Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 408 The Disparity Between Searches and Investigations

Chapter 410 The Disparity Between Searches and Investigations

In the hospital corridor, the Dark Trio and their Pokémon had vanished without a trace. The smoke detector, long frozen by the geometric snowflakes, finally reactivated, and the scattered sprinklers barely extinguished the small fire caused by the Weather Ball. Magneton and Scizor lay pathetically in the middle of the rain waterfall, unconscious.

"I thought my disguise was flawless." The nurse released her limp legs from holding 'Hundred Nights' and turned to the detective, asking, "How did you figure out my identity?"

The nurse's understanding of "perfect" was clearly wishful thinking, Hugo couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

"Your nurse's uniform is too new and too clean, and there's no name tag on it. The pockets that a nurse should have for cotton swabs, a notebook, a nurse's chart, and pens are all empty. Even more suspicious is..."

He pointed to Miss Skirt, who was standing quietly to the side. "The inpatient ward won't allow medical staff to bring Pokémon that might trigger pollen allergies. And most importantly, my champion status hasn't been announced yet. How could an ordinary nurse recognize me, the League Champion, at a glance, and even approach me to talk? That's highly suspicious."

Under the bewildered gaze of the assassin Morikawa, who was bound by straw knots, Hugo shrugged. "However, it is precisely because you address me by my identity so openly that I am not worried that you are an adversary targeting me for infiltrating the hospital. After all, if you were like 'White Night' or Mr. Morikawa, trying to hide your identity in the hospital to attack the champion, you should have been more discreet and avoided making contact with me even if you saw me."

"As expected of a trainer who defeated the champion while working as a private investigator. I've learned another lesson."

The nurse didn't seem ashamed at all. Instead, she said with a proud look, "But in the end, it's impossible to be exactly the same as a real nurse, right? As long as you can sneak into the hospital, that's fine. Anyway, there aren't many people as observant as Mr. Champion." She shrugged nonchalantly, "If you spend too much energy on unimportant details and timidly hide your partner in a Poké Ball, it will be bad if you're too hesitant and unable to act when it comes to the final move."

Hugo gestured for a pause, his gaze sweeping over the unconscious assassin behind the nurse: "Before discussing this topic, could you explain the current state of the assassin behind you?"

"Oh? Him?" The fake nurse's expression clearly betrayed that she was making up a story. "Well—he has a pollen allergy. After coming into contact with Miss Skirt's 'paralyzing powder,' he fainted with a nosebleed. He didn't even have a chance to use his other Pokémon in the battle. I didn't expect it to end so smoothly."

Hugo's gaze shifted from the undried blood at the "assistant doctor's" lips to the unnatural indentation on the nurse's chest, then to the congealed bloodstains on her knuckles. His lips twitched. "You didn't actually perform CPR on him, did you?"

"You're incredibly insightful, Detective! It seems we'll have a very pleasant time together."

The nurse suddenly broke into a bright smile, extending her blood-stained right hand forward. "Luna Silvia, intelligence agent. This must be our first formal meeting. Nice to meet you."

Hugo took a half step back, not responding to the other's gesture, but awkwardly cupping his hands in a respectful greeting: "As you know, I am Hugo, currently serving as the league champion. As for a handshake, let's save that for next time; I'm just a bit too nervous today."

Deputy Commissioner Officer Jenny's expression was extremely gloomy. This was not only because a fire had broken out in the corridor of the medical center, which she had used as her base, right under her nose without her knowledge; nor was it only because the "kidnapper" Sid, whom she had just been pursuing, was actually just a pitiful victim who had been abducted; nor was it only because the league champion she was responsible for protecting had almost been assassinated in the short half hour she was out of sight—although these things alone were enough to give her a splitting headache.

She glared at Agent Luna, her voice laced with suppressed anger. "So, in other words, the Intelligence Department's Infiltration Investigation Division clearly knew that a titled mercenary assassin had infiltrated the medical center, yet they still chose to withhold information and let him remain lurking in the hospital's inpatient wards?"

"Even if you get angry at me, it won't do any good. The decision was made by the head of the intelligence department. I'm just running errands for them."

The "Silent Footsteps" sitting on the bench behind the table had already taken off her disguised nurse's uniform and put on a standard police uniform that she had obviously borrowed from the data analysis center. After taking off her nurse's cap, she combed her flaxen hair into a neat ponytail, looking refreshing and energetic.

The female agent tilted her head, revealing an innocent smile, and crossed her legs, spreading her hands towards Officer Jenny. "Besides, didn't the intelligence department send me here? With me here, that mere 'Hundred Nights' can't cause much trouble. In fact, haven't I already successfully captured him?"

"Heh, 'You won't cause much trouble,'" Officer Jenny laughed expressionlessly. "I'm not going to care about the fire you caused in the hospital corridor. Just answer one question honestly—"

The deputy director slammed his knuckles on the table in front of the agent. "Before Hugo revealed 'White Night's' identity, you had no idea about the infiltrator's hidden identity, did you?"

Luna unconsciously twisted the ends of her ponytail with her fingertips. It was true that although the intelligence department had learned about 'White Night's' recent strange movements through underground informants, they did not have a specific understanding of the other party's appearance.

Even considering the worst-case scenario, this was indeed a consequence of the secretive approach taken by the infiltrating investigation department, so the detective had no choice but to remain silent out of guilt.

"The investigation department didn't even know the intruder's identity, yet they dared to arbitrarily conceal crucial clues."

Officer Jenny shook her head angrily, her tone turning cold. "Although I know that ever since the Intelligence Department's Infiltration Investigation Division separated from the reorganized Security Department, it has always acted on its own. But this time, you have really gone too far."

"But even if the section chief and the others had told you beforehand, you wouldn't have been able to find the real killer in the hospital then, would you?" Luna tried to argue. "Given the way the police and the investigation bureau operate, they would only alert the criminals and let them escape. It would be better to leave it to us and catch the assassin red-handed just as the other side is about to make their move."

"So, may I ask our 'elite agent,' the renowned 'Silent Footsteps' lady, did you catch the assassin red-handed?" Deputy Director Officer Jenny crossed her arms and looked down at her. "Did you capture the infamous Dark Triangle of Group Plasma?"

Or did he stop the criminal when Morikawa attempted to assassinate the champion?

"What's the point of saying all this now?" Luna's eyes flashed with annoyance as she was constantly suppressed by Officer Jenny's words.

"And what about your investigation bureau? Didn't you also fail to see through the 'victim's' disguise?" She deliberately dragged out her words, "Not to mention that the police were completely outmaneuvered by the Morikawa mother and daughter on the road to victory—the police resources wasted could have been enough for us to infiltrate ten businesses controlled by illegal organizations!"

"You guys are always monitoring the criminal world, but I haven't seen you play any role when Group Plasma was rampant...

"If I remember correctly, the frontline fighters against the Plasma Group should be your Alliance Investigation Bureau, right? Your bureau really came up empty-handed. And you still have the nerve to bring this up with me?"

Just as their verbal exchange was escalating, a sudden, urgent knocking on the door broke the tense atmosphere. "Gentlemen, please pause your argument for a moment."

A deep, resonant male voice came from the doorway.

Suddenly, the imposing figure of Lian Wutian appeared in the secret room. He had just returned from the Champion's Road, and his martial arts uniform was still damp from the river water and night dew.

"Hugo asked me to inform you that there has been a breakthrough in the interrogation of the Morikawa family," he said in a deep voice, his rugged face unusually grave. "We have discovered some—unexpected information."