting this theory emerged, 'Arceus' replaced 'Sinnoh' as ​​the academic name for the deity. And the ancient name 'Sinnoh,' due to its magical and mysterious connotations, was later used as the name of the entire region."

“Thank you for your science lesson. But according to this myth, has Arceus really left this world?” Hayden pressed.

"During the Pillar of Spear incident, the blazing sun summoned Dialga and Palkia simultaneously, and even attracted an even more ferocious dark being. Even under such extraordinary circumstances, Arceus still did not appear. From this perspective, He has indeed severed ties with the human world."

Zhu Lan, who had personally experienced that momentous event, replied.

"Our gods were long ago defeated by our own ancestors, who, bearing the gods' blessings, gained a world that belonged to humankind. Given this situation, Mr. Hayden, what privileges of the gods do you still wish to usurp?"

"Ha! It really does sound like a scam!"

The liar grinned with immense satisfaction, slamming his hand on the table in front of him. He looked at his old classmate, whose gloomy expression had unknowingly dissipated considerably.

"I haven't figured out how to seize power yet. Do you have any ideas, Medan?"

The elderly professor, with his graying hair, pondered intently for a long time, as if he were truly calculating the feasibility, and finally said—

"Now that we've already created androids, how about we start with immortality?"

Chapter 297 The Solution – The Mystery of the Truth's Mechanism

"It's really unbelievable..."

After a rambling explanation, Professor Medan was no longer as dejected as before, and Hayden visibly relaxed, casually asking the champion—

"Is it really possible for someone to defeat Arceus, who is said to have created this world, with only ten Pokémon? I've never heard of such a rumor. Could it be that the ancient book you have made it up?"

"Many of the poems and articles in this document are indeed being discovered for the first time, but the records about the ten Pokémon of ancient heroes are by no means unfounded."

The mythologist turned the pages again.

—Ten Pokémon that followed ancient heroes, leaving responsibility to their descendants, a promise passed down through generations.

People come to the battlefield and set out offerings as a way of repaying the Pokémon.

Freshly picked delicacies and clear, pure water are symbols of endless gratitude.

"At least until the Sinnoh region is completely transformed into a modern society filled with cities, the descendants of those ten Pokémon still shoulder their responsibilities and play a guardian role on this land."

Zhu Lan patiently explained—

"Rumors and strange tales tend to spread widely with population migration. But real things are often properly hidden for practical reasons."

As he spoke, the Sinnoh Champion glanced meaningfully at Officer Jenny beside him. This matter was indeed related to the Sinnoh League's intelligence agency.

"To put it simply, it's just a little bit of information control. The descendants of those hero Pokémon once protected the residents of the Sinnoh region, so after the Sinnoh League was established, it was only natural that we had to find a way to help them live a peaceful and tranquil life."

Officer Jenny scratched her head and began to explain.

"In this matter, all we did was review the local media reports and have those with relevant information sign a few confidentiality agreements. These are all very ordinary and normal methods. Think about it, in this day and age, if it were suddenly revealed that a powerful Pokémon capable of rivaling legendary Pokémon inhabits a region, what would happen next?"

"There will probably be a huge swarm of overconfident trainers who will come and disturb that Pokémon's peaceful life."

Professor Medan glanced at his assistant Neil and said sarcastically.

The latter bowed his head shyly.

Indeed, if he knew such news, he would definitely become one of those overconfident trainers.

"So, all the descendants of these legendary elves are under the control of the Sinnoh League?" Hayden asked.

"This is a confidential matter. No matter what the alliance controls, there's no reason to let outsiders know it casually. However..."

Officer Jenny fell into deep thought, as if going through some list, before finally speaking—

"The League does know some information about controlled entities like the descendants of heroes, but the number of these Pokémon is definitely not as many as the ten mentioned in this legend."

She scratched her face: "Perhaps those Pokémon migrated to places humans can't find, or maybe they were captured or their bloodline was broken. These things are quite common, Cynthia, don't you think?"

"This matter is still under discussion. Based on the folklore investigation reports compiled by mythologists over many years, and by comparing them with the murals in the temple ruins at the top of Mount Tianguan, we can basically confirm the true identities of those ten Pokémon."

"Such a thing is true!" Officer Jenny, an investigator with an insatiable thirst for new information, widened her eyes and suddenly perked up. "Is it some latest development summarized by the mythology research community?"

"That's not the case. Similar research has been done before, but the list that was compiled was so outlandish that it was hard to believe at the time."

Then, the Sinnoh champion announced the list—

The startled deer roams freely across the boundless land.

The heavily armored warrior from the roaring mountains, Circle Bear.

The brave perch that roams the nine netherworlds and four seas.

Easily climb the steep cliffs of Mannula.

The eagle embodies a tenacious spirit.

The Forest King, Scyther, wielding a black blade.

Miss Skirt, the mountain queen who dances gracefully deep in the snow-capped mountains.

Arcanine, the island king who guards the volcano.