LRAB Chapter 81 Psychological Profiling
Chapter 81 Psychological Profiling
Having received the gift he wanted, the little fire monkey's mood improved considerably. The elves also returned to their usual selves, happily frolicking around the Feathered Residence once again.
The assistant scrutinized the detective from top to bottom and bottom to top, looking out at the night view of the flying clouds through the floor-to-ceiling window, trying to glean some clues from his affected posture.
Why did Hugo still have that awkward expression even though Chimchar had clearly cheered up? There shouldn't be anything worrying happening right now.
Was he angry because of the Pokémon's weak performance? No, that might be possible with other trainers, but that detective didn't care about the Pokémon's battle abilities.
The problem likely lies with Hugo; a certain quality about this detective in the white coat has given rise to these unusual emotions.
"How about we try to deduce it?"
Recalling the deductive reasoning and psychological profiling techniques the detective had previously introduced, the assistant's eyes lit up. Wasn't Hugo the perfect case study? Why not try using psychological profiling to deduce the detective's thoughts?
The girl crossed her arms and began to think—
To conduct accurate psychological profiling, one must first construct the subject's personality traits and life experiences from the known information.
The target's name is Hugo, and his profession is private detective. He is not good at using Pokémon, and his known hobbies are collecting and showing off all sorts of quirky knowledge.
His personality differs slightly between when handling cases and in daily life. When investigating, he is decisive and efficient, and likes to talk to himself, but unlike detective characters in artistic works, he won't leave all the mysteries unresolved until the end. Although he can be a bit unserious in daily life, he is generally emotionally intelligent and won't intentionally do anything to offend others.
Hugo's attitude towards money was somewhat subtle. On the one hand, he spent money extravagantly, renting the outrageously expensive Feather Residence as his office, and even pooling his money with Touko to plant fruit trees in the courtyard outside, hiring someone to maintain them regularly. On the other hand, the detective agency's cash flow always ran smoothly. In terms of business, this detective was quite adept at making money, always managing to earn the funds he needed within reasonable working hours.
Personality and attitudes toward money best reflect the character of a person's family of origin. Therefore, it's highly likely that Hugo was born into a wealthy and compassionate family. Hugo's habit of using honorifics to address strangers is likely a consequence of frequent interactions with adults during his childhood, indicating his precocious maturity.
Of course, the detective is by no means a perfect person. If there's one weakness to say, it's that he's incompatible with Pokémon.
Due to the detective's unique constitution, all sorts of hilarious and absurd disasters unfold daily at the Feathered Residence, causing great suffering to Eevee and Turtwig. Of course, from the detective's perspective, living under the same roof as the Pokémon also adds to his troubles.
However, the detective is not bad at getting along with Pokémon. He personally prepares food for the Pokémon with berries and is familiar with the various ecology of Pokémon. This is not just about knowledge; without the experience of spending time with Pokémon, one cannot reach Hugo's level.
Okay. The basic character setup is complete; now it's time to introduce the detective's persona and begin profiling.
Like a Yonjira trying to unleash its "psychic power," Azure pressed her index fingers against her temples, her brain working at full capacity, seemingly emitting a buzzing sound.
Hugo asked Chimchar for help playing a game. Chimchar cried after finishing the game, so Hugo made a phone call and gave Chimchar a gift, which Chimchar happily accepted. Then Hugo promised Turtwig and Piplup a gift, and everyone was happy, but Hugo felt a little awkward.
Is there anything unusual about this?
Of course! The key point is that phone call in the middle! The detective's call was probably to someone who can offer guidance on Pokémon breeding techniques. Judging from the events that followed, the only thing that could cause the detective trouble is that person whose true identity is still unknown.
On the one hand, that person told the detective that giving Pokémon gifts could resolve the immediate trouble; on the other hand, it also had some influence on the detective, making him feel awkward towards Turtwig and the others.
Unfortunately, without asking Hugo, it was impossible for him to know who the call was to.
"Is it truly impossible to determine their identity? Is my reasoning limited to this point?"
Despite a lengthy deduction process, the truth behind the detectives' tiff remains shrouded in mystery.
No, Azure recalled the information the detective had previously revealed—the Grass Turtles were adopted by the detective after he lost a bet with someone. In other words, the Grass Turtles originally had another owner.
When Chimchar cries incessantly and the detective is at a loss, who will Hugo turn to for help—someone who can guide him on Pokémon breeding techniques?
Once the person on the phone was identified, the whole story became clear.
It's important to know that the detective is a precocious and compassionate person who, despite being unable to successfully train Pokémon due to his physical condition, still devotes a great deal of love to the Pokémon.
With this in mind, Azure finally understood.
.
"I understand how you feel; it's a really strange feeling."
Azure walked over to the detective and sighed.
"The Pokémon work tirelessly for us all the time, sometimes even risking their lives in Pokémon battles, without ever asking for anything in return. Now we've only given them a few items, and they're already this happy. Looking at these kind and lovely children, Detective, what you're really planning is how to break the bet and return Turtwig and the others to their original owners, isn't it?"
"Hmm?" The detective in the white coat made a strange gurgling sound, remained silent for a long time with his back to the azure, and then slowly spoke—
"...If you use psychological profiling indiscriminately, you'll eventually become a detestable person."
Then, Hugo still didn't turn around, but he didn't deny it either. Following Azure's speculation, he readily admitted—
"Perhaps I'm being a bit sentimental, but I do feel a bit guilty towards Turtwig and the others. They are all exceptionally talented Pokémon, and no matter who their trainer is, they would definitely achieve great things. But now, they're with a private detective like me, who has no connection to battle, and the glory and honor that would have shone on their life's journey will forever be out of their reach."
The detective, unusually, fell into a negative mood, and his assistant became somewhat angry: "Do you intend to disregard the feelings of the Pokémon and pack up the Turtwigs and give them away?"
"I really didn't care about the Pokémon's feelings. Chimchar was sad for so long today and I didn't even notice. Haha, I even call myself the most professional private detective in Unova."
The detective gave a wry smile but still didn't turn around.
"Your profiling skills have improved remarkably. Observing others' words and actions and then thinking with the target in mind—being able to do this means you're already a qualified detective. I've also been training for over a month, but I still can't become a qualified Pokémon Trainer."
“But you…” Azure was speechless. Because of the detective’s bad luck, she couldn’t think of any benefits that Pokémon could gain from hanging out with Hugo.
It's likely that a detective with a quicker mind, more rigorous logic, and a better understanding of the nature of misfortune would have discovered this long ago; otherwise, he wouldn't have had such an idea.
“You are a true Pokémon Trainer, not a mere pretender like me,” Hugo said incisively. “Since you can think like me, you can also reach the same conclusion—it’s more harmful than beneficial for Pokémon to live with me. The best gift I can give them now is to let them return to their original trainers. Only in this way…”
The detective wanted to continue, but suddenly stopped.
Azure turned around in surprise and saw three somewhat forlorn figures.