Pokémon Detective: Cynthia Forces Me to Adopt a Pokémon

Chapter 316 Poisonous Influence – Invitation to a Charity Gala

Some say that art is thought flowing toward the future.

But the reverse is also true. When a new trend of thought emerges in society, new ideas often take the lead and flow into the lines, colors, words, and musical scores of artists.

Therefore, when Mia, carrying her starter Pokémon, first stepped into the gates of the art university in Raven City, she was inevitably swept up by the artistic trends on campus at that time—the wave known as the "Pokémon Liberation Movement."

"I...I've only ever heard of the Plasma Group; I've never actually had any contact with those people."

In the dimly lit lounge, Mia, now seated back in her chair, crossed her arms and cautiously recounted her past experiences to the detective.

"On campus, I wasn't actually a very sociable student. But even so, I often heard about people's ideas in lectures on campus and in discussions among classmates."

The woman spoke haltingly, appearing very weak. Hugo occasionally interjected when Mia's voice grew softer, encouraging her to continue her story—

"Speaking of the Pokémon liberation movement, it is indeed particularly popular in the intellectual and artistic fields."

"Hmm...yes. However, although that idea is now called the 'Pokémon Liberation Movement,' it wasn't called that back then. The students called it 'egalitarianism' or the 'Pokémon Rights Movement.' But their ideals were similar to now, advocating that people treat Pokémon equally and not restrict their nature with Poké Balls. If their natures don't align, or if their relationship isn't harmonious, then it's better to release the Pokémon. That way, it should be a kind of freedom for both sides..."

"Is that so?" Hugo shrugged, seemingly in opposition—

"It sounds simple, but ordinary people can't read minds. How could it be easy to see through the nature of a creature or figure out the compatibility between a partner and yourself?"

"Yes, that's right, that's the problem."

Seeing that the detective had pinpointed the crux of the problem, Mia nodded vigorously and looked at Hugo gratefully.

"Back in my hometown, before I met Electivire, I had adopted a Pokémon, which my father had caught in the wild and given to me. Although we spent a long time together, I don't know if it was because of its nature or something else, but we couldn't interact with each other. No matter what I did or what I said to it, it wouldn't respond. I... have absolutely no idea what that child was thinking every day."

"So, when I first heard my classmates discussing that concept of equality in college, I... I couldn't help but start thinking—yes, taking that child with me every day without considering its wishes, treating it as my possession without regard for its feelings, was perhaps wrong. That child was silent every day, more like a plant than a Pokémon, completely unresponsive. Could that actually be a kind of... silent protest against me?"

"Then, at that time, the students at school gathered together and organized an event to release Pokémon. I... I didn't want to participate, but I was still a little interested, so I secretly watched from a distance. At that time, I noticed that the child, the child who never reacted to the outside world, was actually watching the students releasing their Pokémon with great concentration that day..."

Seeing Mia's voice lower again, Hugo calmly asked in a soft voice, "So you've decided to release your starter Pokémon?"

The woman clutched her stomach and nodded sadly: "In your eyes, my behavior must have been very foolish."

"In life, misunderstandings are inevitable, which is why communication is valuable. However... it is indeed a bit strange that a trainer and their starter Pokémon cannot interact at all."

The detective scrutinized the woman before him—

"Just in case, Miss Mia. Could you tell me about your initial partner, and what kind of Pokémon was released back then?"

A wild Pokémon found in Shippo City in the Unova region, it is taciturn and sometimes remains motionless like a plant. It was given as a gift by its father to his young, introverted daughter...

Given all the constraints, the answer to this question is actually not hard to guess.

However, getting clients to voluntarily reveal some private information is also one of the business skills in the detective industry.

Just as financial institutions are adept at using sunk costs to lure indecisive consumers, people tend to confide in those who already know some of their secrets.

"It's...it's an Oya mushroom."

Mia said dejectedly.

