Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"Hugo, have you thought of any clues related to the case?"

“I can vaguely connect some things,” Hugo said with a deep gaze.

"The truth behind this incident is complex and multifaceted, involving the twisted and bizarre news industry in the Unova region, the unfathomable dark web of the internet, the case at hand, and the clandestine conspiracies of an evil organization… A crucial link is missing from the deduction, leaving the entire hypothesis shrouded in chaos. I apologize, even I cannot fully explain the situation to you. What I do know for now is—"

The detective took a deep breath and began again: "Regarding this case alone, we can deduce the following facts: First, the geologist died in a conspiracy completely unrelated to him; second, the Plasma Group was conducting some kind of transaction with a foreign organization, and the victim accidentally discovered it; third, the person who killed the victim is about to leave the United States."

"Why... No, now is not the time to get to the bottom of things, Hugo, what should we do?" The assistant's gaze shifted from confusion to determination, and she looked at the detective in the white coat with high spirits.

Hugo looked bewildered, a rare expression of confusion on his face: "I can't be sure. I only know that this deal exists, but I can't deduce its specific form or the parties involved. We're missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. Without finding it, we'll be fighting against nothing but empty air."

At that moment, strange bell sounds came from all around.

"Hugo, it's your phone," Azure reminded him.

The detective glanced at his phone; it was a call from the agency's landline. This was highly suspicious. Only the Grass Sprout Turtle was left at the Feathered Residence. Who could be calling?

Hugo gestured for everyone to be quiet and then pressed the speakerphone button to connect the call.

Two whip cracking sounds came from the other end of the phone.

The detective immediately understood and explained to the other two, "This is the Grass Turtle using its 'grass knot' to prove its identity to us." Then he replied into the phone, "Grass Turtle, I know it's you. Is there anything important?"

Surprisingly, the turtle's calls didn't continue. Instead, everyone heard a crisp sound of typing, followed by an audio clip playing from the phone.

The audio clip features a woman's voice with a standard broadcast accent; it's clearly a clip from a news report.

"...During this meeting, the Chairman of the Unova League warmly received Mr. Zvage, President of Hoenn Devon Corporation. The two sides discussed a number of issues, including energy security and the Pokémon ecosystem. The meeting concluded in a friendly atmosphere..."

Azure and the old man Naoki were confused, but the detective was struck dumb, and his hand holding the phone even trembled slightly.

Inside the Feathered Residence, the little green turtle hung up the phone, lazily yawning with its big head. It used a blade of grass to move the mouse and turn off the news video that was playing.

In another corner of the computer monitor, the same blurry video was still playing continuously. The video was from the security camera footage that Azur Lane had obtained from the convenience store.

The video consists of only a few frames. In the enlarged image, a middle-aged man with white hair is leading two of his men through a corner of the street.

And that middle-aged man actually bore a striking resemblance to the chairman of Devon Corporation, a giant corporation in the Hoenn region!

Chapter 94 Geologists and Imposters

Samuel was a geology PhD who studied sedimentology and structural geology.

In the isolated United States, geology is an extremely obscure subject. So obscure that even when scholars achieve significant breakthroughs in this field, they don't receive much enthusiastic response.

But Mr. Samuel still loved this discipline that dealt with stones.

Throughout his thirty-year academic career, he has been constantly studying the internal structure of this blue planet, while also paying attention to the soil beneath his feet and the meteorites in outer space.

He collaborated with archaeologists to accurately determine the age of the ancient city buried beneath the desert; he personally surveyed every landform on this continent, deducing the approximate distribution of the Unova during the Paleozoic era on the Pangaea plate; he also ambitiously published an encyclopedia of Unova's underground minerals, but ultimately sales were disappointing...

To outsiders, Samuel was a complete outsider, rarely appearing in public. University students would occasionally see this always travel-worn man, dressed in unassuming, simple clothes, his face etched with a weary expression that kept strangers at bay.

It neither offends people nor attracts attention, just like a stone that can be seen everywhere by the roadside.

He either spent his time tinkering with stones in his university lab or sleeping outdoors in the desolate desert. He had no social life, no friends, and his few relatives treated him as if he were already dead. His only romance ended with his wife's angry rebukes because of his neglect of his family.

