Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"I'm not sure if I can help you, but if you've been having any worries lately, would you be willing to talk to me about it?"

He shrugged. "You don't need to be so wary of me. After all, I'm just a stranger who suddenly appeared; I can't possibly be more terrifying than death, can I?"

Chapter 315 Poisoning – The Suicide Note of a Woman

Mia was twenty-five years old at the time.

My hometown is Shippo City in the Unova region.

Both parents are alive, and the family background is quite ordinary.

She didn't choose the path of becoming a trainer, but instead pursued higher education, eventually graduating from a well-known art academy in Raven City. Her major was fashion design.

He had excellent grades and outstanding professional skills during his school years.

However, three years after graduating from university, this woman is still struggling in a rented room in Feiyun City, diligently sending out resumes everywhere, living a life of job hunting and unemployment.

Hmm, that's probably because of my personality...

The detective looked at the suicide attempt victim huddled in a corner of the room, seemingly lost in his own world, trembling and muttering incoherently. He couldn't help but sigh and shake his head, then turned to Champion Carlos beside him—

"Sigh, let me have some time alone with this lady. It seems that Miss Mia won't be able to have a proper conversation until you, this world-famous star, leave the room."

"Can't you talk properly? I think you're about to get the girl's bank password out of her."

Karuni looked at the detective with deep suspicion, but she also felt that continuing like this was not a solution, so she had no choice but to leave the room as instructed.

This is the private lounge of the Feiyun City Seaside Hotel.

After bringing Miss Mia back from the beach, Hugo called Carlos, the champion, who was attending a charity gala.

The latter immediately sent out her partner Gardevoir, who used the "Teleport" move to teleport the two of them into an empty room that the organizers had specially prepared for Karune.

It was here that Hugo and Mia changed their shoes and clothes, which had been soaked by the seawater, in the changing room inside their room.

"What is your relationship with Champion Karuni?"

A trembling voice came from the woman squatting on the ground.

It seems that even the most timid and introverted suicide victim can't help but muster up their curiosity when faced with gossip involving movie stars and league champions.

Hugo answered casually, "My sister knows her, so I've received a lot of help from that champion lady. During her visit to Flying Cloud City, I accompanied her as her tour guide for a day."

"........."

The woman in the corner didn't answer, but occasionally peeked up at Hugo's face—she probably thought that the strange detective's sister might be one of the actresses who had worked with Karuni before.

"Miss Mia, let's continue our previous conversation."

Hugo approached the woman in the shadows by the corner, crouched down, and spoke in as friendly a tone as possible.

"Although your job search didn't seem to go smoothly, you've persisted in staying in Feiyun City for three years. Rent in Feiyun City isn't cheap, so the financial pressure must be immense. Even so, you still insist on not returning to your hometown. Is there something in this city that you're unwilling to give up?"

Mia buried her head in her knees, withdrawing into herself, and offered no reply.

However, the detective noticed that Mia trembled slightly and lowered her head even further when he mentioned her hometown, suggesting that she had experienced something similar in her hometown.

However, this experience is probably unrelated to her parents, otherwise Mia wouldn't have been so frank about her family situation before.

Let's put aside the topic of our hometown for now and approach it from other angles.

Considering he hadn't found anything resembling a suicide note at the beach, Hugo decided to temporarily set aside treating the matter as a suicide attempt and instead proceed cautiously by asking questions—

"Speaking of rent, Miss Mia, you shouldn't be living here in Feiyun City on your own, relying on your own abilities, rather than relying on your parents' support, right?"

"How...how did you know?"

As an unemployed young person, financial independence is probably one of the few things Mia can still be proud of. A small voice faintly echoed from the corner upon hearing Hugo's question.

"Although you looked a little haggard when I saw you, your complexion and makeup were still quite good, and your clothes were relatively stylish. This shows that even including rent, you have not been struggling financially in Feiyun City for the past three years. It would be difficult to achieve this with just your parents' financial support."

At this point, Hugo flipped his hand, revealing the bottle of sleeping pills he hadn't received from Miss Mia—

"Also, sleeping pills aren't exactly easy to get in the Unova region. You can't buy them in regular pharmacies; you need a proper prescription from a doctor to get them from a hospital pharmacy, and there are limits on the amount you can get each time. Judging from the number of pills accumulated in this bottle, you must have undergone quite a long period of psychotherapy in Flying Cloud City."

"If you can't be financially independent and still ask your parents for money to treat insomnia, I don't think even the most heartless parents would feel comfortable letting you continue to stay in a big city and struggle to make ends meet under the pressure of job hunting, right?"

"Ah..." Mia looked up at the detective in surprise, it seemed that Hugo was right.

"In conclusion, Miss Mia, you must have your own source of income in Feiyun City. Considering your major and abilities during your university years, as well as the calluses on the knuckles and tips of your right middle and little fingers, it must be work related to painting."

