Pokémon Detective Case Files.

The backyard, from front to back, consists of a breeding area for the starter Pokémon, a storage area for trainer Pokémon, and a wild area for observing wild Pokémon.

The research institute is a spacious single-story building, divided into a reception area and an office area. Trainers receive their "favorite" starter Pokémon in the reception area, while the office area is where researchers store data, write records, and summarize reports.

Everything was normal.

Eric's office was piled high with data on Pokémon-related issues, including numerous photos of wild Pokémon; Pine's desk was the tidiest, with a square laptop as his only office equipment, though it seemed to be rarely used; at the foot of the mountain, there were some high-end Pokémon food items and several research reports on Drumbat, detailed but not overly complicated; Old House's seat was the messiest, with his desk cluttered with random items and surrounded by crumpled pieces of discarded handwritten paper...

As Dr. Yew was accompanying the detective to inspect every nook and cranny of the research institute, he suddenly heard a soft laugh coming from beside him.

"So that's how it is. The final mystery has been completely solved."

Chapter 039 "Beginner" Azure

While the detective and Dr. Yew were having a pleasant conversation in the tea restaurant, Azure, who had just left the Feather Residence, embarked on a journey alone to find the Yew Research Institute.

Even though she was new to the Unova region, after studying the map, she realized that the only way to reach the remote town of Kagoshima on the southeastern coast of Unova was by rail.

The assistant didn't have a fancy black ticket, so she dutifully booked a train ticket for an early morning departure.

Without experiencing any thrilling two-player battles or encountering any top-tier trainers wandering around, Azure arrived at the train's final stop—Kalostown—in an ordinary carriage without any entertainment.

"Next, we need to follow this Route 1 south to reach Luzi Town, where the Yew Research Institute is located. I heard that Douzi's hometown is also in that town."

The girl, wearing a sun hat and holding a map, muttered to herself to the Eevee perched on her shoulder.

Route 1 is indeed very beautiful. On both sides of the wide road, rows of trees rustle in the wind, and wild Pokémon with Unova style occasionally dart through the lush green grass.

Whether it was because it was too early or because Azure's aura as a high-level trainer was too strong, the girl did not encounter any challenges from Pokémon trainers along the way.

This is different from the situation on Route 1 between Shin-chan and Tokiwa in the Kanto region.

Perhaps due to the influence of the last two gym leaders in Viridian City, both Giovanni and his successor, Blue, exude an extremely powerful sense of oppression.

The eagerness of trainers to pass the strongest gym exam makes them extremely anxious. Full of energy, they often ambush passing trainers on Route 1, engaging in friendly battles near the city. If they win, they become overconfident and challenge the gym; if they lose, they rush to the nearest Pokémon Center…

It is precisely because of this that Viridian City and the nearby Pallet Town have produced the best group of trainers in Kanto.

Compared to Kanto, a city brimming with martial spirit, Route 1 here connects two remote cities without gyms, and the wild Pokémon along the way are relatively weak. Trainers probably don't bother training on this route.

With no challengers, Azure was happy to relax and enjoy the scenery along the way, just like on a picnic. She also followed the detective's instructions to keep an eye out for anything unusual as she made her way towards Deer Town.

The further she walked, the more uneasy she felt—no matter how she looked around, there was nothing unusual in sight.

The girl couldn't help but worry. If she, as the assistant, went to the Yew Research Institute and then reported to the detective that she hadn't found anything... wouldn't Detective Hugo think she was incompetent?

Amidst her chaotic thoughts, Azure could only stare wide-eyed, searching for anything worth reporting along the way. However, ever since she got off the train at the station, all she could see were trees, grass, rocks, and countless small wild sprites.

"Ibrahimovic, what should I do?"

In the deserted road, the dazed girl couldn't see anything unusual and actually started seeking help from Pokémon babies.

"Eevee!" Little Eevee called out energetically, its playful nature taking Azure's words as a battle command. It lightly jumped off Azure's shoulder and pounced towards the wild Pokémon hiding in the grass ahead.

