Pokémon Detective Case Files

The truth of overwriting the afterimage

Caught off guard, Reshiram was hit head-on by the Earth Cloud's "Dig | Head-on" attack from below.

Claws burst from the ground and pierced the white dragon's belly, scattering sand and gravel with the impact.

Strangely, after being hit, the white dragon neither roared in anger at being hit by an elemental counter, nor did it display the demeanor expected of a legendary spirit to easily neutralize the attack. Instead, it fell silent for a moment upon being hit.

The silence came too abruptly, as if the entire dragon's figure had been frozen in an instant, even the flapping of its wings had stopped in mid-air.

Immediately afterwards, ripples appeared on the surface of the "Reshiram".

The dragon's white wings rippled like water struck by a pebble, and its elegant and solemn outline began to blur and become displaced, like an oil painting soaked in thinner.

A black figure was revealed from below!

Land Cloud witnessed this scene in astonishment, and for the first time, a hint of unease, not madness, appeared in its bloodshot eyes.

Prior to this, aside from the natural wear and tear from the sandstorm and the aftershocks of attacks blocked by counter-attacks and Protect, Landorus's attacks had never actually hit its opponent, which was being ridden by N.

Its ferocious attacks were either dodged or blocked, never truly landing.

The current "digging" is its first complete success, but it seems to have hit something completely different from its appearance.

The texture on its claws felt wrong. It lacked the hardness of dragon scales, the resistance of thick flesh, and the tangible heat dissipation of a ground-based fire attack. It felt as if the power it had poured into the attack was being absorbed by this strange opponent, like a clay ox sinking into the sea, silently and without a trace.

At the same time, the "real phantom" that appeared was accumulating immense power within its body.

The black body trembled slightly, as if something was churning and expanding inside, on the verge of bursting forth.

There is no doubt that this force comes from the "digging" just now.

The creature that emerged, with its black claws that were completely different from the white dragon wings, indifferently reached for the neck of the legendary Pokémon with a Fighting-type move, "Double Back!"

Target the opponent who last used a physical attack to inflict damage on you, and deliver a double-fierce counterattack.

Although it is a Fighting-type move and does not work against Ghost-type moves, it can ignore type resistances. As long as it is not completely knocked down, it can use its depleted HP as fuel to unleash a counterattack that can often turn the tide of a battle in a normal fight.

This also works for land clouds with flight properties.

"As expected, it's Zoroark."

Seeing the scene before him, the champion agent Douzi finally confirmed his suspicions.

The dragon's form peeled away, revealing a Dark-type Pokémon with red and black mane underneath.

Zoroark, the overlord who rules over phantoms.

Possessing the "Illusion" ability, it can disguise itself as other Pokémon in battle, and this ability goes far beyond simple disguise.

Zoroark possesses the power to bewitch many people at once, not only by transforming into other things but also by causing hundreds of people to see illusions simultaneously. It protects its habitat and people by using this method of deceiving opponents and making enemies see illusory and terrifying visions.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. Reshiram never officially used any Dragon-type moves. The purple dragon breath at the beginning was probably disguised as a move like Dark Pulse or Night Blast.

The only Fire-type move used was the same old "Flamethrower," and its power was strangely slightly weaker. At the time, I only thought it was due to the distance and the sandstorm, but now that I think about it, it was probably the difference in strength that Dark-type Pokémon couldn't hide when it tried to use a move that wasn't its own type.

Although this difference should have been difficult to detect when facing a Landorus with almost inexhaustible stamina, Douzi, as a seasoned trainer, keenly noticed it by relying on sound, aftershocks, and his battle intuition.

At this moment, Zoroark, struck head-on by the legendary Pokémon "Dig," wasn't subjected to double the type damage, but the difference in strength was undeniable. After just one exchange, his body was already battered and bruised. His once-handsome red mane lay disheveled on his body, his limbs trembled slightly, and even standing was a struggle.