"Compared to the wild and other people's ayak mushrooms, my ayak mushroom is silent and introverted. No matter how I touch it, pet it, talk to it, or try to make it happy, it will just stand there motionless, completely ignoring everyone else, like a real mushroom, staring blankly into the distance."

"It's not uncommon for Pokémon to stay completely still."

Hugo moved a chair over and sat opposite the woman, observing her expression as he counted on his fingers—

"Let's not talk about those legendary Pokémon from mythology that have been dormant for hundreds of thousands or millions of years. In our ordinary world, there are countless Pokémon that remain still for various reasons."

"For example, Slowpoke and Quagsire are lazy and slow-witted. When they get lazy, they become absorbed in their own world and completely ignore the outside world. Many Bug-type Pokémon remain motionless in a pupal state before evolving into their final form to enhance their defense and protect themselves. In addition, Pokémon like Berry and Berry will remain still for a long time to avoid predators and hide themselves for the purpose of mimicry. Many Ghost and Psychic-type Pokémon, such as Libradot, Bronzebell, and Sabercaillie, become lifeless like objects when they enter a dormant or sealed state..."

"Is that so?"

"After all, Pokémon ecology is incredibly diverse. In the case of Breloom, it seems to be closer to the mimicry type. After all, wild Brelooms are used to staying still and mimicking an abandoned Poké Ball."

Hugo spoke in a relaxed and easygoing tone to ease the anxiety of his conversation partner.

"However, unlike Pokémon and Bombyx, mimicking a Poké Ball doesn't reduce their chances of being spotted by predators in the wild. On the contrary, the red and white color scheme makes them even more eye-catching."

"Then, why is that?" Mia asked softly.

"Scholars don't have a unified opinion on this issue. Some think it's a warning color similar to Electrode, using a bright color to highlight the toxins in its body. Others disagree, thinking that its Poké Ball-like appearance might be related to human activities, and that Agaric might have deliberately grown into the shape of a lost item to attract human attention."

Seeing the conversation veering further and further off course, the detective wasn't in a hurry. After all, what he wanted to know was the reason Mia intended to commit suicide by jumping into the sea, which wasn't a topic that could be easily discussed without any prior background.

"My Agaric, it doesn't do anything conspicuous at all... If it didn't eat very little every day, I would even suspect that it's a mushroom that just happens to look like a Pokémon."

"After all, even Pokémon of the same species can have individual differences. Just like humans of the same species, the differences between them are vast. Speaking of differences between humans—"

Hugo stood up and suddenly extended an invitation to Miss Mia.

"You must be a little hungry, right? Why don't we go outside and eat and chat?"

"Huh? Here?" Mia's eyes widened, then she shook her head frantically. "No, no, no, how could I possibly be at such a high-end celebrity gathering?"

She had previously learned from Karuni that this place was a charity gala venue, and she couldn't even imagine herself clumsily wandering into it.

"Don't underestimate yourselves. We are special guests of the Karuni Champion."

Hugo pushed open the door to the lounge, and the warm light from the corridor shone in, making Mia unable to open her eyes—

"This charity gala is a buffet, and we've just changed into formal attire. We can blend in unnoticed by pretending to be discussing something inside. Come along for the gala; you can't expect Miss Karuni to bring you food, can you?"

"I...I'm not hungry..."

Mia lied weakly, saying that she hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day.

"Miss Karune will be performing her original Pokémon Dance over there at the venue. It's said to be a fantastic performance that could win you the Contest of Pokémon."

Hugo stood by the door and continued to coax and persuade—

"You, who graduated from an art college and are still an illustrator, couldn't possibly be indifferent to such a performance, could you?"

A melodious piano concerto suddenly rang out from outside the venue, and Mia's eyes lit up with anticipation for a moment.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Hugo left without a word, and Mia felt two forces pushing and pulling her from the lounge, leading her stumbling into the world of lights.

It was Chimchar and Piplup, two beginner Pokémon from the Sinnoh region, who were once again released out of their Poké Balls by Detective Hugo without anyone noticing.