Pokémon Detective Case Files.

The biggest difference between formal competitions and unrestricted open-world battles lies in whether or not a referee is present.

Chapter 235 Explosion - Battle Begins

The light surrounding Victini became even more dazzling, once again illuminating the dim interior of the Tower of Heaven.

This shows that the mythical Pokémon has fully understood the current situation and is releasing a bright flame symbolizing victory to witness the all-out battle between the challenger and the champion.

In a sense, the passion that trainers unleash in battle is the true source of Victini's power. Now, being able to witness this championship match up close, the little guy is overjoyed, as if the frustration of being imprisoned by Team Plasma has been completely swept away.

"This is my summoning spirit."

Hugo walked back to the center of the field and, without saying a word, let the Poké Ball in his hand fall to the ground along with his words.

Place all your Pokémon in preparation on the ground in front of you, and pick up a Poké Ball and throw it at the start of the match – this is a championship final format that was abandoned by the regular league matches more than a decade ago.

The reason for designing the rules this way is that it allows trainers and their partner Pokémon to be at the center of the battle from the very beginning of the competition, showcasing the strength of both the trainer and the Pokémon, and testing their teamwork.

However, in modern times, trainers have become increasingly reluctant to personally participate in intense battles, preferring more elegant battle styles. Furthermore, television-broadcast league matches have faced numerous restrictions, requiring the avoidance of graphic depictions of trainers being directly injured. Consequently, the format of the finals has had to be compromised and changed.

However, this format is of great significance to the Ardek Champions – during the period when the aging Volcarona was active in the arena, the Championship Challenge adopted this format. This special competition mechanism witnessed Ardek and Volcarona's journey from mediocrity to the pinnacle, witnessing their true golden age.

For this reason, Alderk put his six starting Pokémon into a Poké Ball in advance and placed it in the center of the battlefield.

How Hugo, this young man, chooses his Pokémon is his business, but in this serious battle, Alder must stand firmly with his partner.

However, Hugo seemed to have anticipated this, clearly familiar with the special rules. He skillfully threw the Poké Ball, repeating Alder's previous pre-match preparations.

As the black-clad detective's entrance lineup was tossed from his fingertips and rolled silently to the ground, the air in the arena instantly became deathly still.

It was still late at night, and Victini's light couldn't penetrate the translucent Poké Ball, so the Pokémon that both sides had sent out were still unknown.

But the focus of everyone's attention was clearly not on the ball itself.

As is well known, a human hand has five fingers, making people particularly sensitive to quantities up to five. If shown one, two, three, four, or five objects, they can quickly answer the question about the number of objects within a similar timeframe. However, when there are more than six objects, the response time increases, and the increase in response time is directly proportional to the increase in the number of objects.

Without the slightest hesitation, astonishment surged through everyone's minds like an electric shock.

Hugo placed four Poké Balls on the ground.

Isn't this an all-out six-on-six battle?

"Hey, what's wrong with that detective?" Alice frowned in annoyance beside the dumbfounded Wanlong Tianwang.

"I watched him busy himself with the transmission device at the Pokémon Center for ages, and in the end he only managed to find four Pokémon that could participate in the battle..."

The girl suddenly thought of another possibility and couldn't help but shiver.

"No, wait a minute, could it be... that there's only one outside helper inside, and the other three Pokémon are still... No way, it can't be like this, right?"

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"Your name is Hugo, is that right? Young man, aren't you underestimating this old man from the Union?"

Even the magnanimous and open-minded Champion Alder couldn't help but feel a hint of anger in his voice as he looked at the four lonely Poké Balls in front of him.

Bictini, who had just become a referee, noticed the emotional fluctuations among the contestants and took the initiative to fly to the center of the field.

The little guy flew around the Poké Balls that the two of them had placed, counted several times on his tiny three-fingered paws, and then turned to look at Hugo.

The large, azure eyes blinked repeatedly, clearly trying to confirm whether the detective still had the remaining two elves hidden.

"As a Pokémon trainer, I am still inexperienced, so this is all the effort I can put in."

The detective in black kept his head down, making it impossible to read his expression.

"However, there is no rule in the world that challengers must have the mindset of defeating their opponents before stepping into the ring. To be honest, standing here and now, I have absolutely no confidence in defeating you, Champion Ardek. Therefore, it is not a matter of looking down on you or taking you seriously. It is just a hasty decision to give it a try. If Champion Ardek regards such awareness as contemptible recklessness, then I have nothing to say and can only nod in agreement."

"Neither certain to lose nor certain to win, just a trial? In that case, you do possess an unusually strange level of awareness... Well, seeing is believing, so let me experience it for myself."

The aging champion assumed a sprinting stance, his wide sleeves fluttering and billowing, scattering a trail of shadows on the ground—

"Let me make it clear beforehand, you are not allowed to complain about not having enough Pokémon to fight after a defeat, or I will really get angry."

“That’s how it should be.” Hugo interlaced his fingers and stretched out his arms in front of him, making a popping sound from his knuckles.

