บท 1: Chapter 1: The Visitor to Castelia City
"It's been years since I last visited Castelia City, hasn't it? Seems like the skyscrapers have multiplied again."
Cynthia, the Champion of Sinnoh, smoothed her wind-tousled golden hair as she gracefully dismounted her Togekiss, her gaze lingering on the bustling, modern metropolis beside her.
The Pokémon ecosystem in the Unova region was vastly different from her homeland in Sinnoh. Above, flocks of regional species such as Pidove and Cottonee soared through the skies, while the streets bustled with humans accompanied by Pokémon like Lillipup and Deerling, both rare sights back home.
The person Cynthia was addressing was a private detective named Hugo.
Seeing the dazzling entrance of the Sinnoh Champion as she descended from the skies, the usually unflappable Hugo was momentarily taken aback.
The surprise, however, didn't last long. The detective quickly composed himself, pushing the cart he had with him behind his back while greeting Cynthia with a polite, if slightly sheepish, smile.
"Well, well, it's been a while, Cynthia."
Hugo, with his artistically disheveled black hair and passably good looks, cut a casual figure. His wrinkled white blazer, however, was rather shabby and gave him an air of careless nonchalance.
With an apologetic grin, he said, "I'm in the middle of something urgent right now... If you have a case for me, could you wait at my office for a bit?"
"That mansion called Feather Roost, right? I've already been there. Looks like you're doing quite well for yourself in Unova."
Cynthia adjusted her golden locks as she recalled the out-of-place courtyard villa in the city center, with a prominent second-floor sign reading Hugo Detective Agency.
She gave Hugo a scrutinizing look, sensing a trace of guilt in his demeanor.
"The gardener at the entrance, Miss Lena, told me you have a habit of sneaking off to some alley around this time every week, so I came to check it out. Didn't expect to run into you on the way. Busy with detective work, are we?"
"Uh… you could say that. Business has been pretty good—this city is full of wealthy clients, and private detectives have plenty of opportunities here," Hugo replied, stepping back instinctively under the Champion's piercing gaze, only to bump into the cart he had been hiding.
The white cloth covering the cart's contents shifted slightly from the impact, hitting the metal frame with a dull thud.
Cynthia's sharp eyes narrowed. "Hugo, mind letting me take a look at what's under that cloth?"
Hugo hesitated, but one stern glare from Cynthia was enough to make him falter.
"How about this? Let's make a deal," Hugo suggested, scrambling for a way out. "I'll show you what's under the cloth, but in exchange, you have to hear me out completely."
Cynthia studied the nervous detective for a moment before nodding.
Relieved, Hugo glanced around, finding a secluded spot behind a cluster of bushes. He wheeled the cart over, with Cynthia following closely behind.
Her hand rested on the Poké Ball at her waist, her fingers brushing its release mechanism. The faint metallic scent of blood wafting from the cart left her with a grim guess about its contents.
"Please don't be alarmed. It's just a corpse," Hugo said with unsettling nonchalance.
With Cynthia's agreement in hand, Hugo pulled back the white cloth like a magician unveiling his trick.
But the Champion of Sinnoh was anything but impressed.
Lying before her was the battered corpse of a Watchog. Its back bore gruesome lash marks, and the iron scent of blood permeated the air, spreading relentlessly.
As the tension in the air reached its peak, an ill-timed electronic voice interrupted. A Rotom Phone flew out of Cynthia's black coat, speaking in the tone of an old Pokédex:
"Watchog, the evolved form of Patrat. A Normal-type Pokémon commonly found in Unova. Known for its vigilant nature, it can see even in the dark, making it an ideal sentinel Pokémon… Oh my goodness, what happened to this Watchog? Rotom cannot comprehend this situation!"
"Rotom, keep your voice down and listen to this man's excuses," Cynthia ordered icily, her hand still hovering over her Poké Ball.
"You're actually here at the perfect time, Cynthia. This is a moment to witness history," Hugo said, seemingly undeterred by the gravity of the situation.
With a dramatic flourish, he began explaining his "groundbreaking" research:
"Determining the time of death has always been a challenge in forensics. Pokémon, with their vast biological differences and unique abilities, complicate things further. However, I've devised a revolutionary method involving type resistances!"
"Type resistances? Rotom doesn't understand," the phone said, circling Hugo in curiosity.
Hugo began a detailed explanation, as though lecturing a class:
"When a Fire-type move hits a Water-type Pokémon, the damage is halved—that's resistance. Recent studies show that resistance weakens significantly after death, eventually diminishing to a near-zero threshold.
"This phenomenon occurs in all Pokémon corpses, from the flaming Rapidash to the icy Froslass. By measuring the residual resistance of a corpse over time, we can chart a curve that initially drops steeply and then flattens, approaching zero.
"If applied in forensic science, this method could allow law enforcement to pinpoint the exact time of death with remarkable precision, down to the second!"
Rotom chimed in excitedly: "The theory is valid! No similar research exists in current databases. It's a groundbreaking discovery, Rotom!"
Cynthia, however, remained unimpressed. Her frosty gaze pierced through Hugo, who cleared his throat and sheepishly continued:
"There's just one problem: Normal-types have no resistances. To test my theory, I needed to observe resistance decay in a Normal-type... and, well, that's why you're seeing this Watchog."
Cynthia nodded slowly, her voice calm but chilling: "So, to further your forensic research, you killed a Watchog?"
Only then did Hugo notice the storm brewing behind the Champion's polite smile. Her brow furrowed, and a menacing aura surrounded her, faintly echoing the roar of her Garchomp.
"Don't forget your promise to hear me out! Let me explain everything!" Hugo pleaded desperately, bowing his head.
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