Pokémon Detective Case Files.

Having gained ample time to escape, the detective seized the opportunity and disappeared down the stairs.

Only the Ardek champion, who was fighting against him, remained standing there with a grim expression.

The chilling air left behind by the "Frozen Wind" echoed on the top floor of the Tower of Heaven. Alice, Wanlong, and the referee Victini were all equally bewildered.

They shared the same confusion—

What exactly did Hugo want to do?

As if to answer everyone's questions, the detective's voice suddenly rang out again in the space where he himself had disappeared—startling Victini so much that he did a somersault in mid-air.

"Both sides use a team of up to six Pokémon for a full-scale battle until one side forfeits or all of one side's Pokémon are rendered unable to battle—isn't that the most basic rule of this championship challenge?"

The voice, seemingly coming from nowhere, said this.

"Then it would be quite reasonable for me to move the battlefield slightly away from the top floor of this cold and small Tower of Heaven, wouldn't it? What do you think, Mr. Adek?"

"I see. So that's what you were really up to before the match started, explaining the rules and inviting referees."

The champion, who was asked the question, shook his head and sighed with a helpless expression.

"If this were just a tacit duel, then the moment you stepped out of the passage, you would have already tacitly accepted your defeat. But the situation is not like that. In order to continue this twisted battle, you deliberately stated vague rules before the match began, and even invited a referee for this purpose—all to prove that you have not violated the combat rules we set at this moment. The battle continues."

As he spoke, Adek himself burst into laughter.

"In order to break the rules in the championship, you even went so far as to rebuild a whole set of competition rules—only treaties that are mutually agreed upon have the value of being exploited, tripped up, and played word games. Challenger Hugo, using a borrowed Garchomp, trying to use a weak Pokémon to fight against a strong one in terms of quality and quantity, you are a cunning fellow. I really have to admire you."

"Ahem, Mr. Adek could actually deny the legitimacy of this match right now, after all, I've used so many tricks."

The detective's voice continued to come from the corner. As the fire moth slowly flew towards the source of the sound, everyone could now clearly see the source of Hugo's voice—a cubic wireless communication device.

"As the Unova Champion, even if you declare that my actions at this moment violate the spirit of Pokémon battles and constitute a serious foul, and directly determine that I have lost the match, it would be perfectly fine—there are absolutely no word games or traps involved, such as admitting defeat first being the same as surrendering, or the champion giving up being considered a victory for us. I have absolutely no such intention. On the contrary, I am actually looking forward to you doing so."

The detective's voice, emanating from a dice-shaped wireless speaker, sounded particularly glib.

"To have my challenge to the Champion end in a satisfying defeat due to my trickery, and to leave Fuyuki City with this result is actually the ending I most desired. After all, this would give an explanation to everyone I've troubled, and I wouldn't have to continue battling powerful trainers with trepidation. So, Mr. Alder, how about letting me go this time and place?"

"Hahaha, dream on."

Chapter 239 Daylight - The Little Flame Monkey's Opening Solo Dance

The stairs of the Tower of Heaven are made of long, narrow stones, one step at a time, forming a serpentine spiral structure that connects to the next floor.

Although the surface of the steps shows signs of age, they are generally well-maintained and have all been polished to a basically flat shape. The height difference between the stones is moderate, and to facilitate citizens climbing the tower to pay homage to the Pokémon buried inside, railings and handrails that match the architectural style have been specially installed on both sides of the stairs.

Recently, there have even been rumors that Fukiyo City is preparing to further renovate the Tower of Paradise, adding an accessible elevator for disabled people to this century-old building...

At this moment, Adek, Alice, Wanlong, and Bictini, who was the referee of the match, were walking up the not-too-difficult-to-climb stairs to the second floor from the top of the Tower of Heaven.

If the Tower of Heaven is a building that guides the souls of Pokémon to heaven, then those who walk with their backs to the top of the tower are as if they are walking towards a dark and deep hell.

The robust, elderly champion spearheaded the way, a vibrant young girl peeked out beside him, the Ghost-type Elite Four member frowned with worry, and Victini, bringing up the rear, radiated golden flames, guiding the three ahead...

The three people and one Pokémon were like an adventurer party venturing into a dungeon in a tabletop role-playing game—a seasoned red-haired warrior, a rash young ranger, a bespectacled female mage, and a Pokémon priest. The diverse and balanced class composition was enough to handle the complex terrain and all sorts of unexpected situations in the dungeon...

But in this real-world game called "The Challenge of Champions," the only one in the squad who truly needs to fight is Champion Adeike, who is at the very front.

