Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"Snow? Shanlu Town is located on the east side of the Reversing Mountain. It is said to be rich in geothermal resources due to its proximity to a dormant volcano. Does it snow here?"

Azure, who had studied the geography of Unova through the "Complete Encyclopedia of Underground Minerals in the Unova Region," showed a skeptical expression, while Guskaf shook his head with a wry smile—

“It really rarely snows in that place in winter, and I never saw any snow there during my childhood.”

"It's still a mystery." Azure lowered her head in disappointment.

Human taste is an ambiguous and sensitive thing. Based on such ambiguous and useless information, can anyone really find the taste that Guscalf tasted in his childhood?

Do you have any other clues or inspirations?

Tian Tong, with a similarly troubled expression, flipped through her notebook, her linen trench coat drooping listlessly.

"I'm sorry, that's all I have." The editor of Giants lowered his head apologetically. "Isn't this request a bit too presumptuous? How could I possibly find a dish made by someone who passed away twenty years ago based on my description alone?"

"Do not."

Suddenly, the owner of the Tian Tong Pavilion slammed the notebook shut.

"We have all the necessary clues; all that remains is some tedious investigative work."

He looked at the food editor: "Mr. Guscalf, when would you like to be interviewed by Outlook magazine?"

“Oh, that’s not urgent.” The food critic paused for a moment, then replied, “According to their magazine’s schedule, I won’t be interviewed for at least two months.”

"Alright, there's plenty of time."

Tian Tong adjusted his glasses, which had no lenses, with his index finger, and then confidently announced—

"As the food detective of the Sanyo Dojo, I will definitely solve this mystery within two weeks. Mr. Guscalf, please visit our Sanyo Dojo again at the same time in fourteen days. At that time, the three of us brothers will recreate the potato and pork stew that our biological mother cooked for you and tell you the recipe and cooking method without reservation."

"Really?" Guskaf couldn't help but be a little skeptical.

"Don't worry." A voice came from deep within the beverage room; it was Mr. Koun, the Water-type Gym Leader.

“At our Sanyao Restaurant, Tian Tong has successfully solved every single case he has handled, without exception. We have even encountered clients who are more demanding and have more ambiguous requests than Mr. Guscalf. Please feel free to trust his abilities.”

Chapter 375 The World is a Real Absurdity

When the girl left the Sanyo Dojo, it was already dusk outside.

Under the cover of night, Sanyo City appeared much more peaceful than Flying Cloud City. Lacking the oppressive feeling of its towering skyscrapers, the simple, unpretentious shopping streets shone quietly and pleasantly under the streetlights. Instead of hurried office workers, the streets were filled with children playing and elderly people leisurely strolling with their Pokémon.

The atmosphere here is a bit like that of Rainbow City in the Kanto region... Azure thought to herself for no reason.

Having completed her gym inspection mission, she didn't rush back like Shimi or Guscalf. Due to the director's instructions, she would stay in Sanyo City for a few more days to investigate the development of Team Plasma and the Pokémon Liberation Organization in the vicinity.

Given Hugo's current position as the champion of the United States League, while information such as the composition and operation of public organizations can be easily obtained through the League's online monitoring channels, the intelligence gathered will inevitably contain errors. Some things are better heard than seen. Without experiencing the atmosphere and emotional flow within those organizations firsthand, it is difficult to truly and accurately assess the Plasma Group's inflammatory nature among the public and the degree of organization of its fanatics.

However, it's already so late, and even though Azure is still full of energy, the Plasma Group organizations around Sanyo City have already closed down. They probably won't be able to start work until tomorrow.

On the way to the hotel, Azure released Ditto and Archaeopteryx.

There was a reason why they weren't allowed out of the restaurant earlier—Although Archaeopteryx had gradually overcome its psychological trauma, it was still a bit timid in unfamiliar environments; as for Ditto, that guy had no limit to his appetite, and considering its mischievous nature, Azure thought it was best to be cautious, lest it be seen as a troublemaker.

