Pokémon Detective Case Files.

By this time, the chestnut-haired girl had read through all the notes Hugo had laid out. Just as the detective had said, they were all photos and interviews related to the events before and after the incident.

Aside from the photos, the interview didn't contain any gory phrases like "Pokémon died in the factory," but rather sentences from passersby and reporters describing the situation at the scene.

"A close call, no casualties"—this was the most frequently repeated phrase during the interviews, as if the explosion was just a firework blooming in the city.

Bilan reviewed one of the employee interviews again and asked uncertainly, "The anomaly is that Factory Manager William discovered the signs of the explosion in advance? The biggest suspicious point is that he was able to save all the employees without a single one of them, given how sudden and rapid the explosion was."

"We've already discussed this on the ship. The factory manager is indeed suspicious. But we can't accuse him of murdering his entire team of elves based solely on the evidence that he saved all the factory's employees. The investigation must be grounded in reality: contradictions, evidence, reasoning, deduction, and the truth. Only by going through these essential steps can we confront the murderer with a clear conscience. Don't think you can challenge a world boss right after leaving the starting village—now, draw that best sword in the village and welcome the thunderous cheers of the audience."

"What a cliché metaphor..." the girl muttered.

Victor Hugo always liked to speak passionately about very ordinary things. But if you skipped his speech before revealing the truth and explained the events in the simplest terms, it would only take a few lines.

The girl closed her eyes and reviewed the detective's words from that night.

Explosion... police... passersby... employees... a cacophony of voices... flames shooting into the sky... police cars... firefighters... reporters...

The cheers of the audience… the spectators around the explosion site… the police station's movements… the distortion of reality… the absence…

As if inspiration struck in an instant, the girl saw something strange and eerie in the clipping.

Just as she was about to blurt it out—

"Missing, the siren sound, right?"

The girl and the detective turned around abruptly at the same time, and saw a blue heart-shaped bat flapping its large wings outside the window of the narrow single room!

Beneath its black bat claws hung a figure dressed in white.

A young man wearing a black and white baseball cap and with green hair appeared under the bright moonlight.

Chapter 125 What kind of person is N?

A gentle voice drifted into the room from outside the window—

"Heart Bat, please use your telekinesis to open the window."

Azure immediately tensed up and looked at the detective who had jumped down from the table. Seeing the latter gently shake his head, he refrained from immediately sending Eevee and Ditto to defend against the enemy.

As the latch on the inner window slowly opened with a wave of telekinesis, the girl couldn't help but recall a passage from Hugo's so-called secret chamber lecture—

In the category of locked room tricks, locked rooms created by Pokémon psychic abilities are a distinct category.

The method of carrying out this trick is simple and crude: use superpowers to allow the prisoner to freely enter and exit the enclosed space; or use telekinesis to unlock the locking device, thereby helping the prisoner enter the secret room, and then use telekinesis to lock the room again after leaving.

This method is common in mystery novels in this world, and the way to crack it is also exceptionally simple—any release of a superpower skill will cause superpower fluctuations that are invisible to the naked eye but leave obvious traces, which can be detected by a fellow superpower holder or Pokémon with a little investigation.

The police have also prepared for this, and will immediately deploy Psychic-type Pokémon to assist in the investigation when encountering locked-room incidents.

Therefore, the superpowered secret room, like the secret room created by the Ghost-type Pokémon that can walk through walls, is a cliché trick that seems very strange at first glance, but is extremely childish in the eyes of experts.

Just as the girl was distracted, Heart Bat had already opened the window smoothly, and the person outside calmly stepped into the room where the detective and his assistant were.

Surprisingly, the blue bat that brought the green-haired youth did not enter the house, nor did the youth take out a Poké Ball to put it back in. He simply waved his hand, and the heart-bat nodded and flew back into the distant night.

"It seems our client shares a similar perspective on this matter?"

The detective leaned against the table, not as nervous as Azure, but simply scanned the uninvited guest from head to toe, tentatively asking questions.

"I certainly have my own opinions, but please allow me to introduce myself first."

The guest removed his black and white baseball cap and gave a standard bow.

"Nice to meet you, Lord Hugo, Lord Azure, good evening. My name is N, and I am currently a traveler on the continent. Like you, I am investigating the truth behind the explosion at the Liyong Power Plant."

