Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 286 A Happy Ending

Chapter 288 A Happy Ending

The books were numerous and varied, arranged in a manner as stubborn and ruthless as Mei Dan himself. The titles, regardless of size or thickness, were strictly arranged according to their categories, making the whole structure resemble the rough spine of a rumbling stone.

Most of them are works related to biology, with a few related to information technology. The top row is filled with miscellaneous books, including some old, worn books, as well as a few poetry collections and grammar books, probably used to improve combat effectiveness when participating in debates in the past.

Looking at the enormous bookshelf that even Fighting-type Pokémon would have difficulty moving, Officer Jenny looked at Zina and Vinnie with suspicion. "Are you two sure you heard the knocking sound from behind this wall?"

"Listen—could we have misheard?"

The maid stared blankly at the bookshelf, clearly wavering.

Obviously, with a bookshelf blocking the wall, no one could pound on it like that. Even if you moved the entire row of books on the shelf and struck the wooden partition behind it, it would only produce a crisper knocking sound, completely different from the dull thud of hitting the wall.

Perhaps I really misheard?

"No, I didn't mishear!"

Seeing Zina hesitate, Venetian stepped forward and argued with her father, "We really heard the sound. If only one person was there, it could be explained as a simple mishearing or a neurotic auditory hallucination. But at that time, both Miss Zina and I heard the knocking sound at the same time. It's impossible for two people to have hallucinations at the same time, right? This can only mean that the sound we heard was real."

"But the problem is, even if that strange sound really exists, what's the point?"

Master Medan, his face full of mockery, retorted to his daughter like an arrogant king, "When you heard that sound, Hayden and I were still sitting here chatting. Although the Ice-Treading Doll's 'Light Wall'..."

"We've blocked out all sound from the room, but surely you don't think that two grown adults like us wouldn't see something amiss with the bookshelf wall right in front of us?"

"You two are over a hundred years old combined. Even if you sometimes experience hearing loss and blurred vision, it's normal, isn't it?"

"Heh, I think it's more likely that two immature girls are having a collective auditory hallucination."

"Neil, could that sound be coming from the other wall?" Ignoring the father and daughter who were starting to argue, Officer Jenny turned to her research assistant and asked, "Did you hear any strange noises in the room?"

"If you're asking about the time before Miss Zina started banging on the door, I didn't hear a sound at all." Neil scratched the back of his head, seemingly still not understanding what had happened.

"Hmph." Officer Jenny crossed her arms and pondered. "In that case, we must also rule out the possibility that the sound is coming from directly above the master's room. This room is located between two guest rooms, so there's no reason why we could hear strange noises on one side but not on the other."

"In that case, there's only one explanation left, Officer Jenny?"

Suddenly someone spoke to her, and Officer Jenny looked up to see that Mr. Hayden, who had been sitting on the single sofa, had somehow walked up to her.

"Since the strange hammering sound came from between the owner's room and the two ladies' guest rooms, and we in the rooms couldn't visually detect anything unusual about the source of the sound, then the sound could only be coming from somewhere invisible to the naked eye, such as the bookshelves or inside the walls."

Hayden, from Zhuqing City, picked up the wooden cane that had been leaning against the sofa armrest, bowed politely to Officer Jenny, and continued, "The source is either a particularly small Bug or Grass-type Pokémon, or a Psychic or Ghost-type Pokémon capable of invisibility or illusion. Considering the original state of this Forest Mansion, it wouldn't be surprising which type of Pokémon made it."

"Yes, that explanation does make sense."

The other party's reasoning was indeed reasonable, and the policewoman had to nod in agreement. However, looking at the businessman's calm and smiling face, she felt that there seemed to be some kind of ulterior motive hidden within.

"I've heard that there are specialized personnel within the police force who can direct Psychic or Ghost-type Pokémon to investigate traces left by their own kind. Given this unusual situation, why doesn't Officer Officer Jenny give it a try?"

"I don't have that kind of Pokémon," Officer Jenny said, shaking her head in polite refusal.

People often misunderstand Officer Jenny's family; in fact, not every Officer Jenny works in the police force. This particular Officer Jenny, for example, works for the League's investigative agency, where her duties mostly involve security-related paperwork, much like a regular League civil servant. Naturally, she doesn't train any special Pokémon for on-site investigations.

However, even if she couldn't investigate the scene most efficiently, she, named Officer Jenny, wasn't entirely helpless.

"Speaking of which, don't you find it strange, Mr. Hayden?"

