Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"Are you saying that these Unova supporters treat me like an idol, and regardless of whether I come to Unova or not, they at least got a party?"

The detective indicated that this was exactly what he meant.

"Only this explanation can account for the copycat actions that have occurred throughout the United States, and these actions have not damaged your reputation as Champion of the Bamboo Crest, but will instead add a badge of honor to you as a Guardian of the United States—this post is irrefutable evidence. You can screenshot it and send it to the League, and they will understand in an instant."

Hugo looked directly at the champion of the Cynthia across from him: "And you did indeed come to Unova as they wished. In a sense, they succeeded."

......

The detective reached for the Poké Ball containing the Turtwig, intending to stylishly put it back in the suitcase, but was stopped by Cynthia raising her hand.

"But that's not the truth, is it?"

Seeing that the detective had already given a lengthy explanation of the real culprit, Zhu Lan simply rejected all of her reasoning.

"There are a total of eight recorded imitation incidents, each accompanied by the upholding of justice. In the last one, a month ago, during the Team Plasma kidnapping incident near Yagura Forest, my signature Pokémon Garchomp even appeared."

"That's perfectly natural. It would be strange if there wasn't a single Garchomp in your group."

"No, Hugo, please stop making excuses." Zhu Lan raised her index finger to signal Hugo to shut up.

"On the day this incident happened, my opponent in the league game withdrew for some reason, so the match was canceled. I took some time to go back to my hometown of Shenhe Town."

呲——

The detective gasped, closing his eyes in despair. He realized a glaring flaw in the imposter's deception, a flaw that was now being slowly revealed from Zhu Lan's lips.

"The first Garchomp I bred, the one that accompanied me to the league and won the championship before retiring—it's not in my backyard."

Chapter 005 The Imitation Game

Hugo, feigning composure, asked in a businesslike tone, "Miss Zhulan, do you believe there's any connection between your Garchomp's disappearance and this impersonation case? Did it eventually return to you?"

Seeing that the detective in front of her was still pretending to be confused, Cynthia didn't waste any words. She skillfully took out a Poké Ball and threw it into the aisle of the cafe: "Come out, Garchomp!"

Amidst a brilliant flash of emerald red light, the Pokémon's figure emerges from the Poké Ball: Garchomp—Cyndaquil's longtime partner.

The Garchomp that throws its ball is robust, with bony spikes protruding from its matte blue skin. However, compared to the Garchomp that Cynthia uses in competitions, its skin doesn't appear as rough—thanks to its "Sand Veil" ability.

As it released the ball, it let out a low growl in the cafe, demonstrating its excellent condition to the trainer.

Then it saw Detective Hugo... The ferocious earth dragon immediately rushed forward excitedly, its fierce expression vanishing, and began rubbing its head on Hugo's chest.

A bit silly...

"No, no, I don't know you." Hugo pushed the dragon head away in resistance, and Cynthia's Garchomp retreated to its master's side, looking confused.

"Did this guy ask you for help last month?" Zhu Lan asked her old partner, pointing at Hugo.

Garchomp tilted its head and looked at Hugo, then nodded without hesitation.

The detective's face was ashen.

"What's this called in your local terminology?" the Sinnoh champion joked.

“A key eyewitness,” Hugo said mechanically, his voice trembling with disbelief. “While not enough to warrant a guilty verdict, we can now apply for an arrest warrant from Officer Jenny.”

Cynthia chuckled: "The real culprit is you, Hugo, the detective who moved from Sinnoh to Unova a year ago. You were mistaken for someone else because you were seen using a spare Pokémon I left at my old home."

Hugo stared at Garchomp beside Cynthia, who was bewildered by what had happened, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

I thought the fan club's activities would perfectly cover up my whereabouts, but unexpectedly, Cynthia happened to have a bye in the competition and witnessed Garchomp's disappearance...

"During the year you were expelled from Sinnoh, you encountered many dangerous incidents, and each time you had to borrow my backup team from God and your home, because you couldn't command any Pokémon except for them."

In the café, Zhu Lan, the champion, unleashed her full authority, her aura as she identified the murderer even more convincing than that of the real detective Hugo.

“Not that many. Only the first two times and the last time.” Hugo bowed his head to the table as if confessing, clutching his head with his hands, which was covered in messy black hair.

"The famous detective who insists on not using Pokémon has been secretly borrowing other people's Pokémon all along," Cynthia said with a playful smile.

“When I first arrived at Hezhong, the working conditions were extremely harsh. I only contacted my family because I was in dire straits and had nowhere else to turn…”

Hugo covered his head and tried to defend himself, continuing to struggle.

"Listen to me, the impersonation incidents were really done by your die-hard fans. After the first two incidents, they saw the speculation online that the Sinnoh Champions were secretly active in Unova, and they got excited and started patrolling the streets every day with the same Pokémon to fight evil and crime. It's like imitating acts of heroism, the opposite of copycat crimes. I've noticed these follow-ups and started investigating, so even if you hadn't come here, I would have handled this farce myself."

