Pokémon Detective: Cynthia Forces Me to Adopt a Pokémon

Chapter 84 The History of Civilization on the Back of the Child's Seal

"In short, as this story illustrates, in the history of Pokémon-human interaction, humans have always been the ones receiving gifts. According to historical records, experts believe that the root of this problem lies in the primary driving force of some divine being; however, I believe it is a spontaneous behavior born from the good intentions of a certain type of Pokémon."

It was clear that Hugo thoroughly enjoyed explaining his reasoning and discoveries. The detective, leaning back in a comfortable armchair, had his hands clasped in a pyramid shape, gesturing to his assistant—

"The truth of history is often like an iceberg in the polar regions, with the visible part above the water being far smaller than the part below. This fairy tale actually points to a startling fact that could overturn the history of human civilization—of course, since I'm saying it here, it means it's already a well-known discovery in academia. Azure, have you heard of that 'earthquake in the study of ancient civilizations' a few years ago?"

The assistant shook her head repeatedly, as this was not within her area of ​​expertise. However, she was quite interested in listening to Hugo talk about history and continued listening.

“Alright, then let’s re-examine this great discovery in the history of civilization!” The detective stood up from his rocking chair with delight. “The problem begins with the fairy tale we just analyzed. But aside from my disagreement with the experts on the protagonist, there is another huge question hidden elsewhere in the story.”

"Could it be the story of 'humans and Pokémon exchanging gifts'? What truth is hidden behind this ancient custom?" Azure instantly locked onto the direction of the question using the process of elimination, but still couldn't see what kind of surprising reality was hidden behind it.

“Exactly.” The detective snapped his fingers happily, the crisp sound particularly loud in the night.

"But regardless of the interpretation, we all assume one premise: the first line of the fairy tale, 'Long, long ago, when Sinnoh was born, Pokémon and humans exchanged gifts and supported each other'—we unanimously believe that this is not a fabricated statement to whitewash the truth, but a true historical fact."

Azure was somewhat surprised, and she couldn't help but recall her childhood experiences in Pallet Town. Back then, she often played with Red, Blue, and Green at Professor Oak's lab, and sometimes, on a whim, the professor would impart some Pokémon knowledge to the three of them.

The girl remembered that Professor Oak had also been involved in the research of ancient Pokémon history. The professor believed that humans and Pokémon had lived in harmony in ancient times, but he struggled to collect any relevant evidence.

Back then, Red, still a child, arrogantly comforted Professor Oak, saying that he would catch a Pokémon that had lived for hundreds of years and have it tell Professor Oak its history. But Professor Oak frowned and said that hundreds of years wasn't enough; it would have to be at least hundreds of thousands of years, which terrified Azure and the others.

However, at this very moment, the detective before Azure, equally oblivious to the immensity of the situation, declared—

"Countless pieces of evidence suggest that this utopian history is real. In the early stages of human civilization, humans, who were at a disadvantage in the struggle for survival due to their inability to use skills and moves, began to coexist peacefully with Pokémon with great goodwill. The reason why humans and Pokémon ultimately moved towards cooperation rather than confrontation is precisely because of the existence of this history."

Without a doubt, there are absolutely no Pokémon in Feathered Residence that have lived for more than 10,000 years.

"But how did you prove it?" Azure asked skeptically, spreading her hands, her eyes full of curiosity, her sleepiness completely gone.

"The fairy tale we mentioned above is a relatively weak piece of evidence. The fact that healing Pokémon like Chansey and Almostbear actively approach humans is one type of example that can support the argument."

“These aren’t enough to definitively conclude the case.” The girl shook her head vigorously, knowing that the detective must still be holding back some crucial evidence.

Azure stared into Hugo's gray eyes, waiting for the detective to reveal the answer.

“We do need a definitive piece of evidence. But this evidence isn’t some newly unearthed mythological relic, nor is it some divine ruin that suddenly appeared at the ends of the earth, nor is it some Pokémon professor who traveled back in time with a Pokémon that can travel through time…” Hugo shook his finger, ruling out one possibility after another.

"That's a more commonplace reality that everyone would notice. The only strange thing is that this phenomenon is so common that we forget to ask why."

Like an apple falling from the sky.

Azure pondered deeply, even covering her ears, unwilling to let the detective reveal the truth before she figured out the answer.

Time ticked by, and just like on the train back from Qibao City, Azure fell into deep contemplation.

However, the mystery she faces this time is far more difficult to guess than the true purpose of the King of Oranges.

That was a problem that had puzzled countless historians and elf scholars for many years, and many even believed that the truth of this history had been lost to time.

It was this exploration of the question that propelled Ms. Cynthia, then a senior trainer, to become a world-renowned mythologist. Before winning the championship title, she first earned the unparalleled academic honor of being a "mythology authority."

In the office, Hugo returned to the floor-to-ceiling window. This time, instead of staring intently at the gate of the Feather Residence, he looked up at the glittering lights of Feiyun City under the night sky.

His three Pokémon were already fast asleep, nestled together. Chimchar was hugging the purple Evolution Stone tightly, drooling as it drifted off to sleep, looking quite content. Azure Ditto seemed to have quickly integrated into the group as well; sleeping, it resembled a purple jelly, being hugged tightly by Piplup and Turtwig as a pillow.

Eevee was woken up by the noise of Ditto joining the team. Both Eevee and Hugo, who had taken a nap earlier, were wide awake and were now taking an elegant and adorable stroll.

"Buyi?"

What's going on now? Eevee looked at his trainer with some unease, not understanding why she was still frowning and lost in thought so late at night.

Little Eevee couldn't resist taking a few steps closer to Azure. Hearing the footsteps, the girl opened her eyes and casually said, "Eevee, I still have some things to think about. You should go to sleep... Huh?"

The detective turned around and looked at the girl in front of him with a half-smile.

Azure's eyes widened, as if she had discovered the truth of the world.

In the early days of human civilization, Pokémon and humans coexisted peacefully. In this primitive state, without Poké Balls or trainers, Pokémon and humans shared a joyful time that is etched into each other's genes.

This mirage-like, illusory conjecture, this problem that has troubled Professor Oak for so long, can actually be proven by such a simple fact!

“Yes, that’s exactly what you’re thinking.” Hugo nodded to the girl with a touch of nostalgia. “Just like an apple falling from a tree, right?”