But Samuel was still studying the stone—

The magma flowing beneath the earth, the bedrock beneath the weathered layer of the land surface, the axe-cut cliffs, the charred remains in the meteorite crater, the stalactites in the deep cave, the city bricks of the ancient kingdom... These silent yet solid rocks captivated this equally dull man, so he continued to wander alone among the mountains and barren hills, enjoying it immensely.

Recently, a new round of field surveys was launched in the Snowflake Wetlands in the northwestern part of the Unova region. While investigating the ecology of wild Pokémon, the expedition team discovered a strange rock in the nest of a social Toad King.

It's not entirely accurate to say that the expedition team discovered it; they were just passing by and captured precious footage of wild Pokémon nursing their young. At the time, none of the people in the group noticed the strange mineral with its pinkish sheen.

Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, Mr. Samuel, who stayed overnight at the camp instead of traveling with the group, eventually saw the stone.

After seeing his companion's photos, the geology fanatic charged into the Toad King's lair in the wetlands, yelling and screaming. Almost under the combined attack of the wild creatures, he managed to drag a half-person-high rock back to camp.

Faced with questions from fellow scholars, Samuel passionately explained it this way—

"This rock could be the biggest geological discovery in Unova in the last decade! Its rock characteristics are almost identical to those of Mega Rock Ore from regions like Hoenn and Kalos! There is a strong possibility that this rock contains a special ore that can Mega Evolve Pokémon! If we can confirm its existence and analyze the reason for its appearance in Unova, it could potentially overturn our current understanding of the Mega Evolution phenomenon!"

However, people's perceptions are not so easily overturned. The prejudices of educated people are actually far greater than those of ordinary people. Their minds contain many self-consistent theoretical systems, enough to convince themselves to reject truths that defy common sense and continue to stick to their own opinions.

There is no Mega Evolution in the Unova region; this is common knowledge among local scholars. Therefore, the scientists who were with him dismissed the geology PhD's discovery, and Samuel had no choice but to take the rock back to the university to continue his research.

At university, he polished a pink gemstone hidden in a rock. Both its appearance and the analysis of its internal energy fluctuations seemed to prove that this jewel, dug out of wetland rocks, was a genuine Mega Evolution Stone.

Dr. Samuel could have reported his research findings directly to the Elf League through the university.

However, he changed his mind after he happened to see the news on the public television in the school cafeteria.

President Zufitch, the head of Devon Corporation, the father of Daigo Zufitch, the man from Hoenn, he has come to Unova!

For geological researchers, the Hoenn region is simply paradise.

Abundant resources, diverse terrain, and a strong emphasis on geology and mineralogy; the current champion is also a stone enthusiast; and even one of the two major local evil organizations is passionately praising the land.

Considering that the topic of super evolution is a hot topic in the academic community in the Hoenn region, and that Devon Corporation is heavily sponsoring related research projects, Samuel had long had the idea of ​​going to the Hoenn region to publish his research results.

And now is the perfect time!

President Zvage is visiting Unova! He doesn't even need to fly across the ocean to the Hoenn region; he can meet this important figure simply by taking a car to the dock in Flying Cloud City!

Watching the news footage on TV of the white-haired president of Zvoich waving to those around him as he stepped off the giant luxury cruise ship, Samuel easily made up his mind.

.

The three-man detective team mingled in the makeshift police post set up on the beach.

"Hugo, Officer Jenny and the others have identified the deceased." Azure put down her phone and reported to the detective in a very fast voice.

"It was a geology PhD named Samuel. Six months ago, during a field survey, he found a large rock in a nest in the Snowflake Wetland. The scientists who were with him said they believed that the rock contained a super evolution stone. The university has already identified the deceased's portrait photo, and they say that it is indeed Samuel."

"Have you called Tetsuya from Hoenn?"

"I've already called him. He said he wasn't very clear about the president's situation, but he has Daigo's contact information and is currently confirming it."

Azure's phone vibrated, and the girl answered it immediately. After listening for only a few seconds, Azure loudly reported to the detective, "President Zivucci has not left the Hoenn region in the past six months. He is currently inside the Devon Corporation building!"

The detective snapped his fingers crisply.

"That makes sense."