"Strange? Why do you find it strange?"

"Master Meidan has been living in this mansion for over two years. In the past, Venetian and Neil have visited this mansion many times, to the point that they each have their own regular guest rooms. Why didn't they hear this strange wall-pounding sound before, but only today?"

Hayden raised his silver-gray eyebrows: "Officer, are you suggesting that something new in this mansion today caused the sound of hammering?"

"It's the 'light wall' of the ice-walking puppet, right?"

A new sound rang out in the owner's room. It turned out that Zhu Lan, who had been standing in the corridor, stepped into the mansion.

Previously, although most people entered the room together, the Ice-Treading Doll had not removed the "light wall" used for soundproofing. The sound of footsteps was blocked, and the dense crowd completely blocked the door, which made Hayden not notice the other visitor standing outside the corridor.

Zhu Lan, too, hadn't heard the speculations of the others in the room, but she seemed to understand the whole story, clearly and fluently analyzing the cause and effect of the strange noises in the master's room.

"First of all, the culprit behind this strange noise must be some kind of Pokémon that can freely move through the walls and bookshelves. Although we don't know its specific species yet, based on Ms. Zina's experience of living in the mansion for a year, she didn't sense anything unsettling about it. This suggests that it's most likely a Pokémon that is harmless to humans. Perhaps it has been living in the Forest Mansion for a long time and has already established some kind of symbiotic relationship with this ancient mansion."

"God, the Sinnoh champion?"

Mr. Hayden was dumbfounded; clearly, the appearance of the Bamboo Orchid Champion surprised him more than the Bamboo Orchid Champion's reasoning.

Why would a Pokémon that was living quietly in the mansion suddenly do something so ghostly?

The catalyst for all this was Mr. Hayden's secret conversation with the Master of the Medan Gym. Or, more precisely, it was the "Light Wall" move used by the Icewalker.

Zhu Lan reached out and lightly touched the hat of the ice-walking doll holding the ice cane. The doll stared blankly with its round eyes, looking bewildered.

"Just like the resistance Officer Jenny felt the moment she opened the door, the Pokémon that was originally weaving through the gaps in the mansion also came to the vicinity of this wall and books, and also felt the resistance from the 'Light Wall'."

Perhaps due to its weakness, or perhaps out of a desire to avoid being seen by humans, this Pokémon was trapped somewhere here by a thin "wall of light."

Like an ivory pig squeezed into a crevice in a glacier, Officer Jenny thought to herself.

"In desperation, the Pokémon used a move like 'Tackle' against the wall, trying to create some noise in hopes of alerting the gym's inhabitants without revealing its true form, thus dispelling the Light Screen." However, the gym leader's room was completely soundproofed at the time, so the sound was only heard by Ms. Vinissa and Ms. Zinnia next door.

This is the general outline of the whole incident. The Sinnoh champion finished his explanation, and for a moment, the room fell silent.

"So, if we can get that Pokémon that looks like a Mr. Mime to cancel its move, we'll be able to find out the Pokémon's true identity?" Vinissa looked at Cynthia expectantly.

The Sinnoh champion shook his head: "It will probably continue to hide and quietly run away. After all, this incident has already scared it enough."

"Oh dear, what on earth is this all about?"

Hayden shook his head with a wry smile, took out a deluxe ball different from the one he had used with Corviknight, put the Icewalker back into the ball, and then released it again.

"Klorololo"

The ice-walking puppet stomped its feet joyfully, its ice crystal cane flying and spinning like an acrobat's stick, rolling around on its body and then being tossed into the air, a dazzling spectacle.

Unbeknownst to them, the last trace of cold resistance lingering in the surrounding air finally disappeared completely.

The residual effect of the "Light Wall" has been completely removed.

This is the characteristic of the Icewalker mascot – “obstacle removal.” Upon its entrance, it clears away all obstacles in the arena with a high-spirited dance.

The bookshelves and walls remained silent, as if nothing had happened. The Pokémon that had coexisted with the mansion inside had probably already escaped.

"The case was solved perfectly! No wonder she's a detective's sister. Congratulations!"

Officer Jenny turned around happily and praised Cynthia, only to find that the Sinnoh champion's demeanor had completely changed. He looked like a Staraptor eyeing its prey, his gray eyes sharply fixed on something at the end of his line of sight.

The item the champion was looking at was on the very top shelf. In a dusty corner, an ancient book, its condition clearly visible from the side, was abruptly sandwiched among a pile of miscellaneous documents.