Azure tried to grab Eevee's tail but missed, and was so anxious she almost cried: "I'm already having a headache, stop being naughty! We need to get to the research institute ahead before 10 o'clock, and we're going to be late!"

.

When Azure finally managed to enter the research institute before 10 o'clock, she saw Dr. Yew, who often appeared on television in the Unova region, as well as four people who looked like researchers, including an older man and three male students.

The doctor and his colleagues warmly welcomed the girl.

At this moment, Azure had already locked the disobedient Eevee inside a Poké Ball, which was placed in her backpack. The young assistant now looked no different from a trainer who had just embarked on a journey.

To Azure's surprise, the detective who had set out to investigate with great enthusiasm was no longer among the crowd.

"Where did Hugo go?" Azure looked left and right, trying to find out if the detective was lurking somewhere in the hall, but to no avail.

"Welcome to the Unova region, Miss Azure, who has come from afar," Dr. Yew said to Azure with an extremely sincere smile.

"Congratulations on beginning a new journey here. I'm Yew, the mentor for newcomers, and my profession is Professor Pokémon. I'm sure you're already familiar with Pokémon. That's right, all sorts of different Pokémon inhabit the land, sea, sky, cities, and forests of this world..."

Listening to the doctor's enthusiastic lecture, Azure felt a sense of déjà vu, and then—

"Wait a minute! Why am I..." Azure cried out in surprise, suddenly realizing that she had stumbled into a newcomer's starter Pokémon selection ceremony, but Professor Juniper quickly covered her mouth.

The professor continued gently, "Miss Azure, I know you're a little hesitant about embarking on your adventure alone since you've just arrived in the Unova region, but don't worry, the research institute will provide you with excellent starter Pokémon."

Azure wanted to argue, to ask what was going on, and to find out where that damned detective had gone.

However, the hand covering the girl's mouth tightened even more, and Dr. Yew's smiling face filled Azure's vision. Like the opening intro of an adventure game, the doctor spoke loudly to Azure in a voice that echoed throughout the research institute—

"In this world, creatures called Pokémon live everywhere! Some people take care of them kindly, while others command them in battles. Young lady, please choose. Which one will you embark on a journey of hope and dreams with?"

An assistant opened a brocade box containing three Poké Balls. Seeing that Azure was no longer resisting, the professor released his hand from the girl's mouth and released the Pokémon from the Poké Balls one by one.

"This child is a Grass-type Snivy, an intelligent and calm Pokémon. Even when facing opponents stronger than itself, it can calmly and easily deal with them. Its favorite activities are sunbathing and photosynthesis."

The professor then pointed to a small red and black pig: "This is a 'Warm Pig,' a fire-type. It's adept at nimbly dodging enemy attacks and retaliating by shooting fireballs from its nose. It loves to eat roasted berries, but it often gets charred because it gets too excited. By the way, it's very comfortable to sleep with this child in winter."

Even Azure was captivated by the Unova starter Pokémon introduced by the professor, temporarily setting aside her many doubts and observing the three adorable Pokémon in front of her, each with its own unique charm.

"In the end, this is just a water otter, a beginner-level Water-type Pokémon that uses its belly shell to fight, and sometimes it also uses it as a knife to cut berries. Its confident expression is one of the cutest things about water otters."

Azure looked at the water otter, and sure enough, the little otter was standing there with its hands on its hips and its head held high, looking quite smug. Compared to its appearance, the other two, the Snivy and the Warm Pig, didn't seem so energetic.

The girl was unaware that over sixty trainers had already chosen Otter as their initial partner, otherwise she would have understood why Otter was so proud—it had already decided that it would be chosen.

"Miss Azure, please choose your preferred starter Pokémon from among them," the professor said to the girl, while whispering something in Azure's ear—

"Just pick one based on your intuition, and then we'll explain everything to you."

Does "we" refer to the group of people in the research institute, or to her and that elusive detective? Azure looked around again, still completely confused.

Left with no other choice, the girl glanced at the three starter Pokémon, took a deep breath, tried her best to clear her mind, and then instinctively gave her choice—

"Then let's go with the otter."