N's greetings were textbook-perfect, methodical, and his demeanor could even be described as somewhat humble.

But in Bilan's eyes, these actions, performed by a stranger who had trespassed into a guest room, carried an air of arrogance and fearlessness.

So she instinctively asked, "How did you find our place? Why did you come here?"

The young man named N smiled warmly and replied gently, "The Pokémon around here told me that you two seem to be a very interesting pair in their eyes, and they are quite impressed with that. I was also very curious about the detective duo that Miss Douzi mentioned, so I had them lead the way here."

"Then why isn't Douzi with you? Introducing friends through friends is the more common-sense way to socialize, isn't it?"

Seeing that Azure was asking about N's purpose, Hugo seized the opportunity to interject with questions, pointing out the irrationality of the current situation.

"Hmm...a social activity?"

As if he had heard some unfamiliar or difficult-to-understand term, N scratched his light green hair in annoyance: "I'm sorry, I don't know much about this. I'm very sorry if my behavior has caused you any trouble."

"Sigh, whether it's you or Telt, lately I keep running into guys who don't like to answer questions directly."

The detective clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, then simply pointed at the green-haired youth in front of him and bluntly stated the other party's purpose—

"You came here tonight alone, having sent Douzi away, with the intention of abandoning her to investigate the truth behind the explosion. Besides exchanging information with us, you also have another plan: to cancel the mission and urge us to leave Liyong City as soon as possible!"

The green-haired youth was startled by Hugo's sudden attack, and the look of astonishment on his face betrayed his inner thoughts, practically screaming "How did you know?"

How did I know?

Although anyone with eyes could see N's confusion at this moment, pointing it out directly was another matter entirely.

The green-haired youth's thoughts were once again guessed, causing him to become increasingly flustered, and his composure from his initial appearance vanished completely.

In the cramped single room, the momentum quietly returned to the detective's hands.

Azure saw the detective give a cold, aggressive laugh, pointing to the pendant at the young man's waist—

"The Menger sponge, a topological model that exists only in theory, has an infinitely large surface area and a volume close to zero. This is a toy you bought for yourself, and in a sense, it is also a kind of self-projected beacon. You, who like this kind of item, naturally live in a rational world, so you would not visit it without reason or simply to satisfy your curiosity—that would go against the personality you have shown."

Hugo spread his hands and began to reason logically and clearly using the process of elimination—

“Since it’s not a whim, what else could a client want from a detective? It’s either to exchange information or to cancel the investigation. And if your goal is only the former, there’s no need to send Douzi away and meet with us alone.”

Azure suddenly realized what was going on and looked at the green-haired youth in front of her with even more confusion.

However, the detective's reasoning did not stop there—

"So what kind of person are you, Your Excellency? I have collected descriptions of you from your followers. In their minds, you, dressed in white and able to talk to Pokémon, are like a saint who can bring miracles, cure diseases, stop droughts, walk on water, and feed five hundred people with two berries and five biscuits—"

“No, I didn’t…” N seemed to want to explain, but was interrupted by Hugo.

"Of course you're not that kind of saint. Someone who can perform miracles doesn't need to hire detectives. With that kind of effort, it would be much better to just revive the Pokémon that were blown up. In fact, it wasn't until I saw what you were wearing when you appeared that I realized what kind of person you, N, Nachoran Halmonia Gropius, the Team Plasma prince named 'Nature,' really are."

"What kind of person am I?"

N, whose full name had been called out, repeated the detective's probing question with some confusion.

"You have a powerful guardian and two sisters who are not related by blood. This is quite easy to deduce, it just requires a little dynamic vision—"

The detective pointed to the object in N's hand.

"The inside back of the baseball cap you took off has a three-part full name written on it, with the first word being your self-designation, so it must be your full name. The question is, who has the right to write this name on your hat? Of course, it can only be your parents, because you prefer the code name 'N' to your full name. If you wrote your own name, it wouldn't be so long. Your hat is neat and clean, so it can't be a childhood keepsake. Therefore, it must have been bought for you by your guardian in recent years, and they solemnly wrote your name on it. And even at night, you subconsciously wear a hat when you go out, which means that wearing a hat may have been a habit for you for many years. Your guardian brings you a new hat with your disliked full name written on it, and you obediently put it on—what kind of family relationship can we see from this?"

