Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 273 The Atheist in the Secret Room

Chapter 275 The Atheist in the Secret Room

Although the "Iaijutsu" easily cleared away the obstacles in front of the Mori Mansion's gate, the opening time was still much later than Chikuran had expected.

She knocked two or three more times, almost starting to doubt whether anyone lived in the mansion, before the ancient door finally rang out with a rough, rusty scraping sound as it was slowly pushed open from the inside.

A timid young woman appeared behind the door.

Her clothes were simple, with the sleeves rolled up to her upper arms, and her long brown hair was simply pinned up on her head. In terms of appearance, she gave people a good impression of being very hardworking.

However, the little girl who opened the door still bore traces of fear on her face. Like a timid little curly-eared cub afraid of strangers, her arm gripping the door trembled slightly, while she clutched a broom tightly in her other hand. She seemed to be on high alert, ready to slam the door shut at any moment.

When she looked up and turned her gaze to the guest waiting at the door, she exclaimed, "Oh! Are you the League's Bamboo Orchid Champion?"

Before Zhu Lan could speak, the woman behind the door immediately exclaimed in surprise.

To be honest, this way of greeting is quite impolite, but Cynthia is already used to being recognized at a glance. Even the berry breeders in the Unova region can recognize her, let alone here in Sinnoh where she is the champion.

So, without any surprise, she calmly nodded and got straight to the point: "Yes. I heard that there are some research sites related to mythology in this mansion, so I came to investigate. Are you a resident here?"

"Remains?" The little girl's eyes widened. "Isn't this Mr. Meidan's mansion?"

The Plum Blossom and Bamboo Orchid also have some differences.

As a mythologist in the Sinnoh region, she had naturally heard of this name. However, coincidences of people sharing the same name exist all over the world, and it was not yet certain whether it was the same person.

"I see. Was that anonymous property owner named Meidan? To actually buy such a strangely styled mansion, he's quite an eccentric character."

Officer Jenny, dressed in a police uniform, stepped out from beside the champion. First the champion, then the police officer—this surprised Zina, who was already caught in the trap of the rock machine even more.

The policewoman didn't know Mei Dan's identity, but she also looked thoughtful.

In today's information age, sometimes even just one or two characters can unlock endless information.

From an investigative standpoint, just hearing the name "Mei Dan" was enough to make Officer Jenny's trip worthwhile.

She believed that by following the name, she could easily trace the person's social connections and economic situation. At that point, the mysteries of the Forest Mansion, the clues to the Crimson Sun Galaxy, and the secrets of the mythical ruins would all be solved.

Normally, such intelligence gathering should be completed before any investigation is launched. However, strictly speaking, while the mansion might have been the residence of Akatsuki, the property itself wasn't directly involved in any criminal activity. Even if Officer Jenny held a key position within the Sinnoh League, she still wouldn't have the authority to directly inquire about the house's later ownership.

Of course, within the complex bureaucratic system of the Sinnoh League, there are ways to bypass the rules and access the homeowner's privacy. But clearly, since there's no entrance fee to Erimo Forest, none of those gray-area methods are as simple and effective as directly visiting the mansion.

Therefore, although her appearance and police uniform were already convincing enough, Officer Jenny still skillfully pulled out her police handbook and used her official identification to show her legitimate identity: "Hello, I am Officer Jenny from the League Investigation Department. Unlike the mission of this Sinnoh Champion, I am visiting this residence mainly on official business. In addition to the mythological relics, this residence may also contain some clues about Team Galactic, which once ravaged Sinnoh. If possible, we would like to have the opportunity to visit the building."

To Zhu Lan and Officer Jenny's surprise, the woman who opened the door nodded without hesitation and politely bowed, saying, "Yes, please come in. Although I don't know the specifics, the owner must have known you were coming, so he specifically instructed me to prepare to welcome you. He's currently working in the basement; let me show you inside first."

The two uninvited guests exchanged a glance, both seeing suspicion in each other's eyes. Neither of them had expected to enter the already inhabited Forest Mansion so easily.

"Also, there's something I'd like to ask if I may—" Zina asked timidly and cautiously, "Where did the woods outside the manor go?"

The explanation didn't take much effort. After seeing the mess outside the gate, Zina immediately understood where the trees that had originally sealed the gate had gone.

Taking this opportunity, Zhu Lan and the others also learned the maid's name and occupation, and realized that in Qi Na's eyes, this mysterious Forest Mansion was just a larger, remote villa, and there was nothing strange or unusual about it.

"From what we've seen of the interior design so far, there really isn't anything unusual."

Passing through the long entrance hall, the bright and beautiful interior of the mansion suddenly contrasts sharply with the gloomy outside world, as if it were another world altogether.

Officer Jenny adjusted her police cap and said, "The furniture is clean and tidy, all the household items and tableware on the table are in perfect order, and the wooden floor is spotless. Hmm—if I had to nitpick, the window glass is a bit dirty."

Zina lowered her head shyly: "These are all my duties as a maid. I'm so glad I can make you feel comfortable. Those windows weren't wiped clean on the outside because they can't be opened."

"I see. It seems you're working very hard."

Officer Jenny uttered the praise that Zina had been hoping for, but then she changed the subject, saying, "However, sometimes being too normal can also be abnormal."

"Abnormal? What does that mean?"

Seeing the policewoman's serious expression, the maid gripped the broom tighter, looking nervous.

"Someone once said that anything that has ever existed will leave a trace, let alone a mansion that has been inhabited for many years. Although Baidai City does have water pipes and power lines that connect to this place, how do you deal with the household garbage and sewage left over from your daily life? The house is sealed off from the outside, and there are no sewers or recycling stations nearby to handle garbage."

"Oh, this."

The maid, who was leading the two guests to the mansion owner's basement, changed her route after hearing Officer Jenny's question. She opened the door to a small room in the corner.

"The Gym Leader's Pokémon is responsible for handling most of the kitchen waste. Although it's just a Grimer, we usually call it 'Grimer.' As for the solid waste that Grimer can't digest, we collect it and entrust Mr. Neil, who delivers supplies to us regularly, to take it to town to dispose of it."

Inside the door, a lump of mud covered in dark purple stripes was curled up in the pool, sleeping peacefully in a place where the sun couldn't reach.

As Qi Na and the others pushed open the door and entered, the clump of purple mud slowly began to wriggle, gradually revealing a cheerful face with its mouth wide open.

"It's stinky mud. I haven't seen it much lately."

Because the room had an exhaust fan on, the odor from the mud wasn't very strong.

The champion of Bamboo Orchid said with some emotion, "Since the alliances in various regions began to pay attention to environmental governance, sewage environments suitable for this kind of stinking mud to live in have almost disappeared."

Today, people even need to build artificial sewage ponds specifically to raise them. Perhaps in the distant future, when people think of Grimer, they will only remember the Alola Grimer subspecies that feeds on garbage, and the image of green, not purple, Grimer will appear in their minds—”

And just then, someone chuckled, "Heh! In the future, maybe even those beings revered as gods in murals will end up like beginner Pokémon in research institutes, kept in Poké Balls and casually wandering around!"

A loud and sarcastic voice suddenly came from behind the group.

In the sewage pool, the purple, smelly slime waved its mud-formed hands with even greater joy, clearly because it had seen its trainer.

Hearing the arrogant words behind her, Cynthia didn't need to turn around to immediately recognize the other party's identity—Professor Medan, a renowned biology professor from ten years ago and the number one atheist in the Sinnoh region.