Instantly, the research institute fell silent.

Apart from Dr. Yew, the four researchers stared in astonishment at the blue index finger pointing at the water otter, as if they had witnessed some miracle.

Chapter 040 The Reason for Choosing the Water Otter

"The sixty-fourth! The sixty-fourth trainer to choose it has appeared!"

With her keen hearing, Azure overheard a researcher's whisper.

What does the sixty-fourth trainer mean? As the assistant who was stood up by the detective, Azure felt completely baffled.

"Everyone in the research institute, please listen to me."

Just as the researcher was about to put the triumphant Otter into a Poké Ball and give it to Azure, Professor Yew stopped the student and turned to everyone in the room, saying—

"In the past, in order to allow trainers to choose their starter Pokémon freely and fairly, we had to strictly adhere to the principle of not revealing to trainers who had received other people's starter Pokémon. At the same time, in order to prevent trainers from regretting their choice on the spot, we also had to keep quiet about the fact that no trainer had chosen Tepig or Snivy as their starter Pokémon in the past six months."

"What?"

Azure gaped in astonishment, only then did she hear this outrageous news that left everyone speechless.

No one has chosen Tepig or Snivy in six months? How is that possible? Does it mean that all the newcomers to this research institute in the past six months have chosen Otter as their starting partner?

So that's what "sixty-four" meant! There were actually sixty-three other trainers who made the same choice before her!

What a bizarre and uncanny coincidence!

In the same scenario, if no one at Professor Oak's lab claimed Squirtle and Charmander for several months in a row, and all the novice trainers chose Bulbasaur, she would definitely think that either she had misheard, or that the world had been invaded by Clefairy in a spaceship, and all of humanity had fallen into a virtual reality under Clefairy's rule, experiencing a collective hysteria.

I really just closed my eyes and picked something randomly... Is that really true?

Looking at the pristine white scientific instruments and gray walls of the research institute, Bilan fell into deep self-doubt.

“However,” Professor Yew smiled smugly, breaking the awkward silence in the research institute, “Ms. Azure, who was invited to the institute today, is not a novice trainer about to embark on her journey, but a genuine veteran trainer. Moreover, she is new to Unova and did not know about this before I told her that she could receive a Pokémon.”

"So we don't need to worry about the Alliance's rules; we can simply ask Miss Azure why she chose the water otter!" The middle-aged researcher had an expression of profound understanding and admiration. "So there's this method! Yew, this is amazing!"

A researcher who looked like a student nodded repeatedly: "Moreover, this young lady who just arrived in Unova has no preconceived notions. Since she chose the water otter without hesitation, the factor that led her to make this choice can only be an anomaly within our institute! It's almost a perfect control test!"

So that's how it is. Is this why Hugo had me come to the Yew Research Institute? It was indeed a brilliant move, as the older man and the student-faced man said, but…

Bilan suddenly remembered that the detective had instructed her to pay attention to the situation along the way, but she hadn't found anything even by the time she reached the research institute's entrance. It turned out that Hugo's advice to "pay attention" meant he wanted her to find the unusual factors influencing the novices' choice of partners.

Could it be that the detective already thought the plan was foolproof, that he could leave the task to me, and then went back on his own?

Cold sweat gradually broke out on Bi Lan's neck.

"So, Miss Azure, what is your reason for choosing the water otter?" another young researcher wearing glasses asked the girl.

Oh no, oh no, oh no! She was surrounded by curious eyes from the research institute members, all waiting expectantly for her to speak and reveal the truth... But Azure was completely clueless at this moment!

"I... I just chose the water otter on instinct, there was no special reason. I'm so sorry." Azure honestly lowered her head and admitted her mistake.

I'm sorry, Mr. Hugo, you entrusted me with the task of uncovering the final truth as a detective, but I utterly botched it all. I'm not a qualified detective's assistant. Please don't fire me the day after I got the job...

Azure muttered to herself.