Azure strolled along the riverside promenade, sharing the complimentary cookies with the elves.

...Sigh, I still feel like I care a little bit.

Smelling the aroma wafting from Mare's Cheese Cookies and watching Archaeopteryx and Ditto happily eating, the girl couldn't help but recall the request Guscalf had made after dinner.

Is the owner of the Tian Tong Pavilion really able to fulfill the editor's wish?

Recalling the somewhat clumsy way the Grass-type expert gathered intelligence, Azure's doubts spread like ripples on a river.

Azure has been living in Unova for quite some time now. Naturally, she has also eaten that legendary potato and pork stew.

It's a warm and homely dish, usually served as a side dish with soft bread or crispy tortillas.

As a popular dish, its widespread popularity is undoubtedly due to its deliciousness. However, Bilan herself felt that this dish might be more to her liking if eaten with white rice from her hometown.

However, even the same dish will taste different when prepared by different people in different restaurants. This is especially true for Guscalf, a gourmet who makes his living by his palate. These subtle differences will be magnified infinitely—changes in the origin of ingredients, differences in the control of heat, or even a small, unintentional action by the chef can make the finished product taste very different from the taste he remembered when he was six years old.

The ideal way to perfectly recreate it would be to find the recipes that Guscalf's mother used back then.

The recipe might have been the mother's original creation, or it might have been learned from someone else, but that's not important today. The key point is that in an era when paper notes were common, if a housewife frequently made that dish for her children, she would likely have left behind culinary records in the kitchen.

However, the other person had passed away more than 20 years ago, and even her husband had died of illness after remarrying. In the meantime, the Guskaf family had also moved once, which greatly reduced the possibility that the recipe had survived.

The remaining clues might only be found among those who had encountered the recipe – such as the teacher who taught his mother cooking, or the apprentices she personally instructed. Fortunately, video websites didn't exist twenty years ago; otherwise, if the mother had learned to cook by watching videos, the origin of the recipe would be even more difficult to trace… However, television did exist in those days.

"The job of a food detective is really not easy," Azure sighed softly.

Fortunately, this case doesn't require her to investigate... Surely she shouldn't have to ask a psychic-type spirit or a psychic, right? But then she thought, they probably wouldn't be able to help with that kind of thing anyway.

Just then, Azure's phone rang.

She glanced at the screen; the caller was Hugo, the current Unova Champion—the girl couldn't help but grit her teeth at the thought of that.

She could understand that, under extremely difficult conditions, Hugo had a chance to beat former champion Adek.

Just as most substances in everyday life are made up of molecules, Pokémon battles are also composed of countless tiny details. And the most annoying skill of that detective in the white coat is that he disguises his meticulous calculations as casual actions, subtly adjusting every variable on the battlefield like playing chess, making the overall situation develop in his favor.

It's like having a cheat code in a turn-based game that lets you see everyone's attribute panel; it's as if, given enough time to deduce, all the battles will unfold as he expects.

In that sense, that guy could not only beat Aldeck, he could beat everyone in the world.

But this logic is also absurd, as if saying that a person can win all battles simply by being smart enough.

This is wrong; at the very least, it violates the most fundamental nature of Pokémon battles.

In a battle, no one can completely predict all possibilities; anything can happen—from this perspective, Hugo was simply lucky.

He was lucky enough to turn a probability that didn't exist into a possibility, and he was lucky enough to seize it.

Absolute calculation and absolute luck?

Looking at the smartphone that was ringing, Bilan shook her head self-deprecatingly.

She neither believed Hugo possessed the former nor that he relied solely on the latter; it was more likely a matter of shrewdness and luck, each contributing roughly half. As for the proportion of each, that's a matter of opinion, and not really a question worth considering.

The girl fully understood this principle and had no resentment towards Hugo for surpassing her to become the champion. She was just inexplicably annoyed, as if her value as a Pokémon trainer had been inadvertently denied.

