Pokémon Detective Case Files.

N's gaze towards the detective changed at this moment, filled with surprise and a hint of delight: "Detective Hugo, your views on the liberation of the elves are very insightful. Are you also a supporter of our ideals?"

The detective shrugged: "From birth until sometime three months ago, I had never caught a single Pokémon. If this is what you call a utopia where humans and Pokémon coexist peacefully, then I have already experienced it. As a practitioner of the Pokémon liberation movement, I must regretfully answer you that I do not agree with your theories."

The green-haired youth frowned: "Why? You should know how cruel it is to trap Pokémon in a ball, shouldn't you? Can't you feel the pain of those Pokémon losing their freedom?"

“There is suffering everywhere in the world, Your Majesty. Your concern for the status of the elves is somewhat putting the cart before the horse,” Hugo said frankly.

"This Ms. Azure was severely criticized at a job fair this morning and felt quite down for a long time because her value as labor didn't meet the interviewer's expectations, leading to their sarcasm—this is the kind of inequality that can arise from a salary of just a few thousand dollars. Even if society is functioning well, the pain caused by inequality will continue to arise, but it will also gradually dissipate on its own. We must distinguish which aspects are tolerable, which must be addressed, and which should be handled with caution..."

"The inequality between Pokémon and humans must be addressed, otherwise, as time goes by, more and more humans will treat Pokémon as tools and servants," N said firmly.

“My thinking is different from yours. The way we treat Pokémon right now is already quite sophisticated. Brutally changing the structure of society will only breed disorder and chaos. At that time, the inequality you talk about will only increase.”

“No.” N’s eyes were crystal clear.

Only then, in front of the detective and his assistant, did he reveal for the first time the aura of a superior.

"When that time comes, I will become the king of this world. Like the heroes of Unova two thousand years ago, I will create a peaceful, fair, and tranquil world. There, humans and Pokémon will be able to bond without Poké Balls, all conflicts will be properly resolved by sages, I will teach people to respect and be kind, Pokémon will find happiness, and inequality will lose its breeding ground..."

Hugo opened his mouth as if to say something more, but when the topic turned to dreams, N had entered a state of frenzy, oblivious to the sounds around him—

"I embarked on this journey not only to liberate Pokémon but also to free humanity from the constraints of Poké Balls. Along the way, I've witnessed diverse landscapes and encountered all sorts of people. This has made me realize that I've always lived in a narrow world. This ideal, perhaps instilled by my father, hasn't changed with my growing experience; instead, it has become even stronger. My father was right. This world may not be filthy and sinful, but it's far from beautiful and peaceful. The explosion in Lishui City is a bloody example. To change all this, someone must stand up and confront the root of inequality..."

While N was engrossed in his ideal world, the detective shrugged at Azure and muttered something under his breath—

"That's why I'm unwilling to take the initiative to meet this person. Theoretical debates are pointless; no one can wake someone who's immersed in their own world. I can refute every word he says, but I can't refute him as a person. Of course, as for this N, I myself might be just as stubborn and difficult to deal with."

Azure nodded in deep agreement: "He was determined to liberate the elves for a noble reason, but completely disregarded the serious consequences that might result... No, he may have known the difficult road ahead, but he was confident in his abilities and was determined to try..."

"...If it weren't for the Plasma Group behind him, he would probably be a very good person," the girl concluded.

.

"Gentlemen, I hope you will withdraw from the investigation of this explosion."

After N finished his speech about his vision of a wonderful world, he returned to the main purpose of his trip. He once again requested that the detective and Azure withdraw from the investigation of the explosion.

Perhaps it was Hugo's words that convinced N of his detective skills, or perhaps it was because they had met and learned about each other's backgrounds. This time, the green-haired youth made no attempt to conceal anything and told Hugo all the information he knew.

“These past few days, I’ve visited the elves near the factory, and through my interactions with them, I’ve learned the truth about the explosion at the Liyong City power plant. This incident was not a simple accident, but rather an organized and premeditated collective crime.”

"Oh?" The detective looked up at his client. "It seems you have a lot of informants in this city."

N ignored the detective's sarcasm and continued, "Just as you discussed before, there were no police cars or fire trucks with sirens at the scene of the explosion. That's because the firefighters and police were already waiting next to the factory. When the explosion happened, they rushed into the factory and then carried the elves' bodies out of the factory."

Azure had already vaguely guessed what was going on, but the facts N revealed still shocked her: "Why would the police do this?"

