The Investigator laid her cards on the table: the big shot you're looking for is actually me?

"Then please explain why this mythical-tier mutant Pokémon insists on calling you Daddy." May watched Lin Hao, studying his reaction.

Lin Hao's eyelid twitched. He spread his hands, acting as though it had nothing to do with him. "Maybe I just look fatherly?"

"Cut the crap!" May grabbed Lin Hao's collar, her fingers tightening around it. "Lin Hao, how long are you going to keep pretending?"

"Pretending what?" Lin Hao spread his hands. "I'm just a rookie who only just got his starter Pokémon. I haven't even made it out of Viridian City yet."

"Fine. So you won't admit it." May released him, pulled a thick stack of documents from her backpack, and flung it into his arms. "This is the League's latest top-secret Investigation Dossier. Read it yourself!"

Lin Hao took the documents and opened the first page. Printed across it was: [Investigation report on the mysterious "Full Pokédex" powerhouse recently sighted].

"A few days ago, at Mt. Moon." May slapped the dossier open. "Hoenn Champion Steven encountered a mysterious mutant Pokémon. A boy claiming to be 'just passing through' appeared and casually took that Pokémon away, saying it was his pet, 'Big Red.'"

"I know about that." Lin Hao didn't even look up. "Weren't we both there?"

"Yes, you were there." May turned to the second page. "Now look at this!" Lin Hao looked. The photo showed a deep crater, with a clearly visible Green Scale beside it.

"Just two hours ago, deep in Viridian Forest, the energy signature of a legendary-tier Pokémon, Tyranitar, was detected. And at the time, you just happened to be right in the center of that crater!" May fixed her eyes on him.

"I already told you, Tyranitar was just helping someone in need," Lin Hao insisted.

"Then explain this!" May pulled out another photo. It was a blurry snapshot, but a bolt of Golden Lightning as thick as a bucket was clearly visible, striking an Arbok and reducing it to charcoal. And the source of that lightning was the Pikachu currently yawning on Lin Hao's shoulder.

"Pika?" Pikachu tilted their head.

"This happened when you ran into Team Rocket on your first day out." May stared him down, pressing relentlessly. "Can an ordinary Pikachu's Thunderbolt cause that much destruction?"

Lin Hao steadied himself. If he didn't give her an explanation, he might really get dragged off to the Interrogation Room. "Sigh..." He let out a sigh and stared at her.

May stopped. "Are you finally going to confess? You're that Full Pokédex big shot hiding in the shadows, aren't you?"

"You really want to hear it?" Lin Hao leaned closer.

"Talk!"

"The truth is, I'm just an unlucky guy plagued by bad luck." Lin Hao slowed his speech.

"...Huh?" May was speechless.

"You think I wanted any of this to happen?" Lin Hao pointed at the sky, pounding his chest and stamping his feet. "Big Red only came because Big Red wanted a sausage in my bag! That Tyranitar only charged out because Gyarados stole the Berries Tyranitar had buried in the ground, and Tyranitar couldn't let it go!" May couldn't find a word to say for a long moment.

"As for this Pikachu..." Lin Hao plucked Pikachu off his shoulder. "I never caught this Pokémon. Pikachu has a genetic mutation and a severe static electricity problem! Touch Pikachu if you don't believe me!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu obligingly released a faint spark of static electricity.

May stepped back, her brows knitted. "Keep making things up. Go on." She turned her head away.

"I'm not making anything up!" Lin Hao pointed at the Runic Eevee in his arms. "Why does this little one call me Daddy? Because that lunatic Ake kept sticking needles into Eevee every day! When Eevee saw me rush in to help, Eevee became emotionally dependent on me!"

"Vee~" Eevee obligingly rubbed against his palm, then nestled into his arms.

In System Space, Mewtwo scoffed. "With those nonstop bullshit skills, I'd call Master mythical-tier."

Ho-Oh said, "Master is so cool! He makes his lies sound so convincing!"

Lin Hao said, "Try running your mouths one more time, you two."

Back in the real world, May looked at Lin Hao's perfectly earnest face and began to waver. But she quickly pushed those thoughts aside. "Do you think Investigators are idiots?" She put the documents away. "No matter how you try to talk your way out of it, you're still a suspect!"

"Then what do you want to do?" Lin Hao spread his hands. "Take me back and throw me in jail?"

"No." May lifted her chin. "The League's orders are to observe you discreetly, so from now on, I'll be keeping you under close surveillance twenty-four hours a day!"

"Close?" Lin Hao folded his arms across his chest. "Men and women should keep their distance. Are you going to watch me shower too?"

"You pervert!" May's face flushed red as she glared at him. "Enough nonsense! Wherever you go, I go!"

"Fine. Suit yourself." Lin Hao yawned and tucked Eevee into his coat pocket. "I'm just an ordinary guy anyway. I can stand up to scrutiny. Let's go."

"Where?"

"Pewter City." Lin Hao stretched his arms. "I've finished Professor Oak's task. I should go earn a Gym Badge to prove I really am a rookie, right?"

May followed him, snapping irritably, "Let's see how long a 'rookie' like you can keep up the act at the Pewter Gym!"

The two walked one behind the other, following the main road toward Pewter City.

Not long after they left, two heads-one purple and one blue-poked out of the nearby bushes.

"Jessie, did you hear that, meow?" Meowth hunched down, a large lump on their head.

"I heard." Jessie ducked her head. "That pretty boy is actually a monster the League has made a priority investigation target."

"Then are we still stealing his Pikachu?" James's calves were cramping.

"Like hell we are!" Jessie smacked James on the head. "Even an Investigator doesn't dare touch him! Are we trying to get ourselves killed? Let's get out of here. The farther we stay from that walking disaster, the better!"