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Azure pressed the call button on her phone fiercely, as if she wanted to pierce the screen.

After a one-second pause, Hugo's voice came from the other end of the phone. The champion was a little surprised that he had been left hanging for so long before the call was connected.

"Nothing much, just a sudden feeling of absurdity about this world." Azure, holding her phone, stopped and looked at the river flowing beside her under the streetlights. "The previous assessment results have been submitted through the alliance process, you should have received them by now. Is there something you need calling so late?"

"It's probably some new job," the girl thought.

Recently, for some reason, even Wu Tianwang and the others at the Alliance headquarters seem to be in poor condition. As a result, Hugo has been under a lot of political pressure and has rarely returned to the detective agency in Feiyun City.

Just as she was thinking this, the champion from United Nations said something on the other end of the phone.

"……what?"

The girl's emotional voice echoed along the promenade.

The night breeze suddenly calmed down, and even the streetlights seemed to dim for a moment.

Ditto and Archaeopteryx stopped eating cookies, their two pairs of blank eyes blinking.

"What do you mean by 'the firm received an outsourcing commission from Mr. Tenji'?"

Chapter 376 Potato and Pork Stew

Time is like the tail feathers of a totori; it always disappears abruptly in the blink of an eye when you try to grasp it.

Two weeks passed quickly, and when Guskaf stepped into the Sanyo Dojo restaurant again, he unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure.

"Miss Azure, what brings you here too?"

Looking at the young detective in the restaurant, the food editor, still wrapped in a suit to conceal his large frame, asked in bewilderment, "After so many days, I never expected to meet you here again."

"Sigh." Miss Azure seemed to be in worse spirits than last time, with dark circles under her eyes, and was leaning weakly against the dining table.

"I still have some investigation tasks to complete in Sanyo City, so I stayed for a while. In addition, I also have to help Tian Tong and the others with food tasting recently. I'm juggling two tasks at the same time, so I'm extremely busy."

Guskaf was taken aback: "Did Detective Azure also help investigate that dish? Thank you so much. So... is there already some progress on that potato and pork stew?"

"It's more than just helping... Never mind." The girl hesitated, then sighed. "Let Tian Tong explain the dish to you. You should be able to eat it today."

"Mr. Guskaf, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

As the food editor was talking to Azure, the voice of the Tentong Pavilion Master suddenly came from beside them.

The "food detective" from the Sanyo Dojo was carrying an exquisite silver platter, and the white gloves that matched his waiter's uniform looked spotless under the light.

"Look, this is the dish you asked us to find. To make it, Cohen and I went to the towns of Mountain Road and Ripple, where you used to live, to conduct on-site research. But in the end, this stew was made by Bert, the best cook among the three brothers. Miss Azure also helped us a lot throughout the process."

That's really a lot... Upon hearing this, Azure, standing nearby, revealed a subtle expression.

From initial clue analysis to on-site coordination during visits, from emergency consultations late at night to post-event culinary discussions, plus two weeks of arduous experimentation tasting different versions... the girl rubbed her temples, feeling that countless flavors of potato and pork stew still lingered in her mouth.

"Thank you all for your hard work. I appreciate your efforts. I will pay the investigation fee later. However, the experience of taste is a very subtle thing, and I don't want to compromise on my professional expertise of food criticism. Therefore, I cannot guarantee that I will give a positive review after tasting the food. This may disappoint your efforts..."

"Please don't worry about these things; we have full confidence in the outcome."

Tian Tong placed the covered silver square plate on the table, a calm smile still on her face.

"Are you hungry? Have you eaten before coming here?" the sommelier asked.

Guskaf shook his head matter-of-factly: "I didn't eat anything before coming here because I was looking forward to this meal."

“That’s perfect.” Tian Tong said with a smile. “Since you only asked us to find potato and pork stew, we made it into a set meal. It’s more enjoyable to eat it with the main course and soup.”