However, there was no trace of pencil dust or paint stains on Miss Mia's body, so the painting work was probably done with electronic tools such as a graphics tablet, the detective added.

"...Yes, that's right."

The introverted woman answered hesitantly.

She earns commissions by drawing illustrations for people on an online platform, which covers her rent and daily expenses in Feiyun City.

"You, who live in seclusion at home and paint all the time, why are you standing on the beach with a long-accumulated stash of pills... Hmm, let's put that question aside for now. Miss Mia, you don't seem to have a single Pokémon on you right now, do you?"

Just like when the word "hometown" was mentioned before, Mia hugged herself tightly again in a panic, as if she had shrunk a size.

It seems that the "Pokémon" element made her subconsciously uneasy.

If Mia really intended to commit suicide by taking sleeping pills on the beach, she certainly wouldn't have put her Pokémon into a Poké Ball and carried it with her.

That could not only lead to the elves drowning with her, but Mia's own suicide plan could also be stopped by her caring companions.

"Hmm... I guess you teleported those Pokémon back to their hometown? Are you the kind of person who isn't good at communicating with people but loves raising Pokémon?"

Hugo stood up, pacing back and forth as if deep in thought, gradually turning his back to Mia with nonchalance.

Unlike typical interrogation subjects, these extremely introverted individuals only show a degree of relaxation when they feel they are being looked down upon by others.

"No...no, that's not true. I only kept one Electric Bug, which evolved recently, so I took this opportunity to send it back to its hometown."

Mia tried to speak, her words tumbling out incoherently.

"By ordinary standards, you keep a relatively small number of Pokémon... though I have no right to criticize others for that."

Electric bugs are small, only the size of a palm, and they like to quietly lie on power outlets to absorb electricity, making them a very suitable pet for introverted illustrators.

But... why does Mia have only this one Pokémon in Flying Cloud City?

Based on the growth pattern of Bug-type Pokémon, when Mia was in her childhood, when she should have adopted her first Pokémon, that Electivire shouldn't have been born yet, right?

Hometown... Pokémon... Being alone... Introverted personality... Accumulated sleeping pills... The act of standing on the beach, gazing into the distance in a daze...

Hugo observes Mia out of the corner of his eye, and the scattered clues and testimonies gradually connect to form a hazy truth. The detective also gradually gets some inspiration about the motive for her suicide.

"Well then, Miss Mia."

Having considered this, the detective, without hesitation, turned directly to the timid painter in the corner and asked him a question from above—

What are your thoughts on Team Plasma's Pokémon Liberation Movement?

"Hey!"

The woman cried out in distress, her squatting body instantly losing its balance, and she collapsed to the ground in a sorry state.

"How...how did you know?"

Mia looked up in a panic at the unfamiliar detective who had seen through her thoughts, her terrified eyes peeking out from under her messy bangs.

Obviously, this is the direct reason why Miss Mia stood blankly on the beach.

Chapter 316 Poisonous Influence – Invitation to a Charity Gala

Some say that art is thought flowing toward the future.

But the reverse is also true. When a new trend of thought emerges in society, new ideas often take the lead and flow into the lines, colors, words, and musical scores of artists.

Therefore, when Mia, carrying her starter Pokémon, first stepped into the gates of the art university in Raven City, she was inevitably swept up by the artistic trends on campus at that time—the wave known as the "Pokémon Liberation Movement."

"I...I've only ever heard of the Plasma Group; I've never actually had any contact with those people."

In the dimly lit lounge, Mia, now seated back in her chair, crossed her arms and cautiously recounted her past experiences to the detective.

"On campus, I wasn't actually a very sociable student. But even so, I often heard about people's ideas in lectures on campus and in discussions among classmates."

The woman spoke haltingly, appearing very weak. Hugo occasionally interjected when Mia's voice grew softer, encouraging her to continue her story—

"Speaking of the Pokémon liberation movement, it is indeed particularly popular in the intellectual and artistic fields."

"Hmm...yes. However, although that idea is now called the 'Pokémon Liberation Movement,' it wasn't called that back then. The students called it 'egalitarianism' or the 'Pokémon Rights Movement.' But their ideals were similar to now, advocating that people treat Pokémon equally and not restrict their nature with Poké Balls. If their natures don't align, or if their relationship isn't harmonious, then it's better to release the Pokémon. That way, it should be a kind of freedom for both sides..."

"Is that so?" Hugo shrugged, seemingly in opposition—

"It sounds simple, but ordinary people can't read minds. How could it be easy to see through the nature of a creature or figure out the compatibility between a partner and yourself?"

"Yes, that's right, that's the problem."

Seeing that the detective had pinpointed the crux of the problem, Mia nodded vigorously and looked at Hugo gratefully.

"Back in my hometown, before I met Electivire, I had adopted a Pokémon, which my father had caught in the wild and given to me. Although we spent a long time together, I don't know if it was because of its nature or something else, but we couldn't interact with each other. No matter what I did or what I said to it, it wouldn't respond. I... have absolutely no idea what that child was thinking every day."

