Chapter 92
(Flashback)
As Ash and Mark delve into the search for their missing siblings, they receive a crucial tip from the trio who had been clandestinely observing Team Rocket's movements. The trio discloses Team Rocket's heinous act of imprisoning Minami within a stasis tank. With this newfound information and determination fueled by concern, Ash and Mark, alongside the International Police, orchestrate a plan to dismantle Team Rocket once and for all.
Upon breaching the stronghold of Team Rocket, Ash and Mark confront the stasis tank containing Minami, her form suspended in an eerie stillness. As they open the tank and release her, Ash's voice quivers with worry, "Minami, are you alright?"
Minami's disbelief gives way to joy as she recognizes her brothers, "Brother Ash! Mark! Is that you?" The reunion is punctuated by a heartfelt sibling embrace, Minami's voice filled with curiosity and concern, "But what about Team Rocket?"
"Dad and the International Police have taken care of them," Ash reassures her, though his eyes betray the weight of the recent ordeal. "But why were you in the stasis tank?" he asks, eager to unravel the mystery behind her captivity and ensure her safety.
Minami's voice trembles with the weight of her past as she recounts the harrowing ordeal she endured at the hands of Team Rocket. "When I was little, they took me away... those grunts treated me like a thing, a tool for their own selfish desires," she explains, her eyes clouded with painful memories. "The boss confessed they snatched me from my real family, trying to force me into Team Rocket. I had no idea what it meant at first, but when I learned it was a den of evil, escape seemed impossible. They threw me into that stasis tank..."
Mark's expression darkens with sympathy and anger as Minami shares her story. "We're sorry to hear about that," he murmurs, his voice heavy with emotion.
As the conversation unfolds, Ash opens up about their mother's tragic demise. The revelation ignites a fierce determination in Minami's eyes, her grief transforming into a burning desire for justice. "I'll make them pay," she declares, her tone resolute with a hint of fury. Driven by a thirst for retribution and a quest for truth, Minami immerses herself in legal literature, determined to understand and wield the law against those who have wronged her family.
With Alice by their side, the trio is now walking on the streets of Olivine City. Suddenly, they hear a commotion and decide to investigate. To their horror, they discover a lifeless body lying on the street. Officer Jennies are present, attempting to clear the area, but Ash, Alice, and Minami manage to approach. Ash addresses Officer Jenny, asking, "Excuse me, Officer Jenny. Can you please tell us what's happening here?"
Officer Jenny notices them and explains, "You must be Red, the famous new Champion. You see, about 15 minutes ago, we received a report of a body found in this area. We're currently gathering information from witnesses to determine what transpired."
Minami gazes at the building and politely remarks, "Brother if you'll excuse me for a moment."
As Minami departs, Ash and Alice exchange confused glances but decide to address the matter later as they begin questioning Officer Jenny about the incident.
Meanwhile, Minami ascends to the rooftop with the guard's permission and notices the fresh crack. She employs her aura abilities to inspect it more closely, commenting, "This crack is very recent... perhaps the victim was pushed from this rooftop."
She surveys the surroundings and identifies a security camera. Minami approaches the guard to request access to the video footage. She views the recording, which shows the victim confronting an individual wearing a green coat, brown hat, a red scarf, and sunglasses, obscuring the culprit's identity.
"I see..." Minami expresses her gratitude to the guard and records the entire video on her phone.
Upon her return to the crime scene, Officer Jenny has already apprehended three suspects. One is a woman with blonde hair, dressed in a pink dress and high heels. The second is a middle-aged man in casual attire wearing regular glasses. The third is a young man in his twenties, without glasses or a hat but carrying a backpack on his back.
"Here you are, Minami. Where were you?" Alice inquires.
Minami responds, "I apologize, I was attending to some personal matters. Have you discovered the culprit yet?"
"Currently, we have these three suspects," Ash replies, as he approaches the woman with blonde hair. "This lady happens to be the man's wife, and she was washing their clothes in their apartment."
Alice approaches the middle-aged man and says, "As for this gentleman, he had a heated argument with the victim on the top floor of the apartment. However, he insists that he didn't push the victim from the building."
Minami ponders, "I watched the footage, and the culprit appears after this man leaves... unless he can change clothes swiftly or has a solid alibi..."
Ash continues, "The last one is the victim's friend, with whom he frequently plays games. The victim visited his apartment to engage in gaming, and the noise apparently infuriated this man."
Minami adds, "So, two of them were in their respective apartments when the crime occurred..."
"So, Minami, where have you been during this time?" Ash inquires.
"I was inspecting the apartment and searching for video footage. I observed that the culprit was wearing a green coat, a brown hat, a red scarf, and sunglasses. However, none of the current suspects matches this description," Minami explains.
While Ash and Alice are reviewing the video footage, another Officer Jenny arrives with a search warrant. She presents three pictures from each room, but none of them show the culprit's clothing in detail.
Minami confidently states, "I believe I know who the culprit is."
"You saw it too, right?" Ash confirms, with Alice also nodding in agreement. All three of them have reached the same conclusion.
Officer Jenny escorts the three of them back to the suspects. The woman remarks, "Aren't you the World Champion? What are you doing here?"
"We're here to assist Officer Jenny in finding the real culprit," Alice replies.