Before he could finish speaking, the Water-type Gym Leader, Kohn, stepped forward carrying a bread basket and a soup bowl—

"Enjoy your meal, Mr. Guscalf."

Before the food was even served, the freshly baked bread already emitted a sweet aroma of malt, which mingled with the rich mushroom soup that followed, creating a comforting atmosphere throughout the restaurant.

"These are all foods produced near Shanlu Town."

Tian Tong introduced the products to the guests in an orderly manner—

"The recipe for the country-style bread is inspired by a bakery near your family's old home. That shop has been open for over thirty years, and the soon-to-retire owner still remembers your mother coming to their shop to choose bread. Apparently, this cone-shaped bread, resembling a stone ball, has a fluffy texture and was a favorite among the boys in their family. The soup is made with dried ayak shiitake mushrooms (mushroom spores) in a vegetable broth. Locally in Shanlu Town, this dish is said to be good for the stomach, and hopefully it will evoke some memories for you."

"Thank you all for your help."

Guskaf bowed his head in thanks, somewhat moved, but his gaze remained fixed on the main course hidden under the lid.

"Ah, sorry." Tian Tong understood and reached out to cover the food with the lid. "It was my oversight; I shouldn't have kept you in suspense at this point—"

“No, this is actually just right.” The food editor took a deep breath, his chest heaving noticeably beneath his suit. “I also need… some time to prepare myself mentally.”

This preparation was indeed necessary. When the silver lid covering the plate was finally lifted, Guscalf's breath visibly paused for a moment.

Tian Tong and Kou En exchanged a knowing glance and retreated to the other end of the restaurant, leaving only the flickering lights illuminating the dining table.

Azure sat silently at the other end of the table, in a dark corner, sipping lemon tea and quietly observing the gourmet's reaction.

Mr. Guscalf frowned in confusion after gazing at the legendary potato and pork stew.

This is natural, because the dish is not red as he remembered, but rather the yellow color popular in the Unova region.

In a square white porcelain bowl, the thick broth almost overflows the rim. Small pieces of artificial meat ribs are soaked in the golden broth, accompanied by chunks of potatoes and carrots, with a few slices of onion and celery stalks floating among them, exuding an irresistible aroma.

Guskaf first smelled the aroma of the food, his furrowed brow relaxing slightly. Then he picked up the prepared bowls and plates and served himself a bowl of stew.

Using a silver fork, the food editor touched the first piece of steak to his tongue. His furrowed brows furrowed again, and his chewing became extremely restrained, as if he were facing a difficult problem.

He then tried potatoes and onions, which eased his expression slightly, but the problem remained before him. Soon, as if he had changed his mind, he forked another piece of steak, examined it carefully before putting it in his mouth, and tilted his head to the side, lost in thought.

Did Guscalf do this when he was reviewing restaurants alone?

Azure, observing the scene from the other side of the dining table, thought to herself.

This is truly a way of eating where you can't enjoy the food at all... Compared to that, the day the two of them dined with Zhimi was much happier.

After taking a cursory sip of the stew, the gourmet picked up the bowl of mushroom and vegetable soup, took a spoonful, and revealed a nostalgic expression, his previously tense demeanor relaxing somewhat.

Then, he picked up a cone-shaped bread from the bread basket, tore it in half, and put the white bread filling into his mouth with the vegetable soup, squinting his eyes in enjoyment—at this point, his cheeks had completely relaxed, finally revealing a hint of the intoxicated expression a gourmet should have.

Finally, Guscalf straightened his massive body again, dipped a torn piece of bread into the stew broth and put it in his mouth, then forked another piece of steak and ate it.

Chew, then swallow.

After silently savoring the taste, he put down his fork.

"So, how about it? You miss it, don't you?"

Tian Tong, carrying freshly brewed tea, quietly appeared behind the food editor, gracefully approached the table, and handed the cup to Guskaf.