"It's been years since I last visited Nimbasa City. The skyscrapers seem to have multiplied," Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion, remarked as she smoothed her wind-tousled golden hair, stepping down from her Togekiss, her flying mount. She gazed at the modern metropolis beside her with a hint of nostalgia.
The Pokémon ecosystem in the Unova region was starkly different from her homeland, Sinnoh. The skies buzzed with local species like Pidove and Cottonee, while the streets were filled with Pokémon rarely seen in Sinnoh, such as Lillipup and Deerling, strolling alongside their human companions.
Cynthia's conversation partner was Hugo, a private detective.
The sudden, dazzling arrival of the Sinnoh Champion, descending from the sky, clearly caught Hugo off guard. However, his surprise didn't last long. He pushed a cart behind him, flashed a polite smile, and greeted her.
"Hey, long time no see, Cynthia."
The young detective sported a mop of artistically disheveled black hair. His face was handsome enough, but his crumpled white suit jacket gave off a laid-back, almost slovenly impression.
He apologized to the Champion who had appeared out of nowhere: "I'm in the middle of something urgent… If you have a case for me, could you head to my office and wait for a bit?"
"You mean that villa in the city called Featherhaven Manor? I've already been there. Looks like you're doing well in Unova."
Recalling the peculiar courtyard mansion in the heart of the city, with its oversized "Hugo Detective Agency" sign hanging on the second floor, Cynthia tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear.
She eyed the detective suspiciously, sensing a trace of unease in his demeanor.
"The gardener at your door, Miss Rena, told me you sneak off to some back alley every week around this time. So, I came to check it out and ran into you on the way. Busy with some detective work?"
"Uh… sort of. The agency's doing alright. After all, Unova's full of rich folks, and the private detective business is still a goldmine."
Intimidated by the Champion's aura, Hugo took an instinctive step back, only to bump into the cart he was hiding.
Something wrapped in white cloth inside the cart shifted, hitting the metal frame with a dull thud.
Cynthia's gaze sharpened. "Hugo, mind showing me what's under that cloth?"
Hugo started to shake his head but froze under Cynthia's piercing stare.
"How about a deal?" he said, thinking fast. "I'll show you what's inside, but in exchange, you hear me out."
The Sinnoh Champion studied the fidgeting detective for a moment before nodding.
Relieved, Hugo glanced around, spotted a secluded cluster of trees, and wheeled the cart toward it.
Following him, Cynthia rested her hand on a Poké Ball at her waist, her fingers poised over the release button.
She had a hunch about what lay beneath the cloth. As the cart jostled, a faint smell wafted from it—a metallic, bloody scent.
"Don't be too shocked. It's just a body."
With Cynthia's agreement secured, Hugo relaxed. Mimicking a magician, he whipped off the cloth to reveal what lay beneath.
The sole spectator, however, was far from amused.
A mangled Watchog corpse lay before Cynthia, its back covered in bloody whip marks. The stench of blood flooded the air, inescapable.
Just then, an ill-timed electronic chime rang out. A Rotom Phone zipped out of Cynthia's black coat, reciting Pokémon data like an old Pokédex: "Watchog, the Lookout Pokémon, evolved from Patrat. A Normal-type native to Unova. Cautious and vigilant, it can see clearly even in darkness, a true sentinel… Oh no, Rotom! What happened to this Watchog?! Rotom cannot process this situation!"
Clearly, this sentinel Pokémon was no longer on guard, sprawled lifelessly on the cart.
Its expression was anything but peaceful—gruesome was more like it.
"Rotom, quiet down. Let's hear his excuse first," Cynthia said coolly, her fingers still on her Poké Ball, ready to apprehend the wayward detective.
"You've arrived at the perfect moment, Cynthia. This is history in the making," Hugo declared, unashamed, striking a dramatic pose beside the corpse.
"Determining time of death has always been a challenge in forensics. It hinges on analyzing differences in a body before and after death. Unfortunately, Pokémon vary wildly in body temperature, and their moves can drastically alter post-mortem changes, making precise time-of-death estimates—down to the hour—nearly impossible."
"Rotom, is he telling the truth?" Cynthia's voice was icy, her eyes locked on Hugo, ready to act if he stepped out of line.
"His forensic information is accurate, Rotom! But what's going on here—"
"I've solved what existing theories couldn't!" Hugo interrupted loudly, diving into his research. "I've devised a brilliant method: type resistance!"
"Type resistance? Rotom doesn't understand." The red phone zipped around Hugo, as if searching for answers on him, but found none.
Hugo, like a lecturing professor, explained: "A Fire-type move does half damage to a Water-type Pokémon—that's resistance. Recent studies show this resistance weakens significantly in a Pokémon's corpse, approaching a minimal ratio over time.
"Experiments have shown a pattern: after death, a Pokémon's body loses resistance. The same attack causes increasingly severe wounds. By measuring resistance at different stages, we get a curve—sharp decline at first, then leveling off near zero.
"This applies to all corpses, whether it's an Arcanine cloaked in flames or a Cryogonal made of ice. By testing residual resistance, we can pinpoint time of death!
"If applied to forensics, police could test a Pokémon's remains at a crime scene and determine time of death to the second! It's a revolutionary breakthrough for alibi verification!"
Beaming with pride, Hugo raised his arm triumphantly.
Even Rotom, caught up in the moment, forgot the grim scene. Its data-formed mouth gaped: "The theory is feasible! No similar research exists in my database! A groundbreaking discovery, Rotom!"
Only Cynthia remained unmoved. The detective's research had no apparent connection to the Watchog's corpse.
Hugo cleared his throat and continued: "Sadly, my research lacks one key piece. Normal-types have no type resistances. We can test Flying-types with Bug moves, Ghost-types with Poison, even Ice-types with Ice—but Normal-types? They have no resistances to measure.
"This led to a question: human attacks, which rarely harm Pokémon, might they be affected by a Pokémon's innate resistance? So, I tested whether a whip's lash would be dampened by a Watchog corpse's resistance, leading to… this."
Cynthia nodded slightly, grasping the theory, then fixed Hugo with a calm stare. "So, you murdered a Watchog for forensic science?"
The detective finally noticed the tall blonde's expression—her lips frozen in a strained smile, her brows knitted, her patience clearly at its limit.
A faint roar of a Garchomp echoed in the distance…
"Don't forget your promise! Let me explain!" Hugo pleaded, bowing his head.