"Because this explosion involved a complex network of interests among the energy companies in Liyong City, even the League and the police were implicated, and the Pokémon everywhere were fully aware of it—"

N said with a serious expression.

"The sheriff and capitalists met frequently, exchanging money and secrets; Alliance officials walked into the factory with grim faces and came out with satisfied expressions; and finally, an unprecedented explosion destroyed all the evidence... Did you know that, according to my subsequent calculations of the Liyong City power plant equipment, there was an enormous difference between the amount of electricity this factory could generate and the amount of electricity it had previously produced!"

Chapter 128 N's Reasoning

"Can the truth of the bombing be ascertained based solely on these ambiguous secondhand testimonies?"

Hugo's gray eyes were cold as he looked at the white-clad youth in front of him with suspicion.

"I'm very good at deriving formulas based on known conditions. Douzi seems to call this reasoning."

N smiled modestly, but met the detective's gaze without flinching—

"The scale of the explosion was unprecedented. All the Pokémon in the factory died without exception. The police and fire department arrived at the scene ahead of time. The factory's production capacity was seriously mismatched with its claimed output. The factory manager remained tight-lipped. League officials had secretly entered the factory... What kind of formula can these known conditions be combined to form?"

“Solving a case isn’t a game of permutations and combinations, and your source of information isn’t reliable enough.” Hugo shook his head, dismissing the claim from a professional perspective. “Now is not the time to play the armchair detective game. Your speculations from afar will only lead you to answers that are completely off-topic.”

N ignored the detective's attempt to dampen his enthusiasm and continued talking to himself—

"Adding all this information together, we can arrive at an obvious conclusion—the explosion a week ago was a meticulously planned performance. The League government of Liyong City was the planner of the performance, the police and fire department were the actors, the factory was the stage, the employees inside were the audience, and the Pokémon corpses... were props consumed in the performance."

The detective narrowed his eyes and asked, as if confirming, "You deduced this based on the two pieces of information: the police arrived at the scene early and alliance officials entered and exited the factory?"

"Yes. And based on the above reasoning, the explosion was deliberately caused by someone, so a new question naturally arises - since the explosion was just a performance, why were there any Pokémon killed? It was then that I thought, could those Electric-type Pokémon that seemed to have died in the explosion have actually lost their lives before the explosion occurred?"

"How is this possible?" Even Azure couldn't believe it. "Besides an explosion, what could possibly cause so many Pokémon to die at the same time?"

“They didn’t die at the same time.” N sighed, the sadness on his face deepening.

"They died from exhaustion in different factories and were eventually sent to the Liyong Power Plant."

"What does it mean?"

"I visited different power plants in Liyong City, and the Pokémon there all said that they were under increasing work pressure lately, and that there had been a number of Pokémon going missing recently. Considering the Liyong Power Plant's rapid rise in recent years, its sudden explosion, and the discrepancy in its power output, what can you think of?"

Bilan shook her head; even she couldn't see any connection between them.

"This is just a simple calculation problem. The total power supply of a city is stable. This data is linked to the city's heating and power transmission. There is no need or possibility to falsify it. However, the power deficit of Liyong Power Plant is a real phenomenon. The only possible reason for this phenomenon is that this plant has diverted the power generated by other power plants."

"Misappropriating power generation?" Azure was completely bewildered. Not only were her questions unanswered, but even more arose. "Why would Liyong Power Plant do this?"

Detective Hugo promptly offered an explanation, dispelling his assistant's doubts.

"Liyong Power Plant claims to be clean energy, which allows it to receive more subsidies under the policy. What this Mr. N means is that the plant manager reached some kind of agreement with his peers to buy non-clean energy from other plants at high prices and then sell it to the Alliance under the name of clean electricity, thereby earning a difference in government subsidies and also building the reputation of the United States' No. 1 energy company. It's like 'electricity laundering', which is similar to 'money laundering'."

N nodded: "And those other power plants want to increase their output and earn extra profits, but they can only urge their own Pokémon to increase their output. As a result, the Pokémon's workload increases, and there is even a possibility that Electric-type Pokémon will die from exhaustion."

The detective chuckled coldly: "I guess what you're going to say next is that such violations are destined to be unsustainable, and the fact that Alliance officials personally visited the Liyong Power Plant likely means this electricity-washing scheme has been exposed. But for the sake of the overall reputation of Liyong City's energy industry, the Alliance has decided to resolve this issue in a more appropriate way..."

"Yes, that's the truth behind that earth-shattering explosion. The reason the League official left the factory so satisfied before was because he had achieved a complete victory in his negotiations with the factory manager. The latter not only wanted to use the explosion to cover up his own depleted power, but also to cover up the fact that Pokémon in other factories had died from overwork."