Hugo breathed a long sigh of relief; he now knew the full picture of the case.

He was incredibly grateful for Torterra's meticulous nature. This usually unassuming Torterra possessed exceptionally keen eyesight and astonishing stamina beyond that of any ordinary Pokémon. Even humans couldn't accurately capture a fleeting pixel of a suspicious person in hours of fast-forwarded video footage.

"The situation is clear now. The president of Unova, Zvoch, was impersonated. This imposter came to the Unova region openly as a celebrity, hoping to take the opportunity to make some kind of deal with Team Plasma. But his identity was discovered by Samuel."

Hugo sighed. Only a few months had passed, and yet another serious case of celebrity impersonation had occurred in the United States. Truly, life is unpredictable.

It's certain that there is no such unofficial organization as the "Zufuge President's Support Group" in the Unova region. But this imposter's acting skills are even more superb, having even fooled the president of the Unova Pokémon League.

"Was your identity exposed because of that stone?" asked the old man Naoki, who had been following the detective and his assistant.

“Yes,” Hugo nodded. “Samuel discovered the Mega Stones native to the Unova region, and naturally he hopes to publish this academic finding in the Hoenn region, because research on Mega Evolution is more valued there, and Devon Corporation is vigorously promoting a new energy project centered on the theory of Mega Evolution. Publishing the paper there will not only gain wider recognition, but also potentially secure a large amount of research funding…”

"And then he saw the imposter President Zvoich appear on the TV news?" Azure asked, following up on the question.

"That's right, Samuel naturally thought: President Zuvucci is the father of that Hoenn champion who is obsessed with stones, and he also has a deep understanding of geology. Moreover, he is the president of Devon Corporation and the initiator of the new energy project. It is obviously more likely to succeed by communicating directly with Zuvucci with the Mega Stone, and he will be more valued. So Mr. Samuel wore an expensive suit and came to Flying Cloud City alone with the Mega Stone."

"Then the doctor realized that the president was an imposter, and the imposter killed him on the spot? But the timing of the incident doesn't make sense. President Zvoich visited United States a month ago, and that imposter even went to the United States headquarters once."

“That’s precisely where their ruthlessness lies,” Hugo said with a grim face. “The two actually met twice. The first time was when ‘President Zvoich’ first arrived in Flying Cloud City. Samuel approached him and tried to sell him his research results, but the imposter wasn’t interested and casually dismissed Samuel.”

"Afterwards, perhaps realizing that he had exposed his weakness, before leaving the United Continent, the imposter summoned Samuel to Flying Cloud City and executed our victim to silence him. As long as Samuel stopped speaking, no one could discover the flaw left by the imposter. It was precisely because of this that the murderer dared to abandon the body in the shallows of the beach without disposing of it."

The detective gazed intently at the sea: "Anyway, they're about to fly far away."

Chapter 95 The Song of the Whaling Ship

"The situation is urgent; we must find a way to catch this murderer!"

Recalling the bewildered face on Mr. Samuel's corpse, the assistant's sense of justice surged within her, and she unleashed a barrage of questions like a machine gun—

"Where did they escape from? Where might they be now? Is there any way we can catch up?"

"The murderers naturally fled from this beach where Mr. Samuel's body was abandoned. Judging from the time shown in the surveillance video sent by the Turtle, they should already be at sea, somewhere between Hoenn and Unova." Hugo paused for half a second, then said expressionlessly.

"Can we catch up?" Old man Naoki asked.

"I'm not sure." The detective stroked his chin, a troubled expression on his face.

“They have been at it for at least a whole night. Although we don’t know what kind of transportation they used for their long voyage, it would be difficult for ordinary ships to catch up with them. Moreover, visibility at sea is poor, and we cannot identify which ship the murderer was on just by looking at it.”

"Boat?"

The old man's face, which had been almost wrinkled like a walnut, suddenly relaxed.

"Do you need a ship that is fast, equipped with observation equipment such as high-powered telescopes, and also has some means of attack and interception?"

The detective looked at the old man with some surprise and nodded: "Do you know a ship owner like this?"

The elderly trainer instantly straightened his back and responded with unprecedented pride—

“When I was young, I knew a water combat expert in the neighborhood who had a ship like this, a real whaling ship!”

.