The huge V-shaped ears on Victini's head glowed red, and with a long, drawn-out cry, flames of astonishing heat gradually rose around its body.

"Ti-Tini!"

The duel begins!

Alder leaped forward, his agile figure belying his advanced age, and the champion reached the Poké Ball in less than two large steps.

With a bent back and outstretched arms, his rough, weathered hands reached straight for the Poké Ball carrying his partner.

"Meet your long-lost students, Mr. Adek."

It was as if the detective's voice could be heard faintly from five meters away, yet he stood rooted to the spot, completely motionless.

Instead, one of the red and white Poké Balls on the opposite side began to shake violently, and an astonishing power gradually emanated from it as it shook.

On par with Volcarona... no, it's an opponent that's even stronger than Volcarona in its normal state!

What is the background of that young man in black?

"So it really is that Pokémon?" Wanlong sighed softly. She had had this premonition ever since she saw Hugo climbing the tower. Mr. Alderk must be very surprised right now.

I just wonder which of those two Pokémon will jump out of that Poké Ball?

Of course, being in the thick of it, Adek didn't have time to think much at the moment, and he resolutely reopened the Poké Ball of the old Volcarona.

But just as the sun was about to shine brightly again over the entire Tower of Heaven, the opponent appeared.

The opponent's Pokémon broke free from the Poké Ball's restraints on its own!

Its deep blue skin was rough and hard, the bulge on its head resembled a warhammer swinging left and right, there was an inverted five-pointed star-shaped yellow spot on the tip of its nose, and its sharp teeth gleamed with a cold light.

In the legends of Sinnoh and Unova, there exist legendary dragon-type Pokémon whose power is almost capable of splitting the heavens and earth. They can cleave space and time, shake the universe, or unleash thunder that can burn the earth to ashes...

But in Hugo's mind, there was only one strongest dragon from beginning to end.

That was his original starter spirit.

“Re-tread.”

With absolute confidence, the detective gave the order.

Chapter 236 The Spread - The Endgame Resumes

The smoke from the clash of moves finally dissipated.

After a fierce battle, only the dying Garchomp and the Volcarona, covered in wounds and with its flames dimmed, remained on the battlefield.

All the other Pokémon that the two of them were holding were now seriously injured and unconscious.

"What a fantastic match."

Garchomp persisted without collapsing, but was clearly too weak to continue moving, while Volcarona, though severely injured, still retained its last bit of strength.

Aldak offered his early assessment of the battle that was about to end—

"A well-balanced and powerful team of Pokémon, where each Pokémon can perfectly unleash its full potential, and even the same Garchomp can leverage its strengths based on its own characteristics—if you can do all this, you've already reached the top level among the younger generation of trainers."

"What's even more remarkable is that you actually discovered the signs that Garchomp was about to evolve in battle in advance, and on this basis, you instantly constructed a complete tactic—first using the Garchomp that evolved accidentally in battle to confuse the situation, and then seizing the opportunity to switch out other Pokémon, allowing the second, more experienced Garchomp to enter the battle again without leaving a trace. It almost made me misjudge its true strength, just like the trick in old-school suspense movies where two people play one role! Both this decisiveness of stealing the sky and the awareness of communicating with Pokémon are amazing. Even Volcarona almost capsized in the gutter."

Standing before the challenger, the one who accepted the challenge nodded with satisfaction:

"After being champions for so many years, such thrilling battles are quite rare these days. I never imagined that just participating in a casual cross-regional exchange and guidance activity would lead me to such an outstanding young talent as you. I myself have also learned a lot. This is what they call mutual learning, right? It seems that I should participate in more of these mentoring activities for younger generations in the future."

The Unova champion, in the prime of his life, let out a hearty laugh that resounded throughout the newly built arena in Kagome Town, lingering above the heads of thousands of spectators.

"Little girl, although it was just a six-on-three tutorial match, this battle is destined to be remembered for generations. With only six Pokémon, you defeated two of the Unova Champion's main players and even brought my strongest ace, Volcarona, to the brink of death—even if you didn't win the final victory, you still have every right to be proud and boast about it everywhere... No, let's just consider this a victory for you. As the Champion, I'm not so concerned with my reputation as to be stingy with a mere defeat. Hold your head high, little girl, you deserve this victory!"

As if heeding Adek's advice, the girl slowly raised her head.

Beneath her sun-kissed golden bangs, her grey eyes were utterly calm. However, at this moment, those eyes were filled with an even stronger sense of stubbornness.

"Mr. Ardek, the battle is not over yet!"

The conviction in the girl's words was more unwavering than the defenses of the city's guardian dragon.

As the trainer spoke, the Garchomp, which had been standing unconscious, suddenly perked up and opened its blood-red eyes as if by telepathy.

The statue-like stillness instantly transformed into a full-speed sprint comparable to that of a fighter jet. The rough-surfaced dragon wings on the elbows glowed with a faint light of attack, and it once again lunged at the Volcano!