"Tell me the truth about those times." Ignoring the cheerleaders' questions, Zhu Lan glared sternly at the detective.

"The first two times were because I had just arrived in Unova. Although I discovered the emergency cases in advance, no one here believed in my ability as a detective, so I had to contact my grandma at the Pokémon Center to send the Pokémon from the backyard over to help."

"Were you referring to the subway explosion and the theft of Dream Smoke?"

"Yes, that bomber had a strong desire to perform. Before carrying out the subway bombing, he had already caused several small explosions in uninhabited areas. At that time, the suspect's identity could have been identified through criminal profiling, but unfortunately, no one took my warning seriously..."

At this point, the detective shook his head regretfully.

"Afterwards, I investigated the culprit's recent itinerary on my own and found that he had been taking the Battle Subway an unusually large number of times recently. So, while I was calling the police, I asked Venostat and Gastrodon to secretly follow the suspect. The Ghost-type Venostat is the best tracker, and Gastrodon can use mud and water vapor to deal with bombs, so I chose them. But I didn't expect that he was already in the process of planting bombs at that time, and the incident turned into a sudden battle... although it was all Venostat and the others fighting by themselves."

Was Togekiss from the Dream Smoke event also something he brought with him when he set off?

"It wasn't that I was being led, but rather that I was being led. If it weren't for it, I wouldn't have been able to get to the Dream Lab in Sanyo City in time. This theft is far more serious than it appears. The unknown organization from before has now been identified as a clandestine organization called Team Plasma, whose main activities include money laundering, fraud, pyramid schemes, and poaching. They have a strict hierarchy and clear division of labor, and they also maintain a highly capable research team. If they were to acquire the technology to control wild Pokémon, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"You already know about the plasma cluster?"

"Tracking down a hidden evil organization in a region is a task that is both complex and simple. You just need to investigate all the recent well-planned but unmotivated crimes and then find a common beneficiary among them—that's how I discovered this organization. They used the guise of third-rate Pokémon protectionism, such as Pokémon liberation, to secretly get involved in several Pokémon robberies, but it now seems that their goals are far more than that."

"Is the incident last month involving Garchomp also related to this organization?" Cynthia wondered.

Hugo nodded: "The kidnapper was a former Team Plasma member who had left the organization and was ostracized even within the evil organization for his extreme ideology. In order to further investigate Team Plasma, I bypassed the police and contacted the victim of the kidnapping directly. That person also needed an unofficial detective. Because the target was too dangerous, I had no choice but to ask Garchomp for help."

"A fight broke out and was filmed."

Zhu Lan picked up the photo and waved it in front of Hugo, then said...

"Actually, as a trainer, I can tell which Pokémon belong to me just by looking at their photos. Rockruff, Togekiss, Garchomp—they all have subtle but unique individual characteristics. So I can confirm that what you are saying is true."

"Trainers are really amazing," Hugo casually remarked with little interest.

He casually pulled a pen from the pocket of his white coat, handed it to the other person, and then picked up the receipt from when Zhu Lan bought the shaved ice.

"Sign your name on it, and then I will pass your autograph to the fan club. After receiving this generous gift, they should not do such stupid things again."

"Are you stopping because you're satisfied? Wouldn't that be a bad way to handle it?" the Sinnoh champion asked while readily signing autographs.

"No, there's only one autograph. I bet that fan club will fall apart because of the unequal distribution of the spoils."

The detective deliberately spoke coldly, placing the invoice bearing the Sinnoh champion's signature into a small, transparent bag used for evidence. At the same time, he secretly put his phone back in his pocket; a new photo had appeared in his album—a candid shot of the Cynthia champion writing on the invoice.

Will they believe this is my signature?

“I will persuade them,” Hugo assured him confidently.

"Alright, the case is successfully closed. Grass Turtle, it's been a very pleasant time with you, but it's time to say goodbye."

Hugo casually picked up the Turtle Poké Ball from the opposite corner of the table, said a perfunctory goodbye, stuffed the ball back into the suitcase, skillfully closed the suitcase, fastened the clasp, and returned it to Cynthia.

"I suddenly remembered that I still have a case to wrap up, so I'll take my leave now."

"Garuda, stop him," Cynthia said coldly.

The earth dragon's massive body blocked Hugo's seat, while the detective trembled beneath its scythe.

"You forgot to take your suitcase."

Zhu Lan flicked her golden hair back, a gesture she habitually made when unleashing a fatal blow in the Alliance War.

"I've resolved the case. You can use the actions of the support group to explain this incident to the league!" Hugo protested.

"You concealed the truth and even stole my Pokémon from home. You can continue to use my spare team as henchmen to solve cases, but I think it's time for you to train your own Pokémon."

"This is the only one I won't do. I don't want to catch any more Pokémon!"

