Pokémon Detective: Cynthia Forces Me to Adopt a Pokémon

Chapter 314 Poison – The Private Investigator's Recipe

"Dead? And poisoned!"

After getting out of the car, the detective answered a call from Azure's assistant and was quite startled.

The reason Hugo didn't put aside his schedule to participate in the search during the previous operation was because he felt that after determining the direction of the search, the Feiyun Police Station and Bilan had already narrowed the search area for the suspect to its limit.

They've done everything they can; even if another detective intervenes, it won't significantly improve the efficiency of arresting criminals.

Since the motive for the poisoning remained unclear, Hugo was not optimistic that the manhunt would be a success. The poisoner might escape beforehand, violently resist arrest, or have accomplices waiting in their wake. In short, the failure of the arrest operation was not entirely unexpected.

However, he never expected that the perpetrator of the poisoning case involving discarded wound medicine would eventually appear before the police in such a tragic manner.

"I'll have Officer Jenny send you the police's on-site photos later, but that's roughly the situation. Based on the current description alone, Hugo, can you come up with any useful ideas?"

After briefly describing the situation on the other end of the phone, the detective's assistant turned to the official director of the detective agency and asked...

"In cases of poisoning, it is difficult to draw informed conclusions without examining the autopsy."

The salty sea breeze swept over him, and Hugo, gazing at the beach bathed in the setting sun, sighed.

"However, if I were to offer advice, you could conduct a scientific analysis of the items left at the scene. The gaps in the suitcase, the dust on the soles of the shoes, the hair on the clothes... If you investigate these items that haven't been taken away in detail, you might be able to find out where the deceased went before entering Flying Cloud City and what Pokémon they might have used before their death. In addition, don't forget to collect fingerprints on flat surfaces such as doors, windows, and walls. Although I suspect the murderer would most likely have been wearing gloves when handling the deceased, we'll still have to try our luck, since everyone makes careless mistakes sometimes."

Do these scientific analyses require an application to the police?

Azure asked anxiously. Although she had passed the initial test for detective, she wasn't omnipotent enough to analyze the dust on the soles of shoes.

“No need,” the detective replied.

“The police departments in the United States have investigators who specialize in these kinds of analyses. You can assist them by filling in any gaps in their knowledge. I’ve worked with investigators from the Flying Cloud Police Department before, and they’re all quite friendly. As long as you don’t damage the evidence at the scene, they won’t give you too much trouble.”

Really… For a fleeting moment, an image of a detective wielding a trophy and smashing it against a flowerpot at a crime scene flashed through Azure’s mind, but she quickly dismissed it and asked—

"Hugo, will you participate in the investigation afterwards?"

This poisoning case was the first serious case that Bilan had encountered on her own since becoming a detective. Although Bilan felt relieved to have to hand over the half-finished case to her superior because of this sudden turn of events, she still felt a little regretful.

"My arrangements here are almost finished. After saying goodbye to my companions, I can come to the police station to meet you..."

Because he was on the phone, Hugo walked aimlessly along the road for a few steps as he spoke.

As they got closer to the beach, the detective noticed the figure standing at the far end of the sand again.

It really was a standing figure.

Why is this person standing alone on the beach? The water there must be knee-deep.

While the detective was distracted by the strange phenomenon in the distance, Azure hesitated again before speaking on the other end of the phone—

"I have one last question, Hugo. It might sound a bit naive... If the victim at the crime scene really was the perpetrator of the poisoning case in Feiyun City, then the person who poisoned him could be considered to have done a good deed, right? Even so, should we still pursue the perpetrator who did the good deed to the very end?"

“This is no child’s question,” Hugo said.

"Ah, I don't have any intention of resisting this case. I know that crimes cannot cancel each other out. On the contrary, I'm quite unhappy that someone else has struck first when I was hunting my prey."

Perhaps realizing her question might cause a misunderstanding, Azure quickly added an explanation—

"I just want to know, as a professional detective, how do you think about and handle such problems when they arise in a case, Hugo?"

