Pokémon Detective Case Files.

Perhaps influenced by its previous type, the Ghost-type Galarian Corsola can learn a range of offensive Rock moves, including Rock Tomb, Rock Blast, and Rock Spike.

In a state of suspended animation, this subspecies of sun coral can even mimic a perfectly round, ordinary stone, fooling all the police and lying quietly in a flowerpot covered with soil.

.

"Ibrahimovic, 'Bite!'"

A purplish-black light, representing the Dark attribute, shone from under Eevee's canine teeth. Azure directed its partner, making Eevee pounce on the white Coral, which was trying to break through the window to escape.

At the same time, Officer Jenny commanded Thunder Zebra to use its signature "Lightning" attack. Azure current covered Thunder Zebra's entire body as it slammed into its opponent.

Sera, acting as a second-in-command, planned to interfere, with her Sprout Deer casting "Parasitic Seeds" to weaken the opponent's stamina.

Hiding at the doorway, far from the battlefield, the pessimistic detective Hugo pondered for a moment, then reached into his pocket, pulled out the Poké Ball containing Piplup, and, while tossing the Poké Ball, gave the command—

"If an explosion occurs later, use 'Bubble Ray' to put out the fire. Remember to stay with Azure and the others and don't run around..."

Hugo stopped awkwardly halfway through his sentence, because standing in front of him was not the little blue penguin, but a grass turtle tilting its head, looking bewildered.

"Wow?"

The grass-fed turtle shook the sapling on its head, looked up at Hugo, and gave him a simple and honest look that said, "I don't know how to use 'Bubble Beam,' so you'd better find someone else."

Hugo sighed heavily and decided to release all the Sinnoh starter Pokémon he had brought, letting them follow Azure and act as firefighters when needed.

Then, ignoring the chaotic situation inside, the detective in the white coat opened the apartment door and ran outside, seemingly to deal with something inside the building.

Put out the fire?

The three left-behind children looked at each other. Then everyone turned their attention to the fiercely contested siege.

.

In truth, given the strength of the three ladies, any one of them—Azure, Officer Jenny, or Sera—would undoubtedly win against this wild Coral. Their current coordinated attack is practically overkill.

But the Corsola in front of it wasn't a trainer participating in battles. It was only focused on escaping!

In this enclosed room, facing the onslaught of the crowd, the Sun Coral neither dodged nor evaded, but simply floated in a straight line towards the nearest window with its head covered.

Seeing this, Azure and the others gave chase.

Eevee actually "bite" the shell of the Galar Corsair, but the bitten part of the shell was easily broken and detached, just like the cast used to fix a fracture.

As the outer shell peeled off, the sun coral, which had been floating away unsteadily, suddenly accelerated.

The Zebra's "Lightning Bolt" struck the enemy accurately, but the Galarian Corsola also shed a large piece of its shell this time, using the reaction force to accelerate again.

"It's the 'Shattered Armor' trait! Don't use physical attacks, or its speed will continue to increase!"

With her keen eye for battle, Azure immediately saw through Corsola's intentions and realized the current battle situation, so she warned her companions.

But it was too late. Having suffered two physical attacks, the Sun Coral had increased its speed to a terrifying level, flying towards the window like a whirlwind.

Only Sera's Sprout Deer's "Parasitic Seed" dangled forlornly on its transparent coral antlers. Since the opponent had disengaged from the battle, the "Parasitic Seed's" ability to absorb stamina was greatly reduced, and it could not slow down the enemy.

Officer Jenny gritted her teeth in dissatisfaction: "Tsk, they should have used 'Pursuit' or 'Electromagnetic Wave'."

In the blink of an eye, the grayish-white sun coral had arrived at the balcony window connected to the living room, gathering its power to unleash "Stone Attack" again, intending to blast open the locked window.

The three ladies were only then surprised to realize that they had been left far behind. And even if their Pokémon caught up with Corsola, how could their Eevee Pokémon, lacking in special attack moves, possibly defeat them?

The coral wiggled its horns, and the thick rock cone materialized in an instant, piercing the windowpane with a straight throwing line.

However, there was no sound of glass breaking; the rock cone shot through the air in a parabolic arc towards the outside.

Azure and the others were confused about what had happened. They looked towards the window and saw the little fire monkey that Hugo had left behind hanging on the open window, waving at them with a grin.

Seeing the scene before her, Azure breathed a sigh of relief and said with delight, "It's Hugo's little fire monkey! It's very good at moving indoors and has already caught up with the accelerated Corsola."