Hugo raised his voice, drawing disapproving glances from the waiter. Sure enough, this guy in the white coat was still not very reliable.

“You have it, I believe in our family genes, my dear brother,” Zhu Lan said.

……

After a period of silence.

"Huh! Eh! That Detective Hugo is actually... Rotom, Rotom can't understand..."

After glancing at Zhu Lan and then at the detective, Rotom, the cell phone that had only recently been tamed by Zhu Lan, belatedly realized the truth.

It wanted to say something more, but Cynthia, annoyed by the noise, recalled it with a Poké Ball.

Chapter 006 The Stir-fried Pig Incident

Hugo eventually escaped from the café.

Although Cyndaquil Champion was ruthless and decisive, she still had a conscience and did not order Garchomp to attack her younger brother.

At that moment, the detective, who was in trouble, suddenly stood up, grabbed the back of the chair and flipped out of his seat, breaking free from the encirclement formed by Cyndaquil, Garchomp, and the wall, and ran out of the cafe door, fleeing in a sorry state like a Pokémon with the "Escape" ability.

The blond champion calmly watched this scene without saying a word. He simply picked up the glass of shaved ice, drank it expressionlessly, and then gave the dumbfounded waiter a generous tip.

Cynthia opened the suitcase and looked at the three Pokémon inside.

These are the three Pokémon with the best personalities that she personally selected from the Yamanashi Research Institute. How can she get Hugo to accept them?

The Garchomp tilted its head, completely oblivious to the current situation. After all these years, it still hadn't figured out the subtle dynamic between the siblings...

……

Outside the coffee shop.

After many twists and turns, the detective, having finally shaken off his champion sister's pursuit, was panting in the deep alley.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket, and a melodious yet strange ringtone sounded.

Upon opening the screen, I saw it was a call from the police, Ms. Officer Jenny from the Feiyun City Police Department.

"Hey, cough cough cough... This is Hugo."

"This is Officer Jenny. There's been a murder near Sewer Exit 3. The body was burned beyond recognition, and there are no valuable clues at the scene. Is it convenient for you to come to the scene now? Hello, you sound unwell?"

Hugo glanced quickly at the timetable next to the subway station and replied, "Very convenient, I'll be there in eighteen minutes. I'm panting because I just sprinted out of the house to buy a limited-time discounted ice cream."

"Ice cream? Is it Feiyun Ice Cream? But today isn't Tuesday."

Officer Jenny's voice came through the phone, seemingly distracted by the ice cream.

Due to its popularity, the local specialty Fei Yun ice cream is usually only available on Tuesdays, the day it is supplied. In addition, ice cream shops close in winter, making the already scarce Fei Yun ice cream even more difficult to obtain.

"No, it's just a common variety from street vendors. Do you want me to get one for you?"

Out of politeness, and also to curry favor with his valuable connections at the Feiyun Police Station, Hugo casually asked a question.

"…………"

The policewoman on the other end of the phone was caught in a deep psychological struggle.

After a twenty-second pause, the phone clicked its tongue in frustration: "No need. It wouldn't look good if a policeman was eating ice cream next to a charred corpse."

"I've hesitated for too long!" Hugo thought to himself.

.

Eighteen minutes later, the detective, dressed in a shabby white suit, arrived at the crime scene via the Flying Cloud City subway. He saw Officer Jenny in her beige police uniform from the Unova region, and the charred corpse inside the cordon.

"There was also an injured leopard here, which was also injured by the fire, but it was only a minor injury and has been sent to the Pokémon Center for treatment."

Stepping away from her colleagues who were gathering evidence, Officer Jenny explained the case to the detective who was putting on white rubber gloves.

Ms. Officer Jenny is a senior police officer at the Feiyun City Police Department. She usually handles public security cases, but for some reason, she is here today to oversee a murder scene.

"There have been an unusually large number of clashes in the city today, and the police department is unable to spare any personnel."

Officer Jenny noticed Hugo's confusion and kindly offered to explain.

"Forced duels, retaliatory battles, capture rights disputes, the use of powerful moves in public places... Feiyun City has become increasingly chaotic lately, with trainers often fighting over trivial matters."

The policewoman shrugged and continued explaining the current situation.

"At first, we only heard that there was a vicious Pokémon battle here. When we arrived at the scene, we found that someone had died. The investigators haven't arrived yet. The identity of the deceased is unknown, and the murderer is likely on the run, so we thought we'd have you come and assist with the investigation of the scene."

Officer Jenny's decision was very wise, and the detective who was invited nodded in agreement, while looking around.

The crime scene was near the sewer entrance, surrounded by wasteland, with obvious signs of fire in the vicinity.

A charred male corpse lay sprawled in front of the stairwell entrance, its body completely blackened. On the ground in front of the body were claw marks, craters from an impact, and fan-shaped scorch marks from a Pokémon's fire breath.

Hugo looked at the body again, his gaze lingering on the deceased's face for a moment, and asked Officer Jenny, "Creation after death?"