However, despite being a witness who couldn't interfere in the battle, the girl's casual conversation with the Ghost King still drifted into Alder's ears—

"I really didn't expect this battle to turn out like this. That detective is really too reckless."

"Yes, Hugo has been breaking our expectations since he appeared. He's even more cunning than the gambler Yueju, and he's the complete opposite of his always upright sister... However, considering Hugo's seemingly innate special constitution, it's somewhat understandable that he would fight with this attitude."

What kind of new information is this that has no clear meaning?

Aldak, who had been listening quietly in front of the two men, was puzzled.

He wasn't surprised by the familial relationship between Hugo and Sinnoh Champion Cynthia. Although the black hair on her head served as a perfect deception, Garchomp's true identity was revealed the moment it met Hugo's calm gray eyes during the battle.

His identity as a detective was entirely unsurprising. His competitive spirit was practically nonexistent; he couldn't possibly be a professional Pokémon trainer.

To be honest, although Hugo held his own against the champions' main players, it was precisely through these actual matches that Adek was able to realize that Hugo's on-the-spot command ability wasn't as superb as it seemed on the surface.

Whether it was Garchomp bursting out of the ball, or Turtwig and Chimchar combining two basic moves to escape from the top of the tower, Hugo's complex maneuvers with his Pokémon during the match were numerous and clearly well-thought-out.

The reason they were able to withstand the fierce attacks of Volcarona and the others was mainly because the opponents had already prepared the tactics they were going to use with the Pokémon before the battle began.

First, shock the opponent with impactful facts, causing them to subconsciously make predictable reactions. Hugo had already prepared contingency plans for all such reactions.

In this way, one can skip the step of commanding the Pokémon and let the Pokémon launch attacks according to the plan. One can take the lead in each round and even control the rhythm and direction of the challenge in front of the champion.

Given the opponent's terrifying predictive and deductive abilities, Alice's statement that he was a professional detective gave Aldak a sudden realization.

However, what exactly is this so-called "special constitution"?

Could it be that Hugo, being human, possesses a special ability similar to an "Ability" from birth, like a Pokémon?

Judging from Wanlong's tone, it didn't seem to be a characteristic that only brought simple positive benefits.

It should be similar to Iron Ant's hidden trait "laziness", some Claydol's innate "clumsiness", and Archaeopteryx's regrettable "weakness", which is a useless talent in most cases, or even harmful.

Adek couldn't help but stroke his stubble-covered chin, wondering if he needed to be a little more careful in the upcoming match.

Although it's impossible to be a detective and devise a flawless scheme before the game even begins, as people get older, they tend to think things through more carefully before acting.

Just as one must consider the amplification of psychic abilities when facing Cattleya, in battles, whether human or Pokémon, even purely negative abilities can be cleverly utilized and transformed into power through various tactics.

Given his opponent's cunning and scheming nature, Hugo would never let go of this opportunity to seize victory.

As for how his opponent would make a move, Adek had no clue at all. After all, he and Hugo had only met for the first time, and the brief exchange was not enough to reveal the opponent's fighting habits or true tactical intentions.

At this point, we can only make some mental preparations—if any unexpected events occur during the battle that defy common sense, it's probably the detective's special constitution at work.

The girl and the Heavenly King continued their conversation, and they seemed to finally consider Adele's presence in front of them, gradually lowering their voices. But the ancient tower was completely silent in the dead of night, and the elderly man, though old, still had keen senses and could hear what they were saying.

"...Speaking of which, why didn't Volcarona come downstairs with us? If it had led the way, we wouldn't have had to walk down in the dark like this. Does Mr. Alder think that we don't need to send out his old partner Volcarona to fight Hugo's beginner Pokémon?"

"No, I think it must be for other reasons."

Wanlong paused for a moment and then pointed to the stair railing beside him.

“If we let Volcarona lead the way, the railings here will have to be rebuilt tomorrow. And unlike the top five floors of the tower, the lower four floors of the Tower of Heaven are filled with graves of Pokémon. If Volcarona were to exert its full power there, it would definitely disturb the peace of these dead Pokémon.”

"Ah, that's true. But in that case, Mr. Alder could have just put Volcarona back into the Poké Ball, why did you have to split up with Volcarona?"

"Perhaps Mr. Adek has some other plans."

Wanlong answered softly, her gaze inadvertently drifting back to the square window on the opposite side of the tower wall.