"Quick, Thunder Zebra, use 'Lightning Flash' to accelerate and catch up!" The policewoman gave the order without hesitation. Sera's budding deer didn't have a similar acceleration skill, so it had to launch an attack a step behind the zebra.

As for Eevee, it was already in the lead. Although Eevee's only special attack was the Normal-type "Swift," which couldn't damage Corsola, "Broken Armor" would lower the Pokémon's physical defense while increasing its speed. Azure originally planned to have Eevee use "Bite" to try and hope for a one-hit kill if the situation became uncontrollable.

Coral was momentarily stunned by the wide-open window and the giggling little Flame Monkey.

However, the Pokémon immediately realized that opening or smashing it wouldn't make a difference, so it decided to jump out of the open window again.

With a loud bang, the white pebble encased in transparent horns failed to escape and crashed headfirst into the window that the little fire monkey had relocked.

"Hehehehehe!" Hugo's Chimchar chuckled mockingly. As expected of the Pokémon the detective believed could teach Azure how to pick locks, its skill in manipulating the latches was indeed exceptional.

The sun coral, having been tricked, was furious, but just as it was about to launch an attack, a green figure blocked its path—

It's Hugo's grass turtle.

This usually unassuming little guy suddenly opened its mouth wide and spat out a black thing that looked like a fruit pit towards the sun coral.

Azure felt the move looked familiar, then immediately realized what it meant and excitedly shouted, "Turtle is using 'Trouble Seed,' a move that negates abilities! It can't boost its Speed ​​anymore under this effect, so focus fire now!"

Without needing much prompting from their assistant, Officer Jenny and Sera had already directed their partners to take action, unleashing "Mad Volt" and "Wooden Horn" upon the Corsola.

The already weakened Killer Stone was completely rendered powerless by Eevee's "Bite," and didn't even have a chance to use its final romantic move—"Self-Destruct."

The transparent horns disappeared like a projection, and the entire Pokémon returned to the state of a pebble.

Piplup, who had been left behind by his companions, finally arrived late. He walked to the center of everyone's attention, shook his head, and gave a comical bow with his fins. Then, like a priest sprinkling holy water, he poured "Bubble Beam" on the enemy who had turned to stone.

The battle was over. Under the ladies' watchful eyes, Hugo's three little ones huddled together again, bumping their heads and showing very proud expressions.

In a desperate attempt to quell a fire, the starter Pokémon successfully subdued the rampaging creatures! The firefighting mission assigned by their master was successfully completed.

Chapter 063 Commentary Race Inside the Elevator

The detective did not hear any explosion from upstairs until the elevator doors closed.

It seems that the Coral didn't choose to "self-destruct" immediately. In that case, Azure and the others should be able to deal with their opponent smoothly.

Hugo was relieved and continued to do his best to fool the two police officers in front of him.

"Regarding the questions you just raised, I reiterate that the victim's Pokémon could not be the murderer. This is not a matter of betrayal, but rather a matter of size. Among Greta's Pokémon, even the smallest Mudfish is a large yellow fish over seventy centimeters long, making it impossible for it to hide on the gray tiled floor of the crime scene; it is extremely conspicuous."

In the cramped elevator, Hugo gestured repeatedly with his hands in front of two police officers to enhance the persuasiveness of his speech.

"Therefore, no matter which of the six Pokémon is in your hands, it is impossible for them to jump out of their Poké Balls and stand in front of their trainers to use the Rock move on their abdomen. Moreover, if they really wanted to make a move, these violent Sandstorm Team Pokémon would not use the flimsy little Rock Screw; they would release a giant rock above the trainer's head, smashing the trainer and the ceiling below into a pulp and ruins."

Faced with the detective's rapid-fire reasoning, an officer spread his arms and pressed them down, signaling Hugo to calm down: "But this has nothing to do with the case. We just want you to explain—why exactly did you insist on having the police seal off the apartment building?"

The detective shook his hand helplessly and explained with a bitter face, "I've already said that the culprit who caused this whole case is in this building. The other party could start to escape at any time. Every second is extremely precious, but you insist that I explain the whole story before you're willing to consider taking action."

Time was of the essence; Hugo had to persuade the two policemen to cooperate with his next move before the elevator reached the ground floor.

The elevator had already descended to the 20th floor.

“Of course you need to explain, sir,” said another, taller officer, arms crossed. “Our superiors forbid us from acting on our own initiative, and you’ve unreasonably ordered us to illegally detain an entire building’s residents. You’re not even a police officer! Why should we trust you?”