Without a doubt, given Zoroark's current physical condition, even if the Landorus on the other side didn't continue its pursuit, it would inevitably collapse if it stood in this sandstorm for a while longer.

But it has successfully completed its mission.

Sometime later, N, who had gotten off his partner, stood between Zoroark and the enemy.

He turned around and looked at Zoroark, whose strength was already like a candle flickering in the wind.

"Don't worry, there won't be any more sandstorms."

This adopted orphan possessed a regal aura that even the dust could not conceal.

He walked slowly to the astonished Land Cloud.

The legendary Cloud God's eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating that the "double payback" damage had further stimulated the rampaging energy within it.

The sand and dust vortex around the land cloud surged violently, and the attribute energy covering the wound surged wildly. The repair speed was visible to the naked eye, but even if the recovery was rapid, the reshaping of the body still required a short window period.

The physical damage pales in comparison to the emotional impact.

Clearly, Zoroark's appearance reminded the Land Cloud of some unpleasant memories.

If there were a mirror here, restoring the land cloud to its original state at this moment would probably be effortless.

However, such a convenient tool for spreading the word is unique; even if you searched the entire Unova region, there would only be one of its kind.

Therefore, we must come up with another way to restore the spirit beast, Earth Cloud, to its senses.

When facing an opponent with virtually unlimited physical strength, the only strategy is to first subdue its spirit.

N prefers an open and aboveboard style of doing things, but that doesn't mean he won't use tricks—especially since he spent the first half of his life shaping his personality under the tutelage of those seven teachers.

Besides, this is just copying what others have done.

What can suppress madness and bring back reason is perhaps warm emotions. But just as drowning victims often hinder rescue efforts or even attack rescuers due to excessive struggle, special circumstances require special methods.

So, there's nothing else we can do but let this legendary cloud god experience real fear.

Old wounds are often the easiest to tear open.

N raised his hand, holding a white stone ball in his palm.

The surface of the stone ball shimmered with a warm, jade-like luster, and its shape was identical to the founding stone exhibited at the Qibao Museum, except that they were completely opposite in color—one black and one white, like two sides of the same coin.

Endless light emanated from this ancient stone.

flame.

The flames, which turned dusk into noon and swept away the sandstorm, rose slowly like the blazing sun.

Blazing white flames erupted from the stone sphere, and scorching waves of air radiated outwards from N. The dust and sand in the sky evaporated instantly upon contact with the light, leaving not a trace of embers.

"Sunny day"!

N fulfilled his promise to Zoroark—the sky cleared, and there was no more dust.

The clear blue sky reappeared, and although it was dusk, the sunlight seemed to be unrestrained by optics, pouring down from above without any obstruction, shining on the ravaged battlefield.

Rahiram's figure reappeared.

Knowing only one side of the story, but not the other.

LandClouds once believed that Joggs' poor command had dragged down its strength, limited its performance, and caused it to miss its original chance to win.

However, now that he is facing almost the same situation, what about the legendary elf himself?

It is not an illusion, but a reality that makes a grand appearance before the immobile land and clouds.

This time, the legendary dragon displayed its earth-shaking power the moment it set foot on the ground.

With its wings spread wide, endless heat emanated from Reshiram's tail, distorting and churning the air in the intense heat. Just standing there, it was as if it were a pool of rolling lava.

Why are these two scenes so similar?

The sky was so clear it was almost cruel; the spirit beast raised its sharp claws, but could not see the weather energy it controlled with ease.

All that could be seen was the flames burning fiercely once more.

"Do you remember now—the battle on the Tower of Heaven?"

The Plasma King gazed intently at the Cloud God, whose expression was constantly changing. It was time to urge it on.

Communication can solve many problems, but only undeniable power can truly transform harsh realities.

Even if you have the strength, if you don't fully demonstrate it, the other party won't truly hear your voice, and no matter how beautiful or correct your words are, they will be meaningless.

then.

Under the expectant gaze of Douzi and Bictini.

N raised his finger and shouted without hesitation, "Reshiram, 'Intertwined Flames'!"