"I see. It is indeed satisfying to see bad people get their just desserts, and it can make people want to support the murderer. Moreover, if the person who poisoned the poisoner is motivated by social justice or is even a former victim of the poisoner and decides to take revenge, continuing to investigate the case can indeed make people feel morally uncomfortable."

As Hugo spoke, he followed his curiosity and walked toward the figures on the beach.

Do you ever feel this way?

"There might be a little bit. But as detectives, the part we need to be morally responsible for is actually very small."

"Insignificant?"

“Yes, even if we help the police catch criminals, it’s not us who convict them. The Alliance’s legal system will slowly assess the crimes committed by criminals according to standards through lengthy and complicated judicial procedures. In this process, all the moral considerations we can think of will ultimately be factored into the punishment. The detective work we do to assist the police may sound prestigious, but at best, it only improves the efficiency and accuracy of sending criminals into the assessment system.”

Of course, if you feel the court's ruling is unfair, or that the law itself is flawed, and therefore refuse to become an accomplice to this assessment system, that is certainly a reasonable and understandable choice. After all, standing idly by is a freedom inherent in human nature. But that's another matter entirely, unrelated to the case at hand—the detective added.

Stepping onto the beach outside the road, Hugo felt the fineness and flow of the sand through his shoes.

As the night grew darker, it became even harder for him to see the figure in the distance. The detective was in a dilemma; he hadn't brought a flashlight with him, and his phone was on a call and couldn't be used for illumination.

"So that's what you were thinking..."

Azure Assistant's voice rang in my ears, still filled with deep contemplation.

"Actually, there is an even simpler way to clear your mind."

Hugo suddenly had a good idea and said in a lighthearted tone—

"This time, you'll be the one to ask Officer Jenny for the consultation fee. The exact amount will be assessed by you, as you've been involved in the entire investigation. Detectives aren't just heroes of justice; they're professionals who only act when commissioned—nothing makes that clearer than getting paid to do something."

The waves crashed against the shore, producing a deep yet rhythmic sound.

Amidst the monotonous white noise, Hugo heard the detective's assistant's wry smile—

"That makes sense. After working as a private investigator in the firm for so long, doing things like stalking, secretly filming, and illegally collecting evidence, it seems I'm still not fully mature."

“After all, our world isn’t just black and white,” Hugo couldn’t help but smile.

He didn't tell Bilan that for a detective, commissioning a job isn't just a way to make a living by getting paid; it's also a constraint.

Those who seek the truth are sometimes blinded by their intense curiosity, unable to resist doing unnecessary things and uncovering unnecessary truths.

The extra consequences are often not something a detective can easily bear based on mere interest.

That is precisely why delegation is necessary, and why a principal is needed.

Whether it's a wife investigating her husband's infidelity, a child searching for the location of a lost Pokémon, or a detective tracking down a heinous criminal, there needs to be a client to ensure that, when the final mystery is revealed, at least one person in the world is willing to pay the commission for that truth.

Only in this way can a detective be a detective—not a nuisance who casually exposes embarrassing incidents, invades others' privacy, and interferes with police duties.

Just like the difference between poison and medicine, sometimes all that matters is a doctor's prescription.

Just as Hugo reached the deeper part of the beach, hesitating whether to get his shoes dirty and step into the water, a new clue seemed to have been discovered at the crime scene. After reporting this to Hugo, Azure hurriedly hung up the phone.

As the detective approached, he finally saw the figure at the edge of his field of vision, thanks to the reflection of the sea.

She was a long-haired woman wearing a light pink dress. She had been standing in the water, which was above her knees, at the end of the beach ever since the detective got out of the car to make a phone call.

Because her back was to the beach, Hugo couldn't see her movements or expressions; he could only see her hands in front of her, as if she were holding something.

Is it calling for a Pokémon that lives in the sea?

