บท 5: Chapter 5: The Impersonator's Game
Hugo tried to remain calm, asking in a businesslike tone, "Miss Cynthia, are you saying there's a connection between your Garchomp's disappearance and this impersonation case? Did it return to you later?"
Seeing the detective still feigning ignorance, Cynthia didn't waste any more words. She expertly pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it into the café aisle. "Come on out, Garchomp."
In a dazzling flash of emerald red light, a Pokémon emerged from the Poké Ball—Cynthia's longtime partner, Garchomp.
This Garchomp had a robust build, with gleaming, matte blue skin marked by jagged bone-like spines. However, compared to the rough texture of the one Cynthia currently uses in competitions, this Garchomp's skin appeared smoother—a trait indicative of its Sand Veil ability.
The moment it appeared, the Garchomp let out a low growl, showcasing its formidable condition.
Then it noticed Hugo. The fierce dragon's demeanor instantly softened as it enthusiastically lumbered over, rubbing its head—complete with its bladed crest—against Hugo's chest like an affectionate puppy.
It looked... almost silly.
"No, no, we're not that close," Hugo protested, pushing the dragon's head away. Only then did Cynthia's Garchomp retreat to her side, tilting its head in confusion.
"Did this guy rope you into helping him?" Cynthia pointed at Hugo and asked her partner.
Garchomp tilted its head toward Hugo, thought for a moment, and then nodded without hesitation.
Hugo's face went ashen.
"What do you call this in your terminology?" the Sinnoh Champion teased.
"A key witness," Hugo replied mechanically, his voice hollow. "Not enough for a conviction, but enough to request a warrant from Officer Jenny."
Cynthia chuckled lightly. "The real culprit is you, Detective Hugo, who moved from Sinnoh to Unova a year ago. Your actions were mistaken for mine because you used Pokémon I had left at home as spares."
Hugo stared at Garchomp, who looked utterly clueless, a storm of emotions churning inside him.
He had thought the activities of the fan club would perfectly obscure his tracks. But as fate would have it, Cynthia happened to have a free round during her competition, witnessing her Garchomp's disappearance firsthand...
"This past year, after being expelled from Sinnoh, you've faced several dangerous incidents. Each time, you had to borrow my backup Pokémon from home because you couldn't command any other Pokémon effectively."
In the café, Cynthia's Champion-level aura was in full force. She exuded an authority that made her more convincing than the detective himself.
"It wasn't that many times. Just the first two and the most recent one," Hugo admitted, lowering his head to the table, burying his messy black hair in his hands.
"A detective who insists on not using Pokémon has secretly been borrowing someone else's," Cynthia remarked with a sly smile.
"When I first arrived in Unova, the working conditions were terrible. I only reached out to family in moments of desperation…" Hugo defended himself, clutching his head and continuing his half-hearted struggle.
"Listen to me. The impersonation incidents were genuinely caused by your overzealous fans. After those first two cases, they got wind of online rumors suggesting that the Sinnoh Champion was secretly operating in Unova. They became ecstatic, and with Pokémon similar to mine, they began patrolling the streets daily to combat crime. It's almost the opposite of copycat crimes—they were copycat heroes. I've been investigating these incidents, so even if you hadn't come here, I would have resolved this farce myself."
"What about your cases? Explain them honestly," Cynthia demanded, ignoring the fan club issue.
"The first two were when I had just arrived in Unova. Although I detected urgent cases early on, no one here believed in my abilities as a detective. I had no choice but to contact my grandmother to send over some Pokémon from the backyard."
"The subway bombing and the theft of Dream Mist?"
"Yes. The bomber was an attention-seeker who had already carried out several small explosions in unpopulated areas before attempting a subway attack. Through criminal profiling, I had already identified the suspect, but no one took my warnings seriously..."
Hugo shook his head, regret evident.