"That's why there were so many elf corpses at the explosion site?"

Azure frowned and retorted, "Why would Factory Manager William do this? It doesn't benefit him at all!"

"No, the explosion not only covered up the fact that the electric washer was being washed, but also that all seventy-one electric spirits in the factory disappeared because the factory manager had turned them all into his private property."

N said in a somber tone—

"After this incident, whether the factory manager sells them as props or uses them as capital to start a new business, he can make up for the losses he suffered in the explosion. The only ones who suffer misfortune are those spirits who become consumables in endless labor."

“And then there are the power plant workers who have been laid off and are now unemployed,” Hugo interjected inappropriately, then asked seriously—

"Is this all your reasoning? A cunning capitalist who couldn't run a shady business, so he's trying to escape by using the explosion as an excuse, like a ninja evolving into a demon?"

N nodded, put his baseball cap back on, and his blue eyes, hidden beneath the brim, appeared utterly indifferent.

"Yes, as mentioned above, I have already uncovered the truth behind the Liyong City bombing, so I no longer need your assistance. The travel expenses for your long journey have been left with Miss Douzi; it's definitely a price that will satisfy you."

"What if I believe your reasoning is flawed from beginning to end?"

The detective interrupted N's farewell in a casual tone, but then uttered something extraordinary.

"Regardless of your thoughts, I will begin my own actions after tomorrow. At that time, whether the truth of the case is as I say will naturally become clear. I suggest that you two leave Liyong City as soon as possible to avoid being implicated in any accidents."

The green-haired youth lowered the brim of his hat, revealing a somewhat sharp and assertive demeanor.

"Bogaman, use the 'Water Cannon' to wash the face of our noble King."

The detective issued the order without warning.

Upon hearing this, the little penguin, which had been standing on the outside of the three, immediately rushed forward with tiny steps. Meeting the green-haired youth's astonished gaze, blue water rippled and gathered at its beak.

The assistant was startled and instinctively took a step back, afraid of being affected by the failed skill move.

However, an even more incredible scene unfolded—Bogarman did not fall on the road, but only staggered slightly, yet the gathering of his skill did not stop.

Then, the "Water Cannon" skill was successfully activated, and a powerful blue jet of water shot out in front of Piplup—

Strands of hair brushed against the green-haired youth's face and flew out of the window.

"How are you? Are you more awake now?"

Hugo remained expressionless, unfazed by everything before him, and calmly asked N.

"Your reasoning, like the trajectory of this 'water cannon,' has completely deviated from the truth. I will not withdraw from the investigation, because the fog surrounding the bombing has not yet completely lifted. Do whatever you want, but if it involves anything illegal that crosses the line, don't blame me for sending you to the detention center."

Seeing this, Azure, who was hiding to the side, was also moved and said loudly, "Me too."

Chapter 129 Gengar, Clefairy, and Hide and Seek

Around 10 a.m. the next day, the detective, who had been sleeping in late at the unfamiliar hotel, was woken up by a violent shaking.

I thought I would see a little fire monkey, but when I opened my eyes, I was met with a pair of ferocious scarlet eyes.

Hugo yawned, probably because he had been too tense during his confrontation with the King of Plasma Group last night, which caused him to have nightmares.

He lifted the blanket, as if to lie down again.

As a result, two rows of pearly white teeth suddenly appeared beneath those large red eyes. The jaw opened, and a pink tongue, cool and inviting, stretched out like a spread-out blanket towards the sleepy person on the bed.

But the tongue did not manage to lick the detective's cheek as desired.

Hugo's hands, which were pulling the blanket upwards, suddenly changed direction, whipping it upwards so that the blanket flew up, blocking the uninvited guest's view in an instant.

When the blanket was pulled down, Hugo, who had been lying on the bed, had disappeared.

This uninvited guest then revealed its true form: a dark purple Pokémon with short arms and legs, a round body, pointed ears, and spikes on its back—it was a Gengar.

At this moment, the Ghost-type Pokémon that had wandered in floated above the room and looked around curiously—where did that human go?

The single room was very cramped, with only three places to hide: under the bed, behind the floor-to-ceiling curtains, and in the bathroom next to the entrance.

Gengar first reached its short arms towards the bed, penetrating the blankets and bed frame to reach underneath, grabbing at it many times as if catching fish, but it caught nothing.

So it simply stuck its head under the bed to see if anyone was hiding there. The result was still disappointing – the area under the bed was empty.

