MM Racing Chapter 201 The Exploration of Azure
Chapter 201 The Exploration of Azure
Chapter 211 The Exploration of Azure
After ending the call with Sachiko's mother, Bilan pondered for a long time.
It's highly unlikely that the lady distorted the facts to deceive me—leaving aside the trick of changing her voice out of caution, if she genuinely opposed Azure's investigation, she could have simply hung up the phone without a word, or perfunctorily cooperated with her so-called "police questionnaire" and then hastily finished the matter, without having to go through the trouble of requesting her assistance.
If Hugo were here, he might already be able to glimpse the truth based on the existing information alone. But Azure is just a substitute detective, having solved zero real cases on her own. Even though she can see through gender-based tricks right under her nose, she really can't answer the questions her clients ask over the phone.
While Sachiko's parallel universe theory is certainly not self-consistent, her "constitution" is definitely not just a simple psychological illness. Otherwise, not only would the problem of not seeing her parents at home, but also her occasional disappearances from school would be difficult to explain.
It seems that some unseen force is gradually turning the girl's fantasy, born from a momentary misunderstanding, into reality.
Where does this power come from—is it from the awakening of a special ability within the little girl? Or is it caused by the activity of some special Pokémon? Or perhaps, somewhere in Flying Cloud City, there truly exists some mysterious force capable of distorting space and time?
Although countless hypotheses can be proposed at this point, they are all just general explanations—how would a psychic manifest themselves when their abilities awaken? What kind of Pokémon would trigger such an event? What kind of power could distort spacetime? Countless questions remain ambiguous, and even if all of this knowledge were clarified, it would not mean that the case could be solved smoothly.
Unlike the detective in the white coat, who possesses a wealth of knowledge and can effortlessly find a plausible explanation for every hypothesis while snapping her fingers, Azure, once she begins to delve into the details, naturally finds herself, like an ordinary person, trapped in an information desert of scarcity.
So, does that mean we can only wait until tomorrow to begin the actual investigation...? Azure frowned slightly, her heart heavy.
It wasn't because she admired the reasoning methods of an armchair detective, but because she didn't want to start a search haphazardly like a Pokémon caught in a battle when she had no clue what to do.
Having been a trainer herself, she knew all too well that if she simply hoped for good luck, victory would often be a distant dream.
Only those who aspire to become the world's strongest trainer have a chance to become champions through hard work. Those who strive to become league champions often only manage a draw against the Elite Four members. Trainers who dream of becoming Elite Four members may not even be able to collect all the Gym Badges.
Similarly, if a detective starts praying that a stray clue will advance the investigation, then that detective is not far from ruining his reputation.
……and many more.
If it were that person, they might be able to offer some useful advice—based on the available information, it could even be said that no one else could do it.
An idea flashed into the girl's mind.
She glanced quickly at the clock hanging in the Yuqi Residence. It was midnight. Yes, there was no better time to consult that person than now.
Fortunately, the Earth is still rotating, and time zones still exist in this world.
Bilan took out her phone and dialed what was probably the umpteenth call of the night.
.
"Oh, it's Blue. How was your trip to the Unova region?"
The familiar voice reached my ears, and it was as if a breeze from my hometown swept through the closed office, filling it with the scent of grass and soil from the town of Pallet Town in the Kanto region.
"It's me, Professor Oak."
A smile appeared on Azure's face: "I've found a new job in Union State. It's more accurate to say I'm living here now than traveling."
"I see. The kids from back then have all grown up." The world-renowned Pokémon professor remarked with a sigh. "It feels like just yesterday you were at the lab receiving your Pokédex and starter Pokémon, and you had barely stepped out of your homes."
"Doctor, you must be joking, right? If you really have these symptoms of Alzheimer's, you must see a doctor."
"You young people are making a fuss over nothing. Green said the same thing to me the other day." Professor Oak laughed heartily, just like before.
"Don't worry, I won't easily give in to something as ambiguous as time until I've explored all the mysteries of Pokémon around the world. You know, in recent cutting-edge physics research, time has been proven not to exist. That's quite an interesting discovery. The pillars of the world that we once believed to be real are defined as an illusion in another dimension's theory. I really wonder what Dialga, who is hailed as the god of time in Sinnoh legend, thinks of time?"
Having traversed most of the globe, the Kanto region was bathed in sunshine on a sunny afternoon, a time for the professor to leisurely enjoy afternoon tea.