"I independently investigated the suspect's recent activities and discovered they had been unusually frequenting the Battle Subway. So, while alerting the authorities, I also asked for Spiritomb and Gastrodon to track the suspect. Spiritomb, being a Ghost-type, is excellent at surveillance, and Gastrodon could handle bombs with its mud and moisture. It turned into an unexpected battle when the suspect began setting up bombs—but Spiritomb and Gastrodon handled everything themselves."
"And the Togekiss in the Dream Mist incident?"
"I didn't bring it; it brought me. If not for Togekiss, I wouldn't have made it to the Dream Research Institute in Striaton City in time. That theft was far more severe than it appeared. The mysterious organization responsible has since been identified as Team Plasma—a secretive group engaged in money laundering, fraud, illegal trading, and poaching. They have a strict hierarchy and even a dedicated research team. If they had obtained the technology to manipulate wild Pokémon, the consequences would have been disastrous."
"You're already aware of Team Plasma?"
"Tracking hidden criminal organizations in a region is a complex but straightforward task. You just investigate all the well-planned crimes that lack clear motives and look for a common beneficiary. That's how I identified them. They use a third-rate Pokémon liberation philosophy as a front, but they're linked to numerous Pokémon thefts. However, their true ambitions seem far greater."
"Was last week's incident involving Garchomp also connected to this organization?" Cynthia speculated.
Hugo nodded. "The kidnapper was a former Plasma member who'd been ostracized even within the group for their extremist views. To investigate Plasma further, I bypassed the police and directly contacted the victim. Since the target was highly dangerous, I had no choice but to call on Garchomp."
"And then a battle occurred, which got photographed."
Cynthia waved the incriminating photo in Hugo's face before continuing.
"As a Trainer, I can tell which Pokémon are mine from a glance at the photos. Spiritomb, Togekiss, Garchomp—they all have subtle yet unique individual traits. That's how I know you're telling the truth."
"Trainers really are something," Hugo muttered absentmindedly.
Without batting an eye, he pulled a pen from the pocket of his white coat and handed it to Cynthia, along with the receipt from her recent smoothie purchase.
"Sign this. I'll pass your autograph to the fan club, and with such a gift, they'll stop pulling stunts like this."
"Will they really stop because they're satisfied? Isn't that too simplistic?" Cynthia asked as she signed.
"No, there's only one autograph. I imagine the fan club will collapse over how to divide it fairly."
Hugo, his tone icy, slipped the signed receipt into a transparent evidence bag. Meanwhile, he discreetly pocketed his phone, now containing a candid photo of Cynthia signing the receipt.
"Will they believe this is my signature?"
"I'll make them believe," Hugo assured her confidently.
"Well, case closed. Turtwig, it's been great having you around, but it's time to say goodbye."
Hugo casually grabbed the Turtwig's Poké Ball from the table, gave it a mock farewell, and slipped it into the briefcase before locking it with practiced ease. He handed the case back to Cynthia.
"Oh, I just remembered another case I need to wrap up. Excuse me," he said, preparing to leave.
"Garchomp, block him," Cynthia ordered coldly.
The dragon's massive body stood in Hugo's path, its scythe-like arms pinning him in place.
"You forgot your briefcase," Cynthia said, tossing her golden hair back in a gesture reminiscent of her finishing move in a league battle.
"I solved the case! You can use the fan club's actions to explain this to the League!" Hugo protested.
"You hid the truth and borrowed my Pokémon from home. You can continue to use my reserves for now, but I think it's time you started training your own."
"That's the one thing I won't do! I don't want to catch Pokémon again!"
Hugo's raised voice drew disapproving stares from the café staff. As expected, this man in a white coat didn't seem particularly reliable.
"You do, Hugo. I trust in our family genes, my dear little brother," Cynthia said.
...
After a moment of silence—
"Wait, WHAT?! Detective Hugo is...?"
Rotom Phone, recently captured by Cynthia, blinked in shock. It glanced between Cynthia and Hugo, struggling to process the revelation.
Before it could voice more confusion, Cynthia, annoyed by the noise, returned it to its Poké Ball.
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