The once-brilliant female battle prodigy who shone brightly in the Kanto League is now trembling in fear in a beginner's city in the Unova region. How ironic, how absurd.

"It's possible that it's because I'm naturally fond of water. When I embarked on my adventure in the Kanto region, I chose Squirtle as my partner—that's right, I've been interested in these kids who can manipulate water and waves ever since. And... and look, Oshawott is pretty cute too. Doesn't that arrogant and domineering expression make you want to pinch and rub it?"

Azure started to stumble and lie, first making up a reason that sounded like the signature line of a Water-type Gym Leader, and then making up a line about a girl who was blinded by desire and liked cute things.

The researchers were greatly disappointed upon hearing this, shaking their heads in regret as they continued to whisper among themselves.

"It's impossible that everyone thinks that way, right? Surely some of the top 63 trainers also prefer Fire or Grass types?"

"Are those narcissistic Pokémon really that popular? I think Tepig, who's hiding in a corner and silently shedding tears, is quite cute too."

"Oh dear, I thought I would definitely be able to solve the mystery this time, but it seems I was too optimistic."

"Could it be that an unusual magnetic field has appeared in this area that can alter the mind of trainers?"

A cacophony of questions and discussions erupted, while at the same time, Azure herself clutched her head, desperately trying to recall—

Why did I choose the Otter without even thinking? It's not that cute! Speaking of cute, I already have Eevee...

Huh? Eevee?

Azure recalled the Eevee Poké Ball tucked in her backpack, and she suddenly remembered what had happened on Route 1 on her way to the research lab.

At that moment, the energetic Ibrahimovic jumped off his shoulder and dashed off into the bushes.

When I caught up with Eevee, it was pouncing and biting a brown, puppy-like Pokémon. I remember that Pokémon was called Little York.

No, that's not the point. During the battle, Eevee and Azure were naturally lured to the grassy area outside the main road, and the defeated Yorkshire Terrier eventually hid in the deepest part of the woods. When I went to retrieve Eevee, I thought I saw something deep in the forest…

What exactly did I glimpse at that moment? This vague impression was forgotten as I continued on my journey.

But now that I think about it, I think I saw the shadow of some kind of creature.

Because it was just a fleeting glance, she didn't get a clear look. It was a silhouette of a Pokémon that Azure wasn't familiar with. If it were a Pokémon from the Kanto region, she would have recognized it instantly. Unfortunately, this was Unova, and all around her were Pokémon she was seeing for the first time.

Is this really the first time? This feeling of déjà vu is...

Azure's pupils suddenly contracted, and her eyes widened at the same time.

So that's how it was!

The girl suddenly realized what was happening, and just as she was about to speak the answer...

Tap, tap, tap—

The sound of hard wood striking the floor tiles could be heard; the sound was short and steady, coming from afar.

Compared to the faltering steps of the disabled, the person using this cane did not support their own weight on it. The loud, forceful sound coming from the entrance of the research institute's corridor was like some kind of demonstration, or perhaps a countdown before a verdict.

"Mr. Eric, Matsubara, Yamamoto, and Furuya, I hope you can pause your discussion about the initial spirit case, because this scene is rather ironic and absurd to me."

Azure turned around and saw that the person who came was Hugo, who was walking briskly but was still carrying a cane.

He stood at the entrance to the hall, facing the crowd, and slammed his wooden cane into the floor tiles in front of him with a loud thud.

The detective in the white coat, leaning on his cane, calmly surveyed the crowd, exuding an aura of invincibility.

The detective's sarcasm drew angry glares from the researchers except for Dr. Yew, but Hugo ignored their stares and loudly announced—

"Isn't it utterly distasteful to discuss the very masterpiece of the person who started the case? Indeed, as the detective invited by Dr. Yew, I hereby declare—the culprit who caused sixty-three novice trainers to choose the Otter as their initial partner is one of you four!"

Chapter 041 Things Ignored Like Common Sense

The culprit is among the four.

Upon the detective's announcement, the researchers, who had initially shared a strong sense of camaraderie, immediately fell silent and began to look at each other suspiciously.