Inside the red-and-white Poké Balls were the three starter Pokémon from the Sinnoh region: Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup.
"Ha, haha." Hugo let out a dry laugh, staring speechlessly at the Sinnoh Champion. "Your sense of humor could scare someone to death."
Cynthia tilted her head, puzzled by Hugo's leap in logic.
"You know I have zero talent for raising Pokémon, and my battling skills are downright abysmal. You're not the type to use Pokémon as payment, either. Given these facts, putting three Poké Balls in front of me is clearly a prank."
Hugo counted off his reasoning on his fingers, as if solving a simple math problem.
Cynthia blinked, then smiled.
The Sinnoh Champion finally revealed a sly, premeditated expression, as if the earlier pomegranate slush incident had been forgotten. With a cunning smile, she said something even more outrageous:
"Choosing a Pokémon is the deposit for this case. If you solve it, I'll take the Pokémon back. But if you, the great detective, fail, then the Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup in this case are yours—and you'll be responsible for raising all three."
The trap was sprung.
Hugo's jaw dropped.
This was a bet: whether Hugo could complete Cynthia's commission. If he succeeded, he'd gain nothing. If he failed, he'd get three Sinnoh starters.
What kind of payment was this? Free Pokémon? Was there such a good deal?
But the client was Hugo, the detective who wanted nothing to do with Pokémon, and his pride would never allow him to deliberately botch a case.
"In this world, creatures called Pokémon are everywhere! Some care for them kindly, while others command them in battle. So, young man, make your choice. Which one will you take on a journey of hopes and dreams?"
In the café, Cynthia spread her arms, striking the classic pose of a Pokémon Professor guiding a new Trainer, her voice melodic as she recited the iconic lines.
The overgrown "young man" entrusted with hopes and dreams rolled his eyes, shaking his head furiously.
"That's tricky. This case is a real headache for the Sinnoh League. Only a great detective like you can handle it."
The blonde woman before him feigned regret, shaking her head with exaggerated acting, shedding all traces of a Champion's dignity.
She picked up her pomegranate slush, the ice fully melted into a lovely peach-pink hue.
Stirring the drink aimlessly with her straw, Cynthia sighed softly. "Or are you saying you can't solve this case?"
Click. It was as if a lock had been undone.
It was blatant provocation, but as a detective, passing up such a mystery felt like a waste.
Why did the Sinnoh Champion come all the way to Unova to find him? Why set up this bizarre charade to make him take the case? Why was the reward raising Pokémon?
No, that last part wasn't a mystery. Back in Sinnoh, Cynthia had always urged him to train Pokémon. She must believe this case was unsolvable for him, using it as a chance to foist Pokémon onto him.
So, should he dodge the commission or join this absurd bet?
The answer was obvious.
"I choose Turtwig."
Cynthia, surprised her scheme had worked, couldn't help but ask, "Because Turtwig is gentle and easy to care for?"
Hugo shook his head. "Since I'll be giving it back anyway, I picked randomly. Turtwig's number 001 in the Sinnoh Pokédex, so it's the fairest choice by order."
"You might end up keeping all three if you fail," Cynthia corrected immediately.
Ignoring her, Hugo reached for the open briefcase, carefully lifting a Poké Ball, his arm trembling slightly as if committing a forbidden act.
"That's Piplup's Poké Ball," Cynthia noted helpfully.
Hugo quickly swapped it, only to grab Chimchar's instead.
The red half of a Poké Ball is translucent, letting Trainers see the Pokémon inside. Yet, many novice Trainers still mix them up.
Unfortunately, Hugo was precisely that kind of seasoned novice.
"They all look the same in Poké Balls," he muttered awkwardly, finally picking up Turtwig's red-and-white Poké Ball.
Cynthia nodded, unsurprised, with a look that said, "I knew this would happen." She'd long known Hugo and Pokémon didn't mix—picking the right one on the third try was classic Hugo.
Through the translucent red shell, Hugo saw the Turtwig inside.
Unlike the typical lazy turtle Pokémon, this one was full of energy, its round black eyes meeting his gaze, the sprout on its head bouncing with vitality.
Sensing Hugo's attention, the Turtwig perked up, raising its green head as if eager to burst out.
Resisting the human instinct to release the Pokémon, Hugo set the ball aside and asked Cynthia the question that mattered most: "What's the case?"
"Don't want to bond with Turtwig? The café's not crowded—you can let it out."
"It'll be back in your hands soon," Hugo said confidently.
"If you fail_you'll take all three starters," she reminded him.
"You're really going all out with this fancy trick, Champion. Keeping all three? Only someone with choice paralysis like you would come up with that."
Hugo pushed the Turtwig's Poké Ball farther away, deflecting with a jab—he wasn't committing to the consequences, leaving room to back out. This woman was clearly scheming.
"Well, there's some truth to that," Cynthia admitted frankly, her guess spot-on.
"Just tell me about the case already. I'll do everything to get this Turtwig back to your briefcase!"
"Good." Cynthia spoke slowly. "The case started getting attention recently, but it began a year ago."
Hugo nodded. "A year-old case. Reopened. Interesting."
"Someone's impersonating me," said the Champion, the pinnacle of the Sinnoh League.
"Impersonating? Wait—impersonating you?"
Hugo's expression lit up with intrigue.
"Yes, a Trainer with a team like mine has been active in Unova, causing a stir. It's drawn attention from both Leagues and impacted my reputation significantly."
"It's not a big deal, is it? Team comps overlap in battles all the time—it's not exactly plagiarism. And they can't mimic your appearance, right?"
"They haven't mimicked my appearance. Reports say they never show themselves, just use my exact Pokémon to cause trouble in Unova."
Cynthia laid out several documents with blurry photos from the scenes.
Despite the blur, the silhouettes of Cynthia's signature Pokémon—Garchomp, Spiritomb, Togekiss, Roserade—were unmistakable.
"And you're wrong about one thing," she added. "They haven't damaged my reputation."
"Huh? Didn't you say it affected your reputation? And at the clinic, you mentioned the League's honor. That's contradictory—what's going on?"
"It's bizarre." Sipping her melted pomegranate juice, Cynthia ran a hand through her blonde bangs, troubled. "They've enhanced my reputation, turning me into some anonymous hero dashing between Sinnoh and Unova, fighting for justice. The Unova League even wants to award me a Guardian Medal!"