Chapter Sixty-Five: Could It Be That Ralts Called the Police?

When the ringtone first sounded, the caller ID displayed an unfamiliar number. Tang Yi had no recollection of it; he answered with the assumption that it was either a wrong number or a sales call.

A pleasant female voice came from the other end, courteous and polite: "Hello, is this Mr. Tang Yi?"

"And you are?" Tang Yi asked, puzzled.

"This is the Qingjiang City Police Department..."

Tang Yi's mind instantly buzzed. He lowered the phone slightly in shock and looked over at Ralts in the distance, grief-stricken. "You—you finally called the police after all?"

Had Ralts finally had enough of her LSP trainer and decided to report him, sacrificing family for justice?

"But I haven't done anything yet!" Tang Yi felt deeply aggrieved. He was such an honest person; how could he possibly be an LSP? There had to be some kind of misunderstanding!

Ralts was using telekinesis to tap the pen tip against the keyboard, summarizing today's training insights—per Tang Yi's instructions, this was part of her telekinesis proficiency training.

Hearing Tang Yi's anguished voice, Ralts glanced back in confusion, her tone curious. "What are you talking about? I don't quite understand. Call the police? Who called the police?"

Tang Yi hurriedly explained to the person on the phone, "Officer, I really haven't done anything. I'm innocent, you have to believe me!"

"Um, Mr. Tang, please calm down. I think there might be a misunderstanding. I just want to confirm: last month, on March 27th, at 2:30 in the afternoon, did you call the police reporting that a trainer was exploiting a young Pokémon girl to beg and deceive people at Zhengyang Plaza?"

Tang Yi paused.

March 27th, Zhengyang Plaza, exploiting a Pokémon girl to beg—that was the Feebas incident!

He breathed a long sigh of relief. "Yes, that's right, I made the call. So that's what this is about. You gave me a scare."

The female officer's tone became slightly more guarded. "Did you think I was calling about something else?"

"I thought my mom found my failed monthly exam paper and got so angry she called the police," Tang Yi joked casually.

The officer chuckled lightly and didn't press further.

They had already investigated Tang Yi's background—just an ordinary, honest student. That day, he'd simply happened to pass by and kindly reported the incident; nothing unusual.

Calming down, Tang Yi was still confused and asked. The report had been made over a month ago. Although he had left his information as required, he had assumed that was the end of it for him. Subsequent investigations—whether the actions were violations or crimes, and how Feebas and her trainer would be dealt with—were the police's business, not his.

If not for tonight's call, Tang Yi would have almost forgotten about it entirely.

The female officer apologized, "Sorry to bother you. It's like this: we're preparing to arrange welfare placement for Feebas. According to the Pokémon protection agency's process, we need a witness to complete the paperwork. As the person who reported the incident, we hope you'll help us record a statement."

"Will it be troublesome? Sorry, I don't mean anything by it—I'm still a student, preparing for the college entrance exam," Tang Yi said, a little embarrassed, not wanting to delay his studies.

"Please rest assured, it won't take much of your time. If you agree, you can come to the station this weekend. It will take no more than twenty minutes, or I can drive over to pick you up."

"I'll come over myself," Tang Yi declined her offer, keeping a basic level of caution. If he went to the station himself, there would be no problem.

The image of the cold and pitiable Feebas girl at the plaza resurfaced in his mind.

Since it wouldn't waste much time, he didn't mind doing another good deed.

"Alright, thank you very much. Then let's tentatively set it for Saturday. I'm the officer in charge of this case; when you arrive at the station, you can call this number to notify me. I'll send the address to your phone shortly."

The officer seemed about to hang up, but Tang Yi suddenly spoke. "Sorry, may I ask about Feebas's situation? Has her trainer been apprehended?"

Since the call had been made, Tang Yi was curious and couldn't help but inquire.

The female officer paused briefly.

Tang Yi added, "Uh, I'm just asking. If you're not allowed to say, that's fine."

"No, it's alright. This isn't confidential. Actually, Feebas has mentioned you once before. As someone concerned for her, you do have a right to know. I'll give you a brief overview."

The officer considered for a moment and then spoke gently.

Tang Yi listened quietly, his expression gradually shifting to anger.

Feebas had not been coerced into begging, nor was she abandoned—not legally, at least. She had left her trainer of her own accord.

Feebas hailed from Yuanshui City, the neighboring city to Qingjiang—not far away. After leaving her trainer, homeless and wandering, she drifted along the roads until she reached Qingjiang City.

Strictly speaking, it was Feebas herself who abandoned her trainer. The reason was simple: the trainer believed she lacked the ability to evolve into Milotic, and Feebas felt her presence was a burden, so she chose to leave quietly.

"Quietly" was merely Feebas's own assumption.

The experienced police investigators found it all absurd. With a few questions, they easily saw through the trainer's false facade.

The trainer had acted deliberately—he had intentionally driven Feebas away.

By law, trainers are not allowed to abandon their Pokémon at will. Even though some secretly do so each year, it's a shameful act, always at risk of severe legal punishment.

This trainer didn't want to risk breaking the law, yet he despised Feebas. So he used subtle verbal manipulation, cold violence, and mockery to make Feebas increasingly insecure, miserable, and guilty.

Eventually, on a quiet night, Feebas left behind a letter and chose to leave, seeking release for herself and her trainer.

The most frustrating and infuriating aspect was that, since Feebas left on her own, it did not constitute legal abandonment, nor were there any physical injuries, so it wasn't considered abuse. Thus, the trainer bore no responsibility.

The police investigating the matter did find the trainer, but all inquiries confirmed there was no violation of the law; they could do nothing to him.

The only thing left was to arrange for the pitiable Feebas to be admitted to the local Pokémon welfare center as soon as possible.