.

"It really is that Garchomp from back then!"

Inside the Tower of Heaven, upon seeing the Pokémon burst from the sphere, Elite Four member Wanlong exclaimed in surprise.

"Its ability is 'Rough Skin,' and it's Cynthia's main force in the Sinnoh League! That Garchomp that could fight Volcarona to a draw when it first evolved! Hugo actually brought this Pokémon here!"

“Cyndaquil’s… Garchomp?” Iris, who prided herself on being a Dragon-type expert, widened her eyes. Of course, she couldn’t possibly have been unaware of the Sinnoh Champion’s name.

"What is the relationship between Detective Hugo and Miss Cynthia? Why were they able to borrow the champion's main Pokémon here?"

"You didn't know that?"

For a moment, Wanlong felt she had too much to explain, and since she only had a superficial understanding of the current situation, she could only focus on the key points—

"Hugo is the younger brother of Cynthia, the Sinnoh champion."

.

Shock, reminiscence, and感慨... these emotional fluctuations did not affect the two players in the midst of their battle.

Amidst the splattering earth and rocks from "Stomp," Volcarona's fiery wings finally glowed again, shielding Alder from the aftershocks of Garchomp's attack.

The champion looked at the deep blue beast in front of him and pondered for a moment. He had clearly recognized Garchomp's origin before Wanlong did, but he immediately turned his attention back to the battle.

How did Hugo borrow Cynthia's Garchomp? Does the "student" refer to that tutorial battle from many years ago? Where did the opponent's confidence in challenging him with only four Pokémon come from?

All these minor details are completely irrelevant at this moment—as the battle unfolds, the level of awareness of both sides will be fully revealed, and these questions will be answered naturally.

Therefore, all you need to do is fight with all your might.

Both Poké Balls were knocked off their feet and scattered around the room as the opponent stomped on them.

Unfortunately, both the challenger's and the champion's Poké Balls were the standard red and white design, looking exactly the same from a distance. In the dim light, it was impossible to distinguish the Pokémon, or even whether they were friend or foe.

But Alder seemed to recognize his Poké Ball at a glance, and without hesitation stepped towards one of the Poké Balls on the ground, hooked it with his toe, and the red and white ball bounced off Garchomp's back.

This match is not a teaching and learning game. Since the opponent has accepted the outdated and intense rules of the game, I should respond to the challenger's invitation with all my might!

Especially after seeing the opponent's Garchomp appear, Alder became even more convinced of this idea—

"Double the ice, 'Blizzard'!"

"Garuda, dash forward to the left! Maintain a jumping and gliding posture while moving!"

Almost at the same time that Alder gave the command to the second Pokémon to appear, Hugo also responded.

Judging from the detective's nonchalant manner, he had clearly anticipated the Pokémon his opponent was about to send out and the moves they would use—it seems that the Unova Champion wasn't the only one who remembered the destination of every Poké Ball on the scene.

When commanding Garchomp, the detective showed none of the hesitation or timidity he usually displayed when ordering Pokémon to use moves, delivering complex commands fluently and decisively.

The black-clad figure, illuminated by the firelight, resembled a sharp, cartoonish silhouette, and surprisingly, he did indeed possess the air of an excellent trainer.

Unlike Alder, Hugo was not in the center of the battle arena, which allowed him to focus wholeheartedly on commanding the battle from a comprehensive perspective.

At the start of the match, the opponent's Unova Champion took a risky step, closing the distance between himself and his Poké Ball, and thus released his two main Pokémon, Volcarona and Double Ice, first.

It appears that they surrounded Garchomp from both sides, forming a two-on-one siege, but doing so is not entirely without its drawbacks.

Ice melts when it encounters fire—as a champion, Alder could not have been unaware of this factor. Every move he made took into account the range that the Pokémon's moves could cover, ensuring that they wouldn't land in empty space.

But on this battlefield, there exists a being that defies common sense. There exists a mental trap that only the champion Ardern could fall into.

That is the Volcano moth itself.

The flames that emanate from Pokémon are a strange kind of energy, sometimes even more magical than the flames released through moves.

The flames produced by different Pokémon vary, but they do share some common characteristics. For example, they are colorless and odorless after burning, and their power varies depending on the target.

Even at this point, Adek still underestimated the power of his dying partner.

Just as the flames on Ponyta do not burn the master it recognizes, although Volcarona's dying body is uncontrollably radiating heat, Mr. Alder, who is in sync with his partner, is neither harmed by the flames nor can he sense their heat.

Although imperceptible, this intense heat truly filled the space of the Tower of Heaven.

Before Hugo arrived at the tower, the reason why Wanlong Tianwang, who was on night watch, huddled in the shadows of a corner of the floor was also to avoid the sweltering air surrounding the fire moth.

Now, Volcarona has entered battle stance, its fighting spirit fully unleashed as it faces its former adversary with whom it once perished. And this intense heat, imperceptible only to Aldeck, has become an unmissable opportunity for Hugo!