Naoki's face seemed to be exceptionally useful.

In less than an hour, Detective Hugo and his assistant Azure spotted a well-maintained, gleaming "modern" fishing boat.

However, the ship shows obvious signs of modification, with an oversized steam boiler installed on its hull and short-bladed waterjet propulsion devices added to both sides. The extent of the modifications is so great that it almost doesn't look like a ship anymore.

This steel machine, seemingly pulled out of a science fiction comic, slowly descended into the water, pulled by two red and blue Pokémon dressed in karate uniforms, stirring up a huge spray of water.

"Naoki, are you serious? You found traces of a wild whale king in the nearby waters?"

An elderly man with dark skin and white hair excitedly shook Naoki's shoulders.

The gaunt old man stood up with difficulty, like a sapling in a storm, but nodded without changing his expression.

“I saw a water column shooting into the sky off the coast of Flying Cloud City. That was undoubtedly Wailord surfacing to breathe. Doug, I came to tell you right away because we've been friends for years.”

Wasn't that a runaway starfish's "parting gift" to the fisherman? It's a wonder the old gatekeeper would bring this up as nonsense.

"That's right! I saw it from the shore too. The towering water column turned into a rainbow in the sunlight. Only a Pokémon of exceptionally large size could make such a huge commotion."

Clever Azure immediately chimed in—these two had been bickering just a short while ago, and now they were putting on a coordinated act. The detective was speechless for a moment.

Upon hearing Azure describe them as "exceptionally large," the old man named Doug's eyes gleamed, but he still asked, "Naoki, who are these two?"

Azure and the old man Naoki were momentarily speechless. At this moment, the detective stepped forward, straightened his wrinkled white suit jacket, and said humbly and politely to the old man—

“We are tourists from out of town traveling with United Travel. While sightseeing at the beach, we heard about the chance to witness a wild roaring whale king, so we are very curious and hope that you can give us a ride when you whaling.”

Well, it seems that none of the detectives present have the right to criticize each other. Every single one of them is a shameless liar who lies as easily as breathing.

"We think we saw that dark shape underwater swimming towards the Hoenn Passage, but it could just be our imagination..." Hugo revealed a half-truth, half-lies, "Speaking of which, aren't Pokémon in the open ocean often moving with warm ocean currents?"

"Don't say anything, come with me on the boat!" The old man, who loved whaling, was hooked almost instantly. He eagerly climbed into the cabin and started adjusting the ship's machinery.

“Two young men, right? Perfect, come up on deck and lend a hand. You can never have too many whaling sailors.” Mr. Doug spoke with the air of an old captain. “Naoki, go rob a convenience store and come back. We’re staying on the ship this month until we catch the wild howling whale king. Buy some more fruit and dry rations.”

“Mr. Doug, I’m somewhat interested in the ocean-going vessels in the United States. May I borrow their telescopes when I have some free time?” Hugo asked the old whaling man, not forgetting his goal of capturing the criminal.

Doug waved his hand: "It's alright. Tracking Wailord mainly relies on underwater sonar. Feel free to use the telescopes on the deck."

Thank you very much.

The detective and his assistant boarded the ship without hesitation. A little while later, old man Naoki returned with a cartload of supplies, which Doug's throwing and striking demons helped him load onto the whaling ship.

The midday sea breeze rustled the signal flags on the marker, and the old captain stood at the bow, full of vigor.

"Raise anchor, let's set sail!"

With Mr. Doug's command, the roar of the boilers began to assault the crew's eardrums, and surging waves rose from the stern.

The motorized whaling vessel, reportedly named the "Bictini," sped toward the depths of the sea with an acceleration that was exceptional for its kind.

.

A week later.

"Hugo, I don't know if it's because I've eaten too much compressed food, but I think I'm hallucinating. Why do I feel like your hair is starting to lose its color?"

Looking much more haggard, Azure asked the detective, who was slumped over resting by the binoculars.

The two men's current dejected appearance was for a reason: the speed of the Victini, which was enough to catch up with a pod of whales, was indeed outstanding, but it also brought unimaginable turbulence. Both Hugo and Azure suffered greatly at the beginning of the voyage.

Old man Naoki, on the other hand, still looked half-dead and listless, showing little change.