“Miss Alice, as a novelist, I understand readers’ psychology very well. When watching a battle where the strength difference is huge, people often focus on the weaker side, secretly cheering them on, hoping to see a wonderful show of a dark horse making a comeback... But please don’t forget that the strength of the strong is not without reason. While Detective Hugo is full of clever schemes, Champion Adek is also secretly carrying out his own plans. If you underestimate your opponent’s wisdom in the battle, you may suffer an irreparable defeat.”

"Sigh, I don't remember Pokémon battles being this complicated..."

As she spoke, Alice suddenly seemed to recall something, and immediately lowered her head dejectedly, muttering indistinctly—

"No, now that I think about it, if I could have considered things more complexly like Grandpa Champion and Detective, I wouldn't have been defeated by those three guys... Thinking further, wasn't I already stepping into the trap of 'underestimating my opponent' when I came to challenge Grandpa Aldera with my Haxorus? It doesn't seem so unfair that I was defeated in a wild battle..."

“Uh, Alice, actually your intuition is not wrong. Even in the long history of elf battles, this battle can be considered a rare case among rare cases.”

Perhaps noticing the girl's low spirits, Wanlong comforted Alice in her own way.

"A full-scale battle with six Pokémon from each side is already incredibly complex, but a battle of this difficulty is as rare as encountering a Shiny Pokémon in the wild. In the current Tower of Heaven, the arena for the two battlers is not a flat training ground, but a three-dimensional space with five nested layers. There are no restrictions on how the two sides switch Pokémon. They can engage in one-on-one duels or it could evolve into a free-for-all team battle... Just thinking about the possibilities is enough to make one's scalp tingle."

"For example, after we climb this flight of stairs, what will appear before us is Hugo himself, a Garchomp hiding in the shadows, or a pair of beginner Pokémon. We have absolutely no idea what will happen. And when it comes to a battle, the opponent may be determined to settle the score here and now, or they may turn around and run away under the cover of night, just like before—in this five-story Tower of Heaven, the detective has four opportunities to retreat like this."

"Don't worry, I won't let that young man do something so unpleasant."

A cheerful voice suddenly came from in front of him.

Unbeknownst to them, the "adventure team" of three people and one beast had already reached the end of the stairs—the fourth floor of the Tower of Heaven was right in front of them.

"Despite making so many assumptions, it seems that Detective Hugo's tactics still exceeded the novelist king's expectations."

Adek said jokingly.

In the darkness before the three, a small fire monkey with flames burning on its rear end stood alone in a cemetery arranged like classroom desks.

Like a lonely ghost or a wandering spirit.

Chapter 240 Lights - Gleanings from Past and Present Ghosts

In this day and age, Chimchar is widely accepted as a beginner Pokémon in the Sinnoh region.

When the children, eager to receive their starting partners, excitedly entered the local research institute and saw this harmless Fire-type Pokémon, they might find it hard to believe that just a hundred years ago, before Pokémon research became an independent discipline, Chimchar was feared as a monster.

"Buttocks lit up...?"

Upon seeing the little fire monkey in front of her, Wanlong couldn't help but murmur aloud.

As a novelist who is also the Ghost King of the Unova region, Wanlong has always been very interested in the strange tales and legends scattered around the world.

At that moment, she recalled a legend that had circulated in the mountains near Lake Shinsei in the modern Sinnoh region—

In the dim light of dawn, woodcutters who go into the mountains early to chop firewood sometimes witness strange sights:

Despite the sparse population in the vicinity, one could faintly hear the laughter of children playing in the woods. Following the sound into the misty forest, one could indeed see children chasing each other under the trees.

Under the dim shade of the trees, it was impossible to see the children's faces clearly. If one were to call out at this moment, a horrifying scene would be witnessed.

The children, their faces blurred, suddenly stopped... Then, all the children turned their backs, and a burst of bright red flames suddenly ignited from behind their buttocks, as if lighting one bright lamp after another in the dim forest.

But that wasn't the most terrifying part. At the end of the story, among the group of children who had their backs to the woodcutter, one suddenly turned around, and in the red light, he was revealed to be a hideous demon with blue faces and fangs. The woodcutter, upon seeing this, was always so frightened that he would turn and run away on the spot, and from then on, he would avoid that forest when he went up the mountain to chop wood.

No one knows what will happen if they stay where they are after seeing the demon. Perhaps, if the woodcutter does that, they will never be able to leave that forest again...

Of course, with the Pokémon Pokédex collection system now so sophisticated, from a modern perspective, the so-called "children" in the forest are probably just a group of wild Chimchar.

Before their evolution, the little fire monkeys had no tails. Still young, they were all small in stature, and in the hazy morning mist, they naturally looked like young children.