“Okay, okay.” Hugo took a few deep breaths, trying to remain friendly, and continued to explain the simple facts to the police officer in the elevator—

"The scene was completely sealed off, and the victim was caught off guard by the direct attack. There is only one explanation to support both of these facts—the deceased was hit by a small mechanism hidden in the room. I know you didn't find the mechanism, but you should remember the small flowerpot on the bookshelf in the room, right?"

The two officers who had conducted the on-site search exchanged a glance and then nodded together.

"Don't you think it's a bit strange that the item appeared in the deceased's house? Greta was a rough trainer, as evidenced by his tasteless furniture and simple living items. Such a person wouldn't specifically buy a succulent plant for the sake of interior aesthetics. Therefore, the reasonable explanation for the flowerpot appearing on the bookshelf is that someone gave it to him as a gift."

"Is there anything special about this gift?" the tall police officer asked, puzzled.

"What's so special about it?" Hugo scoffed. "This is a succulent that can kill. Hidden inside is a sun coral that attacks with 'sharp stones,' and your Officer Jenny is battling it right now."

The elevator passed the 10th floor.

The short police officer frowned and questioned, "I've seen what Corsolas actually look like. They're at least as tall as an arm and are a vibrant pink. How could such a Pokémon be hiding in a flowerpot?"

"In order to adapt to the unique natural environment of different regions, some Pokémon have become very different in appearance from those in other regions, and their types have also changed. This difference in form is called regional form. Galarian Corsola is a prominent example."

Hugo patiently explained to the officers, "You can check the Pokédex for details afterward. I'll just give the briefest explanation—there's a Ghost-type Corsola that can play dead and not eat or drink for several days. In this state, its coral branches can become spirits and hide."

"The kind of sun coral you're talking about is in the flowerpot on the bookshelf? Is this an assassination?" The tall police officer looked incredulous, unintentionally using a perfectly fitting word to describe the situation at the time of the incident.

"Yes, assassination, of course, assassination, or rather, a premeditated murder by a trap. Someone buried a subspecies of Corsola in that flowerpot and gave the flowerpot to Mr. Greta. So, on the day of the incident, when the victim was facing the bookshelf to choose a book, the demon hidden in the flowerpot remotely summoned a Rock Cone and stabbed the talented star trainer to death without leaving a trace."

The officers' faces grew paler and paler. They simply couldn't believe that they had spent an entire morning searching in the same room with a Pokémon that had killed people for a full four hours!

The shorter one asked timidly, "If that's the case, why don't we go and reinforce Miss Officer Jenny, instead of sealing off the entire building?"

"Good question." A crisp snap of fingers rang out from the detective in the white coat.

“Ordinary people who lack self-awareness often prioritize solving the problems right in front of them, treating the symptoms rather than the root cause. But this behavioral pattern often numbs our ability to perceive the future, and can lead us to make wrong decisions at crucial moments.” Hugo raised his voice, laying the groundwork for what he was about to say.

“My habit is to plan carefully before acting, and to think three steps ahead for every one I take.” The detective shifted his position, facing away from the elevator door and toward the two officers. “Now, may I ask, Ms. Officer Jenny, what impact would your Pokémon battles in the deceased’s room have on the case?”

The elevator passed the 5th floor.

The tall officer was completely bewildered, while the other officer realized what was happening: "There should be... other residents in the building who noticed the commotion."

"Absolutely right, truly worthy of being the guardians of peace in Feiyun City."

The detective didn't hold back his praise: "So, can we now rule out the possibility that the suspect is still in this apartment? Don't forget that succulent plant; it's not strange for neighbors to exchange gifts."

For some reason, a competitive spirit arose within him, and the short officer, who had been a beat slow to react earlier, immediately replied: "That's right, I understand! The criminal who sent the potted plant gift is likely hiding in one of the building's apartments. He couldn't have remained indifferent after hearing the noises coming from the deceased's room. In other words, the criminal is likely preparing to escape soon."

“Hmm! It seems our understanding has been synchronized.” Hugo said happily, “Locking down the building will not only help prevent the real culprit from escaping, but will also help us filter out the residents who are eager to leave the apartment building after the battle begins. Anyone with a brain knows that the murderer is likely hiding among them.”

“Even so, you can’t possibly pick out the one who gave the gift from all those people, can you?” The short police officer was still somewhat doubtful and looked at Hugo with unease.

"Who said I was going to look for people from the residents' homes?" The detective shrugged, then turned serious and expertly issued his orders—

“I’m going to the apartment manager to investigate some things. The information there can help complete the last piece of the puzzle. In the meantime, you will each guard the main entrance and the side entrance of the apartment. No one is allowed to leave, only to enter. Do not let anyone in the building leave.”

