Chapter 3: The Absurd Wager

Inside the red-and-white Poké Balls lay the three starter Pokémon from the Sinnoh region:

Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup.

"Haha... ha," the detective let out an awkward laugh, glancing incredulously at the Sinnoh Champion. "You're joking, right? Because your humor is terrifying."

Cynthia tilted her head, confused by Hugo's reaction.

"You're fully aware," Hugo began, ticking points off on his fingers like a simple math problem, "that I have absolutely zero talent for raising Pokémon, and my performance in battles is... well, let's just call it painful to watch. On top of that, you're not the type of person to treat Pokémon as bargaining chips. With all this in mind, plopping these three Poké Balls in front of me is clearly some kind of prank."

Cynthia blinked, then chuckled softly.

The Sinnoh Champion's expression transformed into a mischievous grin, her usual composed demeanor giving way to one of playful scheming. It was as if she'd decided to wipe away the debt of an earlier disagreement with one audacious move. Smiling slyly, she made an even more preposterous proposal:

"Choosing one of these Pokémon will serve as a down payment for the case. If you solve it, I'll take the Pokémon back. But if you fail... then all three of these starters—Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup—will be yours to raise."

Her true intentions revealed, Hugo was left speechless.

It was a gamble: a bet on whether Hugo could solve the case Cynthia had presented. If he succeeded, he'd gain nothing. If he failed, he'd inherit three Sinnoh starter Pokémon to train—a scenario Hugo, of all people, dreaded the most.

What kind of reward system is this? Free Pokémon? Is that even a thing?

Unfortunately, the one being roped into this bizarre scheme was Hugo, the world's most reluctant Pokémon trainer. His pride would never allow him to deliberately botch a case just to avoid raising Pokémon.

"In this world, there are mysterious creatures known as Pokémon!" Cynthia proclaimed theatrically, spreading her arms like a professor introducing beginners to the world of Pokémon. Her voice was rich and melodic as she parroted the classic line. "Some people care for them lovingly, while others train them for battle. Young man, which one of these will accompany you on your journey of hope and dreams?"

The overgrown "young man" rolled his eyes so hard they nearly got stuck, shaking his head vehemently.

"That's... a problem, you know," Cynthia said with an exaggerated shrug, her shoulders rising with dramatic flair. The Champion, gold hair shimmering, had completely abandoned her usual elegance. "This case has stumped even the Sinnoh League. Only a brilliant detective like you can take it on."

She picked up her forgotten pomegranate slush, now melted into a rosy pink juice, and swirled the straw absentmindedly.

"Unless..." she sighed, feigning disappointment, "the great detective Hugo feels unworthy of the task?"

Click. It was as if a lock had been unlatched within Hugo's mind.

It was an obvious bait. But as a detective, how could he resist a mystery so tantalizing?

Why would the Sinnoh Champion come all the way to Unova to find me? Why set up this absurd game as a way to hire me? And why offer Pokémon as compensation?

Well, the last one wasn't much of a mystery—Cynthia had been pestering him to train Pokémon ever since their paths crossed in Sinnoh. Clearly, she had orchestrated this as a trap, fully expecting Hugo to fail so she could foist the starters onto him.

To accept or not to accept this ludicrous wager... The answer was obvious.

"I'll take Turtwig."

Surprised by his decision, Cynthia raised a brow. "Because Turtwig is gentle and easier to care for?"

Hugo shook his head. "Since I'll just return it to you in the end, I figured I might as well pick one randomly. Turtwig's the first Pokémon in the Sinnoh Pokédex, so choosing it by order felt fair."

"But you might fail and end up keeping all three," Cynthia countered immediately.

Ignoring her remark, Hugo reached into the box to retrieve one of the Poké Balls. His hand trembled slightly, as though performing some forbidden ritual.

"That's Piplup's Poké Ball," Cynthia helpfully pointed out.

Hugo hastily switched to another, only to grab Chimchar's.

Poké Balls had a translucent red top to help trainers identify the Pokémon inside, but even with that feature, many clumsy trainers still got them mixed up.

And unfortunately, Hugo was a master of clumsiness.

"All the Pokémon look the same when they're inside the ball," he mumbled awkwardly, finally picking up Turtwig's Poké Ball on his third try.

Cynthia, entirely unsurprised, sighed as if to say, As expected.

Through the transparent red top of the Poké Ball, Hugo saw Turtwig staring back at him with bright, lively eyes. Unlike the usual lazy impression of turtle Pokémon, this little guy was brimming with energy. Its small green head and sprouting sapling swayed with excitement as if it were ready to leap out at any moment.

Suppressing the urge to release the Pokémon, Hugo set the ball on the table and asked the question foremost in his mind. "So, what's the case?"

"Not going to interact with Turtwig?" Cynthia teased. "The café isn't crowded—you could let it out."

"It'll be back in your hands soon enough," Hugo replied confidently.

"But if you fail, you'll have to take all three," Cynthia reminded him with a grin.

"Oh, spare me," Hugo retorted, pushing Turtwig's ball further away. "Just tell me about the case. I'll make sure this Turtwig finds its way back into your box!"

"Very well," Cynthia said. "This incident only recently came to light, but it actually began over a year ago."

Hugo nodded. "A cold case. Interesting."

"Someone has been impersonating me," the Champion declared.

"Impersonating you? You?" Hugo's expression turned comically exaggerated.

"Yes," Cynthia affirmed. "A trainer using a team identical to mine has been causing quite a stir in Unova. The incident has attracted considerable attention from both the Sinnoh and Unova Leagues."

"Wait a second. Isn't that a bit trivial? Copying team compositions is common—it's not like plagiarism. Besides, even if they did copy your Pokémon, they couldn't possibly mimic your appearance."

"This individual doesn't appear in person," Cynthia explained. "According to reports, they operate behind the scenes, using my Pokémon to stir up chaos in Unova."

She placed several documents on the table, some featuring blurry photos. Even in their unclear state, the images unmistakably depicted her signature Pokémon: Garchomp, Spiritomb, Togekiss, and Roserade, among others.

"And here's the twist," Cynthia added. "This impersonation didn't harm my reputation—it enhanced it."

"Wait, what? Didn't you just say it affected your reputation? You're contradicting yourself."

"It's peculiar, isn't it?" Cynthia sighed, brushing a strand of golden hair aside. "This impostor has elevated my reputation, portraying me as an anonymous hero traveling between Sinnoh and Unova to fight injustice. The Unova League is even considering awarding me a 'Guardian of Unova' medal!"