The detective simply couldn't believe it—

The long dress the other person was wearing looked beautiful, but it was clearly a style that made it inconvenient to move around in the water. Moreover, so much time had passed, and this person had remained completely still, making no attempt to attract attention, and there hadn't been a single Pokémon in sight on this shore.

The seawater had submerged the detective's shoes, began to soak through his socks, and seeped into his shoes. The seawater on this early spring night was colder than he had expected.

Something seemed amiss... Hugo sensed something was wrong and quickened his pace toward the woman.

Since the person remained standing still amidst the waves, it meant the woman still possessed the ability to maintain her balance in the water. Therefore, the figure she saw was most likely not a corpse. So, what exactly did she want?

On this dark evening, on this deserted beach, braving the early spring sea breeze, with most of his lower body submerged in the cold water, he stood motionless facing the boundless ocean, seemingly holding something in his hand...

Are there any theories that can explain this behavior?

An answer naturally came to the detective's mind—

The person wanted to commit suicide, attempting to leave this world by taking poison or jumping into the sea. The reason she remained motionless was because she was gazing at the ocean, hesitating about whether her choice was right.

This conjecture was somewhat extreme and lacked reliable evidence, but considering the serious consequences that might result from standing by and doing nothing, the detective didn't have time to verify the correctness of his reasoning. He disregarded his clothes and began to run through the ankle-deep seawater.

Water splashed everywhere, and the sound should have reached the woman's ears, but she didn't react at all.

Hey! You over there! What are you doing?

Hugo shouted.

It was only at this point that the woman made her first obvious movement.

She seemed to want to turn her head, but whether it was because she had been in the cold seawater for too long or because of a moment of panic, her movements were extremely stiff.

It is not a wise move to call out to someone who intends to commit suicide from a distance, as the person may react excessively due to panic.

However, the two are currently on shallow water at the beach, so there shouldn't be any immediate risk of drowning. The only thing to be wary of is...

Just as Hugo had feared, the woman glanced back at the detective and, like a machine awakened, clumsily began to do what she was doing.

Judging from the back view, it seems like they're trying to open a bottle cap...

Seeing the woman's haggard and dazed expression in the water, the detective quickened his pace. However, the increasing depth of the water hindered his progress, and there was still some distance between them.

The other person raised one arm, indicating that the bottle cap was already open and they were taking out the contents...

Just then, a small shadow leaped out of the water.

Bogarman, whose ball had been released by the detective beforehand, leaped out of the shallow water and snatched the object from the woman's hand amidst her gasp.

The little creature, having fallen back into the sea, plunged into the water, transforming into a blurry black shadow, and slithered back to the detective's side.

They even managed to find and tighten the bottle cap again; my handheld sprite is indeed not to be underestimated.

Hugo looked down at the container he had taken from Pogaman, sighed, and then looked up at the woman who had turned away but was now standing there bewildered.

"You... give me back... mine..."

The woman in the pink dress was rambling incoherently.

The detective sighed, took two steps forward again, and spoke first—

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Hugo, the director of a detective agency in Feiyun City. May I ask, ma'am, how can I help you?"

Hugo opened his palm, revealing the medicine bottle that Bogarman had snatched from the woman's hand.

"By the way, even if you take sleeping pills in the water, the body will experience a strong jolt the moment it falls into the water, forcibly waking the mind. Therefore, no matter how much you take, you will not drown while you are asleep."

The detective shook the medicine bottle in his hand, and only felt slightly relieved after realizing that it contained more than half of the pills—at least for the time being, the other party did not intend to overdose on sleeping pills.

If a patient disobeys a doctor's orders and takes an excessive amount of medication, a sleeping pill that is meant to induce sleep can become a deadly poison that causes prolonged slumber.

The detective stopped in the water, straightened his brand-new tuxedo—which he had intended to wear to the charity gala—and bowed politely to the trembling lady.

"I'm not sure if I can help you, but if you've been having any worries lately, would you be willing to talk to me about it?"

He shrugged. "You don't need to be so wary of me. After all, I'm just a stranger who suddenly appeared; I can't possibly be more terrifying than death, can I?"