The elevator stopped on the first floor.

The officers, one tall and one short, opened their mouths, wanting to continue their rebuttal. However, there was nothing to criticize in the detective's previous long and rigorous reasoning, and coupled with the other party's unusually tough attitude, the officers had to admit that they had been completely overwhelmed by the man in front of them in terms of momentum. They finally nodded and agreed to Hugo's request.

The detective nodded smugly: "Well then, it's been a pleasure working with you. I've noted down your police numbers, and I'll have a good word for you with Miss Officer Jenny when I have the chance."

With his hands making a gun gesture, Hugo pointed his arms at the number plates on the two men's chests, then turned around gracefully, and the elevator doors opened at that moment.

Watching the detective in the white coat walk away gracefully towards the administrator's duty room, the short officer couldn't help but ask his colleague, "Did you understand what that detective was saying? He spoke so fast, I felt like I couldn't keep up with his train of thought."

“I thought I understood it when I was listening, but now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem like that at all. It’s like taking a math class from a different grade.” The partner scratched his head and said when asked, “Miss Officer Jenny and the others have only just entered the scene. Have they really discovered the murder trap? I really can’t believe it.”

"But thinking back, that flowerpot does seem a bit suspicious..."

"But that could be your preconceived notion. Even if it really was a killing machine, how can you be sure that the person who delivered the gift was someone from inside the building? They could very well have already gone out and gone into hiding."

“What you said makes sense, but…”

The two policemen looked at each other, then resignedly shrugged and spread their hands: "Let's just do as that person says."

Chapter 064: Outwitting and Outmaneuvering a Cunning Black Market Broker

The apartment manager was a gaunt old man who sat on a square wooden chair behind the glass of the duty room, silently and sternly staring at the air in front of him.

Beside him sat a Hayok that looked even thinner than him, its color dull, its tail drooping limply. It hadn't evolved yet, but it already looked more old and decrepit than a long-haired dog.

Hugo knocked on the glass door of the duty room, but when the old man did not respond, he opened the door and went inside.

The apartment manager and Hayok glanced slowly at the detective in the white coat, as if they were two mechanical devices linked together by levers. Then, without a word, they both pursed their lips, turned back, and continued their staring contest into the void.

Hugo didn't seem to mind the cold treatment he received; his shifty eyes scanned the surroundings of the duty room.

Broken tables, broken chairs, wall clocks, landline telephones, old fans, locked drawers, sticky notes covered with distorted symbols, wastepaper baskets overflowing with miscellaneous items... In the cramped duty room, every single object is visible.

Hugo's gaze casually swept over the illegible note, and his eyes began to show amusement.

"Ahem." The detective suddenly cleared his throat and said to the old man, "Sir, besides being an apartment manager, you must also be doing some real estate agency work, right?"

The apartment manager, with droopy eyelids, glanced listlessly at the detective but remained silent.

“Generally speaking, it’s perfectly legal for individuals to work as real estate agents and charge small fees,” Hugo said with a smile. “However, this apartment building looks very high-end, so the requirements for the apartment managers should be stricter, right? For example, shouldn’t managers be prohibited from using residents’ information for profit?”

Hayok suddenly bared his fangs and let out a low growl at the detective, but the old man tapped him on the head, and he quieted down.

"How did you figure that out?" The old and hoarse voice, carrying an aura of decay, wafted over.

Hugo didn't hide anything either—

"Your desk drawer was locked. A typical security guard wouldn't do that for easy access, which suggests something confidential is inside. The landline's buttons are badly worn, but the casing is relatively new, suggesting you make calls frequently. The trash can contained crumpled carbon paper and tissues with light red dots; I suspect you recently processed a contract, and the tissues were used to wipe away ink stains. As for that note…"

At this point, the detective couldn't help but chuckle: "You don't actually think that as long as the handwriting is messy and uses a lot of cursive, people won't be able to tell that this is a list of rental properties, do you? I suppose whenever a new client comes in, you just glance at the numbers on the slip of paper, then tell them the room numbers recorded on it, and let them tour the apartments that are currently available for rent."

The administrator gave a forced smile and said, "You self-righteous fool, stop wasting your breath and tell me what you're here for."

“A murder case,” Hugo said bluntly. “I’m a private investigator outside the alliance system. I’d like to know if Mr. Greta, who died in his own home, was ever your client?”

The apartment building manager, who was also the first person to discover the crime scene, silently shook his head.