The detective held up a finger and shook his head slightly: "You know what? The act of writing one's name is often a manifestation of a desire for control. And writing one's own name versus writing someone else's name represents an uncontrollable desire to dominate."

“N, you may be a saint, but you are just a clay idol on an altar; you may be a prince, but there is an emperor with all the power in your kingdom; you may consider yourself free now, but your thoughts and ideas are all circling in the palm of someone’s hand.”

Chapter 126 The King of Plasma Clusters

Unrestrained words echoed in the cramped room, yet the detective continued his eloquent speech, each word dissecting the man before him like a scalpel—

"You're wearing different styles of bracelets on your left and right wrists: a classic gold square ring bracelet and a modern black track-shaped bracelet. Does this mean your aesthetic encompasses both ancient and modern, East and West, and that you like this mixed-style fashion? No, not at all. In terms of clothing, you're a complete minimalist; otherwise, you wouldn't be wearing a black undershirt with a white long-sleeved shirt."

Azure couldn't help but look at the green-haired youth's clothes and found that the detective's words were true: although this outfit suited N very well, and the two unique bracelets could even serve as small visual highlights, it certainly didn't look like something that someone would put together in one go according to their own aesthetic sense.

"So why are you wearing these two bracelets? It's because they are important gifts from two people you cherish, and you place them on your wrists in equal positions. Who are these two people? You once said that you only have Douzi as a decent friend, so the gift-giver doesn't seem like a friend to you. Yet these bracelets are clearly gifts from peers—the only explanation is that they are gifts from two sisters. As for why not an older brother or younger brother…"

Hugo shrugged: "Perhaps this argument is a bit arbitrary, but generally only female relatives would give jewelry as gifts; brothers would tend to give more practical things."

Although the detective was discussing his family affairs without restraint, N felt a sense of orderly beauty in the face of solid evidence and logic, as if he were witnessing a magnificent building being erected before him.

He couldn't help but ask a question himself—

“But… how did you figure out that Barbena and Holina are not related to me by blood? Even I only found out about this at last year’s ceremony.”

"A ceremony?" Hugo raised an eyebrow, but quickly adjusted his expression and continued to explain—

"Your surname, Halmonia Gropius, is a rare compound surname, containing the names of the two founding brothers of the ancient United States dynasty. Only the descendants of heroes are entitled to bear this surname. Combined with the Plasma Group's act of elevating you to a divine status, it is not difficult for us to deduce the meaning behind it."

“My father said that I am a descendant of those two heroes…” N murmured, looking dazed.

"It's possible that you are the lost heir of the ancient kingdom. But whether it's true or not, it makes it impossible for your two sisters to be related to you by blood. Because an heir with the same bloodline would diminish the value of you as the chosen one, thus affecting Team Plasma's plan to create heroes. With the shrewdness of the person in charge behind you, it's impossible that they wouldn't have thought of this."

Hugo lightly pressed his forehead, continuing to scrutinize the person before him from head to toe—

“I didn’t understand the significance of that star-ring-like ornament on your chest before, but after talking to you, I realized it’s the token of the ‘King of the Plasma Group,’ right? As an emperor, one must have proof, and those two blue and yellow star rings are the symbol of plasma—”

"emperor?"

This time, it was Azure's turn to be confused after watching the psychological profiling presentation for so long. She couldn't help but ask the detective, "Isn't N the prince of Team Plasma? Didn't you say before that there was an emperor behind him who controlled everything? How come this emperor has become N himself?"

"Now it seems that this metaphor is indeed inappropriate. The one who manipulates the prince can be the king, but what should the one who uses the king as a pawn be called? Azure, our reasoning must advance constantly as information is updated. The so-called prince, once he has undergone some kind of 'ritual,' is no longer the same, just like an elf's evolution; he will transform into some nobler form."

The detective shook his head at his assistant and said, "N learned about his sisters' origins during a certain ceremony, and his father also revealed the secret of his bloodline. What kind of ceremony do you think it was?"

"Could it be... a coronation ceremony?"

Azure stared wide-eyed at the ridiculously young "King of Plasma Group".

N slowly nodded, acknowledging his identity.

"When a gas is at high temperature, electrons detach from atoms. After they separate and recombine, they mix to form plasma. This is the origin of your organization's name. The most common plasmas in nature are lightning and flame, which can be represented by blue and yellow respectively. It also alludes to the black dragon Zekrom, which has electric properties, and Reshiram, which has fire properties. It's quite an ingenious design."