"Real culprit? Are you kidding me? I don't have time for this!" the man in his 40s exclaims.
"Yeah, we have our own work to attend to!" the other man adds.
"Calm down, everyone. Let's sort this out," Ash suggests. He then addresses the two men, saying, "So, the victim was gaming with you, and due to the loud noise, this man here took him to the rooftop to discuss the issue. Is that correct?"
The man in his forties responds, "Yes, that's true. But I swear I didn't harm him! We had our differences, but I would never go so far as to push him off the building!"
"Please remain calm. It's true that you left after the argument. However, after some time, the culprit emerged, but their identity was obscured by multiple layers of clothing. The individual suddenly charged at the man without warning and pushed him off the building," Minami explains.
Alice continues, "You mentioned that you were heading back to your room when the incident occurred, you claimed you were playing the game continuously without the victim, and you stated you were doing laundry. But when we examine the pictures, the truth becomes clear."
Ash, Alice, and Minami collectively point at the woman and declare, "It was you! You're the one who pushed the victim off the building!"
"Me?" The woman becomes furious. "How could I possibly be the culprit?! Where is the evidence?"
Ash counters, "From these pictures, we can see that this man was indeed engaged in gaming when the incident occurred. The computer screen is still active, and the pause screen indicates how much time he spent online."
Alice adds, "Regarding this man's residence, we can observe steam rising from a recently boiled kettle, indicating that it was recently used. Additionally, many devices in his home are powered on."
"You call that evidence? I won't accept this!" the blonde woman continues to protest.
"Indeed, what we mentioned might not constitute the primary evidence. However, you claimed to be doing laundry, correct?" Minami questions. "But take a look at the washing machine! It still has 20 minutes left, and it's set to 'Reduce Laundry' mode. I'm familiar with this mode, and it only takes 30 minutes to wash clothes. You said you were doing laundry, but it appears you started just 10 minutes ago, and the crime occurred 15 minutes ago."
The blonde woman starts to panic slightly, realizing the inconsistency in her alibi.
Minami continues, "Let's assume you were washing the green coat, brown hat, and red scarf. But what about the sunglasses? You concealed them inside your boots, right? We can see sunlight reflecting off them."
Ash adds, "You may have thought the camera wouldn't be able to identify you due to your disguise, but in reality, you didn't conceal everything. This will be the crucial evidence in this case!"
He presents the footage and pauses at a particular frame, zooming in to reveal a strand of blonde hair. "The culprit possesses blonde hair, which matches your description!"
The woman kneels, realizing she can't hide the truth any longer. She confesses to the murder, explaining that she did it out of frustration due to her husband's domestic violence. After the culprit is apprehended, the police express their gratitude to the trio for their assistance.
"It seems like we've accomplished something worthwhile," Alice remarks.
"Yeah..." Ash agrees. "It's strange how we ended up acting like detectives."
"Detective..." Minami ponders for a moment and then suggests, "That's an interesting idea. What do you think, Brother?"
Ash and Alice exchange surprised glances before Ash responds, "That actually sounds like a great idea. We could become private detectives."
"Indeed," Alice concurs. "This also aligns with our plans for our Fairy-type disguises."
With no one watching, Ash and Alice begin trying out their new disguises, adopting the aliases Alan and Elsa.
(Another Flashback)
Delia's return to the Kanto Region brings with it a sense of nostalgia and curiosity, particularly as she sets out to meet Ilene. Along her journey, her attention is drawn to a troubling sight—a girl astride a majestic Galarian Rapidash. However, something is amiss—the Rapidash appears fatigued, yet the girl, Bella, relentlessly urges it forward with harsh whips.
Delia's heart sinks as recognition dawns upon her. Bella is no stranger; she is the very same antagonist who, alongside Ark, had tormented Alice during her school days, inflicting deep wounds on her emotional well-being and even endangering her life.
As Delia witnesses Bella's cruel treatment of the exhausted Rapidash, her empathy and concern surge. Taking cover behind a nearby tree, she retrieves a flute given to her by her father, a cherished instrument with a unique power. With a deep breath, Delia begins to play a haunting melody, a tune that resonates with the hearts of Fairy-type Pokémon, urging them to rebel against their trainers.
As the enchanting notes fill the air, the Galarian Rapidash's demeanor shifts from exhaustion to rage, its eyes flashing with defiance. Bella, caught off guard by the sudden change, frantically tries to regain control with her whip, but her efforts only fuel the Rapidash's fury. With a powerful motion, the Rapidash rears up, causing Bella to lose her balance and tumble to the ground.
Delia emerges from her hiding spot, stunned by the swift turn of events. Her eyes widen in disbelief as she realizes the gravity of the situation—Bella's fall has led to her untimely demise, her head striking the unforgiving ground. Meanwhile, the enraged Rapidash, now free from its tormentor, gallops off into the distance, leaving behind a scene of chaos and consequence.
"I can't believe it was that easy..." Delia gasps in astonishment, grappling with the unexpected outcome. With a heavy heart and a mix of emotions swirling within her, she sets off once again, this time heading to Rota for her long-awaited meeting with Ilene.
Here is a new chapter, and in this chapter, you can see that this is Minami's past and also Delia's second to last murder part. I hope you like it and the next chapter will be Drandon and Lucine.