He truly lives up to his reputation as a world-renowned Pokémon professor; even when chatting over tea, he discusses such profound and mysterious topics.
"Putting my business aside, Xiao Lan, you actually found a job in the Unova region..."
After exchanging pleasantries, Professor Oak began to inquire about the younger man's recent situation.
"Did you apply for a position like Gym Leader in the area? Hmm, Raven City in Unova is a world-renowned art capital. You wouldn't happen to be like Sabrina from Goldenrod City and have entered the entertainment industry, would you?"
“Neither,” Azure replied directly. “I became a private investigator, and I fight crime and infidelity every day.”
The sound of spitting out tea came from the other end of the phone as Professor Oak coughed without any regard for his image.
After a long pause, he said, "A detective... Hmm, that's quite an interesting profession. Although I'm a little surprised, thinking about it carefully, it's quite suitable for someone as bold and meticulous as you, Xiao Lan."
"Being described by the professor as 'bold yet meticulous' is quite a mixed feeling. I'm starting to feel like I can actually hit a Ghost-type Pokémon with my fists."
Azure didn't hold back in her criticism.
"Ahem, enough of the small talk. Considering the time difference, it should be late at night in the Unova region right now. Xiao Lan, you're calling at this hour, so you must have something urgent to ask me, right? What is it?" The professor abruptly changed the subject.
“I do have a question I’d like to ask.” Azure paused for a moment, then asked, “Six months ago, Doctor, you recorded an interview with United States’ TV station, right? The interview was about time travel.”
"Oh, yes, that's right." Professor Oak recalled the debate at the time.
"Xiao Lan, did you see that program on Hezhong? The physicist's points were quite sharp. If I hadn't prepared detailed information beforehand, I really wouldn't have been able to withstand his aggressive questioning."
Yes, after searching online, I found that the expert who appeared as a Pokémon professor on the science program that caused Sachiko's misunderstanding was Professor Oak from Pallet City in Kanto.
Besides this doctor, who else could know so much about the mythical Pokémon that roam the world?
"Actually, I encountered a strange incident here in Unova, and the cause of this incident is related to your interview program, Doctor..."
Thus, Azure concealed the client's actual name and told Professor Oak the story as seen by Sachiko and Mrs. Kuribayashi.
With intertwined timelines and a prank that turns out to be real, how will Professor Oak evaluate this incident?
"Little Blue".
After hearing both versions of the story, Professor Oak remained silent for a long time, then suddenly said seriously—
"When I first heard that you were going to become a private investigator, I subconsciously felt it was a bit of a pity. After all, you could have achieved great things if you had used your abilities in Pokémon research. But after hearing what you said, I completely changed my mind."
Azure pursed her lips, listening intently to the speech from the authority in the field of Pokémon research.
"What was our initial motivation for conducting research? What is the purpose of exploring the truth of the world? Did we create the Pokédex simply to fill in the numbers? No, it's not like that. We conduct research to enable more people and Pokémon to coexist peacefully. Exploring the truth of the world is to determine our place within it, and to use knowledge and research to make this world a more beautiful and balanced place. Creating and collecting the Pokédex is not the goal itself, but rather to let everyone understand the loveliness of Pokémon, to avoid misfortune caused by misunderstandings, and to allow humans and Pokémon to complement each other. If we forget this initial motivation, the progress of science will become like a train that has gone off the tracks and is running out of control, ultimately destined to overturn and be destroyed."
"From this perspective, Azure, your choice of detective as a profession that helps others is undoubtedly correct. There are plenty of Pokémon scholars and great trainers in the world. No matter who is assigned to explore a research topic, the only difference is the speed of progress. But at this moment, the only one who can extend a helping hand to that child and that couple is you, as a detective."
"Thank you for your understanding, Doctor," Azure said sincerely.
"Don't thank me. I will tell you everything I know about this incident, whether it's about Pokémon or other academic fields. But before that, please listen to my request—"
Professor Oak's usually calm tone was unusually agitated, which surprised Azure. Could there be something hidden behind this incident that the Professor might be concerned about?
"Little Blue, please, you must save that child."
Ah, I see. I almost forgot.
Professor Oak, who lives in Pallet Town, is actually an elderly man who dotes on his grandchildren. How could he possibly remain unmoved if there were an innocent girl like Sachiko in such a tragic situation before him?