While staring at the pendant on N's chest, Hugo tapped the table aimlessly with his fingers.

"Speaking of the relationship with Team Plasma, let's not even mention those dirty deeds involving alleged crimes. N should fully agree with Team Plasma's views on Pokémon liberation, right? You didn't have any place to put Poké Balls on you, and after riding Heartbat, you released it back into the wild. You must have thought that such Poké Balls were a symbol of oppression, right?"

With a flick of his wrist, a Poké Ball grew larger and appeared in the detective's palm. The detective looked at N provocatively.

The red Poké Ball was empty. Chimchar, which should have been inside, was peeking out from the far side of the room, next to Piplup, who looked deep in thought.

N shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh: "I never thought I would say these things to someone I just met. I haven't even mentioned it to Douzi."

"I've heard that people are often most open and honest when facing their enemies," the detective said with feigned flippancy. "That's why villains often die from talking too much."

The green-haired youth sighed softly, but smiled and raised his head, his eyes filled with determination.

"When I was young, I lived with a group of Pokémon who had been hurt, abused, and abandoned by humans. From then on, I was filled with hatred for the human species. Perhaps influenced by my father, I began to want to change the world—if it is as cold as ice, I will smash that ice; if it is as raging as fire, I will blow out that flame; if it is as filthy as mud, I will become a clear stream to cleanse this darkness."

“The world isn’t always like that…” Azure couldn’t help but retort, “Kind people still make up the majority.”

“Yes, that’s right.” The king of the Plasma Group, a man named N, nodded generously.

"In this journey of less than a year, I have experienced a lot and met all kinds of trainers. I have also begun to understand that the world is not as dark as I used to imagine. There are people who fight alongside Pokémon and challenge their limits, people who live with them and pursue art, and people who simply play and laugh with their Pokémon. They live happily together, supporting each other and moving forward together... However, after witnessing all of this, I still can't help but ask myself, is this really okay?"

"Isn't this better?" The assistant frowned, unable to understand N's words.

"Aren't we living peacefully, understanding each other, and happily with Pokémon right now? Why do you still want to launch a liberation movement and separate trainers from their Pokémon?"

This is precisely what Azur Lane finds most perplexing about Group Plasma. Now that the girl is facing the leader of the rebel organization, she naturally has to voice these questions.

Upon hearing the question from the blue-haired youth, the smile on his face vanished, replaced by a hint of sadness.

Hugo noticed that N's fists were slightly clenched, indicating that he was not at ease. The silence was like the calm before a volcano erupts.

After a long silence, N spoke.

He didn't roar in anger, nor did he raise his voice in excitement; he simply spoke in a soft, gentle tone, like a refreshing breeze.

"But all that you've described is nothing more than a peace built on pity, an understanding between servants and masters, and a pleasant life at the cost of freedom. In this sweet abyss, the more complacent and satisfied the trainers and their Pokémon are, the wider the rifts of inequality will widen until they become irreparable."

Chapter 127 Pure White Ideals and Dark Reality

N's words were rather vague and ambiguous, and Azure couldn't process them for a moment, so she looked at the detective with pleading eyes.

Hugo noticed his assistant's confusion and couldn't help but chuckle: "N's statement is still too subtle. If you want to change the world, you have to make your words clear to everyone."

He turned towards the azure—

"What this king means is that no matter how friendly humans are to Pokémon, they still treat them as slaves. For example, I can put Chimchar back into its Poké Ball at will without caring about its feelings. The reason I can do this is because I have a Poké Ball that can restrain it. With the help of this oppressive tool, I have become the master of this Pokémon and established a master-pet relationship that is unequal from the start."

"The closer my relationship with Chimchar, the more hidden and solid this inequality becomes. In N's view, this twisted relationship is like a cake made of plaster, with a beautiful appearance covering a cruel core. The more fragrant cream is squeezed on top, the more people will be deceived."

This time, Azure understood completely. She opened her mouth to refute, but the words wouldn't come out.

Yes, humans can't really place Pokémon on the same level as themselves.

The girl considers the elves her friends, but Hugo and Douzi, Crimson and Green are also her friends. Can she put these humans into a small ball and carry them with her?

Of course not! Just thinking about that scenario is terrifying.