Before going to sleep, these elves will deliberately extinguish the flames burning behind them to avoid fire. As a result, when they wake up, there will inevitably be an interesting scene of flames coming out from their buttocks.

Woodcutters in ancient times were not very educated and did not have much knowledge of Pokémon. It is not surprising that they would mistake the Chimchar for a monster with a "lit butt" when they witnessed such an absurd and bizarre scene in the early morning.

As for the "evil spirits" that suddenly appeared among the children's backs, they were probably other spirits.

The little chimpanzee has a light yellow face and its canines are not very prominent. No matter how panicked the woodcutter was, he wouldn't mistake this harmless face for a blue-faced monster. It's reasonable to assume that it was probably the leader of the chimpanzee group, an evolved form of Infernape or Blaziken.

However, the little Chimchar in front of me is neither Infernape nor its final evolved form, Infernape, but it still exudes a sinister aura like a ghost or demon.

The little fire monkey stood silently in the graveyard, watching the three people descending the stairs with neither relaxation nor anxiety—more specifically, the little monkey's dark eyes were fixed on the champion, Adeker, who was walking at the front.

The red flames swayed back and forth behind him, flickering and trembling as the only source of light in the cemetery.

"Little monkey, isn't your trainer here?"

The Adek champion seemed oblivious to the change in atmosphere, casually and warmly greeting his opponent before striding into the indoor cemetery without hesitation.

This is understandable, as the Unova champion has no reason to be so alarmed by a beginner Pokémon; even Wanlong herself, if she weren't facing the Pokémon raised by Hugo, she probably wouldn't have recalled the story of "butt-lighting" from the Sinnoh region.

The tiny monkey remained as still as a sculpture, while Adek stopped some distance away from it.

"Is the item he's wearing an Evolution Stone?" the old man muttered to himself before calling out, "Hey, if your master doesn't come out soon, I'm going to launch an attack now—don't forget, the battle is still going on."

Chimchar remained silent, staring intently at its opponent. If it weren't for its tiny chest rising and falling with its breath, Alder would have almost suspected that the Pokémon before him was merely a "substitute" or an "illusion."

"Tsk." The champion, feeling neglected, clicked his tongue in annoyance, and a Poké Ball rolled neatly from his sleeve into his hand.

"In that case, let's communicate through battles."

As the red light of the released Pokémon appeared, Chimchar's gaze finally shifted.

As instructed by Detective Hugo, it was currently occupying the area with the highest density of tombstones in this cemetery.

The cemetery is where the souls of the dead rest. As the Unova Champion, the opponent, if he has the resources, will inevitably choose to send out the Pokémon whose aftereffects will have the least impact on the surrounding area. Hugo, back at the Pokémon Center, had already learned the list of all the Pokémon Alder was carrying from a chance encounter with a gambler.

With enough information, even rock-paper-scissors can become a fraudulent game with no chance of winning.

Of all the Pokémon that Aldera possesses, the one with a moderate size, the most agile movements, the ability to finish battles quickly, and relatively low damage to the terrain from its moves, must be a Bug-type Pokémon like Volcarona...

"Go on, old craftsman!"

A huge, muscular body suddenly appeared, and a Fighting-type Pokémon with a round, red nose broke through the red light and pounced on the Chimchar. Two concrete pillars drew semi-circular arcs in the air and slammed into the opponent.

Seeing the scene before him, the little fire monkey was clearly taken aback and quickly ducked to avoid it.

"Haha, I bet that detective gave you a lot of instructions before he left, right? But there's not much logic or reason to it in Pokémon battles. In this kind of situation where you have to be careful not to make a mistake, sending out a small, agile Bug is probably the right choice. That's what I was thinking when I was about to release my Pokémon. But what if I sent out a different Pokémon?"

Defeating an opponent while protecting the graveyard—this is certainly the task best suited for a nimble, agile bug. However, extreme power inevitably comes with exquisite skill. As a Pokémon deeply trusted by Champion Alder, who can doubt that this builder, known for his powerful and unrestrained attacks, is incapable of doing the same?

As Aldak's hearty laughter echoed through the fourth floor, two concrete pillars, bypassing all the erected tombstones, collided five centimeters above the little fire monkey's head.

The earth-shattering sound of rocks colliding instantly drowned out everything; the sound alone made the little monkey's head ache.

Fortunately, the attack was managed to be dodged, and the little Chimchar scrambled back. Without the trainer's command, the builder kicked out in an attempt to follow up, and the chimchar seized the opportunity to use the move "Protect".