"So, when I first heard my classmates discussing that concept of equality in college, I... I couldn't help but start thinking—yes, taking that child with me every day without considering its wishes, treating it as my possession without regard for its feelings, was perhaps wrong. That child was silent every day, more like a plant than a Pokémon, completely unresponsive. Could that actually be a kind of... silent protest against me?"

"Then, at that time, the students at school gathered together and organized an event to release Pokémon. I... I didn't want to participate, but I was still a little interested, so I secretly watched from a distance. At that time, I noticed that the child, the child who never reacted to the outside world, was actually watching the students releasing their Pokémon with great concentration that day..."

Seeing Mia's voice lower again, Hugo calmly asked in a soft voice, "So you've decided to release your starter Pokémon?"

The woman clutched her stomach and nodded sadly: "In your eyes, my behavior must have been very foolish."

"In life, misunderstandings are inevitable, which is why communication is valuable. However... it is indeed a bit strange that a trainer and their starter Pokémon cannot interact at all."

The detective scrutinized the woman before him—

"Just in case, Miss Mia. Could you tell me about your initial partner, and what kind of Pokémon was released back then?"

A wild Pokémon found in Shippo City in the Unova region, it is taciturn and sometimes remains motionless like a plant. It was given as a gift by its father to his young, introverted daughter...

Given all the constraints, the answer to this question is actually not hard to guess.

However, getting clients to voluntarily reveal some private information is also one of the business skills in the detective industry.

Just as financial institutions are adept at using sunk costs to lure indecisive consumers, people tend to confide in those who already know some of their secrets.

"It's...it's an Oya mushroom."

Mia said dejectedly.

"Compared to the wild and other people's ayak mushrooms, my ayak mushroom is silent and introverted. No matter how I touch it, pet it, talk to it, or try to make it happy, it will just stand there motionless, completely ignoring everyone else, like a real mushroom, staring blankly into the distance."

"It's not uncommon for Pokémon to stay completely still."

Hugo moved a chair over and sat opposite the woman, observing her expression as he counted on his fingers—

"Let's not talk about those legendary Pokémon from mythology that have been dormant for hundreds of thousands or millions of years. In our ordinary world, there are countless Pokémon that remain still for various reasons."

"For example, Slowpoke and Quagsire are lazy and slow-witted. When they get lazy, they become absorbed in their own world and completely ignore the outside world. Many Bug-type Pokémon remain motionless in a pupal state before evolving into their final form to enhance their defense and protect themselves. In addition, Pokémon like Berry and Berry will remain still for a long time to avoid predators and hide themselves for the purpose of mimicry. Many Ghost and Psychic-type Pokémon, such as Libradot, Bronzebell, and Sabercaillie, become lifeless like objects when they enter a dormant or sealed state..."

"Is that so?"

"After all, Pokémon ecology is incredibly diverse. In the case of Breloom, it seems to be closer to the mimicry type. After all, wild Brelooms are used to staying still and mimicking an abandoned Poké Ball."

Hugo spoke in a relaxed and easygoing tone to ease the anxiety of his conversation partner.

"However, unlike Pokémon and Bombyx, mimicking a Poké Ball doesn't reduce their chances of being spotted by predators in the wild. On the contrary, the red and white color scheme makes them even more eye-catching."

"Then, why is that?" Mia asked softly.

"Scholars don't have a unified opinion on this issue. Some think it's a warning color similar to Electrode, using a bright color to highlight the toxins in its body. Others disagree, thinking that its Poké Ball-like appearance might be related to human activities, and that Agaric might have deliberately grown into the shape of a lost item to attract human attention."

Seeing the conversation veering further and further off course, the detective wasn't in a hurry. After all, what he wanted to know was the reason Mia intended to commit suicide by jumping into the sea, which wasn't a topic that could be easily discussed without any prior background.

"My Agaric, it doesn't do anything conspicuous at all... If it didn't eat very little every day, I would even suspect that it's a mushroom that just happens to look like a Pokémon."

"After all, even Pokémon of the same species can have individual differences. Just like humans of the same species, the differences between them are vast. Speaking of differences between humans—"

Hugo stood up and suddenly extended an invitation to Miss Mia.

"You must be a little hungry, right? Why don't we go outside and eat and chat?"

"Huh? Here?" Mia's eyes widened, then she shook her head frantically. "No, no, no, how could I possibly be at such a high-end celebrity gathering?"

She had previously learned from Karuni that this place was a charity gala venue, and she couldn't even imagine herself clumsily wandering into it.

"Don't underestimate yourselves. We are special guests of the Karuni Champion."

Hugo pushed open the door to the lounge, and the warm light from the corridor shone in, making Mia unable to open her eyes—

"This charity gala is a buffet, and we've just changed into formal attire. We can blend in unnoticed by pretending to be discussing something inside. Come along for the gala; you can't expect Miss Karuni to bring you food, can you?"