The fat purple ghost was annoyed, but then floated to the window and suddenly pulled open the curtains that were hanging to the ground—unfortunately, there was no one inside.

Gengar puffed out its cheeks and menacingly approached the bathroom entrance. With a whoosh, it pierced through the door and peered inside, its large face contorted into a wicked grin.

Now there's no escaping it, is there?

However, it was just an ordinary bathroom with nowhere to hide. Even the separate shower area was only covered by frosted glass, so there was no detective inside.

Now it was the Pokémon's turn to panic. It had only meant to play a prank and scare someone, but now it had made a huge mistake, scaring the person away. How was it going to explain this to its owner?

It struggled to pull its head out of the door, and as it turned its head, it saw a scene that the ghost would never forget—

Bathed in the morning light, a pale face was gaunt and bony, with large whites of the eyes seeping bloodshot from their deep sockets. A gruesome, gaping wound marred the face, as if something had viciously gnawed at it, and half of the tongue dangled precariously from the corner of the mouth, swaying precariously with the heavy, labored breathing of a broken bellows...

The creature in front of them was still vomiting large amounts of a mixture of blood and saliva from its mouth, as if in a convulsive manner.

"Geng Ga!!!"

Gengar was startled and momentarily forgot to materialize, crashing into the bathroom door behind it with a thud. Then, for some reason, just as it was about to make a move, it slipped and fell due to dizziness.

Landing on its bottom, it was utterly terrified. Forgetting all about the dignity of a ghost Pokémon, it scrambled to the only bed in the room, burying its head in the soft blankets like a frightened Dudu, its short tail sticking out and trembling uncontrollably.

In the entryway, only a detective remained, his clothes stained with artificial blood.

Using his fingers to lift his eyelids and return his eyes to their normal position, Hugo put his hands on his hips, both amused and annoyed. To try and play tricks on this detective was utterly foolish.

After lifting the blankets, Hugo first hid behind the floor-length curtains, then moved back to the bedside while Gengar was shoving its head under the bed. Seizing the opportunity, just as the purple ghost was about to pull its head out, Hugo rolled under the bed almost simultaneously, easily completing a standard disappearing act in a locked room.

Seeing that Gengar only wanted to play a prank, and now it was lying in the blankets with a somewhat submissive and coquettish attitude, the detective immediately understood where this Gengar came from.

So I simply left it behind, took a change of clothes, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

As Hugo stretched out his tongue to wash off the edible ink used to create optical illusions, hurried footsteps sounded outside the single room.

Before anyone could knock, the detective opened the door and found Azure looking completely overwhelmed, along with Chimchar and Piplup who had been running around helping her all morning.

"Hugo, have you seen a Gengar?" the girl asked anxiously.

"Catch up on your sleep over there." The detective pointed to the bed behind him. "By the way, how many are you still missing?"

"I'm still missing Clefairy. It used 'Shrink' and disappeared somewhere... Wait, how did you know what I was looking for?"

"You saw N's posture yesterday and thought it was going to be a battle with Team Plasma, so you planned to gather your team in case of any unforeseen circumstances. These kinds of hotels aren't professional Pokémon centers, and the Pokémon transfer devices are a bit unstable. Newly delivered Pokémon are affected by the radio waves during communication, and sometimes they can break free of their Poké Balls and run around freely for a while. The fact that you asked Chimchar and Piplup for help means that you have more than one lost Pokémon."

Hugo casually guessed what the girl had experienced that morning and then commented, "I am not against solving problems with force, but the situation is not as serious as you think."

"You're right, that's exactly what happened this morning... but why wasn't it that serious?"

While using a black and yellow Ultra Ball to put Gengar into a Poké Ball, Azure asked the detective with a puzzled look.

"In this Liyong City, we don't need to face a plasma team as large-scale as the one that was deployed at Qibao Museum. In this investigation, we will only face one opponent, N."

"You mean, he doesn't command his Team Plasma members?"

"That's natural. I could probably guess what he'd do next. He'd follow that flawed line of reasoning and investigate the factory manager and the Liyong City Police Department, which would inevitably lead to a conflict with local law enforcement. That's why I said he'd be going to jail. By the way, you should have noticed the contradictions in N's reasoning, right?"

“Yes. I figured it out yesterday.” The girl nodded. “The biggest problem is that his reasoning contradicts Mr. Telt’s testimony. The Pokémon couldn’t have come from different factories because the breeder secretly went back to the explosion site after the incident and personally confirmed the identity of the dead Pokémon.”