Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"However, that's probably the general situation, right? Once a group is brought together, there will naturally be some intelligent individuals who will stand out. It was probably these wild Pokémon that played a key leading role and caused trouble for the Champion during the battle. We really shouldn't underestimate the knowledge that comes with a long lifespan, even though these Pokémon spend most of their time sleeping."

The detective chuckled to himself.

"Are you simply releasing them?"

Adek looked thoughtful, then objected—

"No, there's still a contradiction. Why do these Chandelures only attack me, yet allow your Chimchar to hide in the candle flame for so long? Why do these Pokémon attack me in two groups? This shouldn't happen without someone directing it."

"On the contrary, this is perfectly logical. Just by considering the distribution of wild Pokémon in the Tower of Heaven and the ecology of each of these Pokémon, one can naturally deduce everything that will happen after the Pokémon are gathered on this floor."

Hugo answered in this way through the communicator.

Chandelures are the most numerous creatures in the Tower of Paradise. In the wild, these Pokémon sustain themselves by absorbing souls and will eerily shake the flames on their arms to hypnotize their opponents—they are a group of true predators. When other Pokémon see such a dangerous group gathered together, they will naturally be frightened and run away in all directions. If they don't have time to run away, they will find a place to hide until they are bombarded by "Earthquake" and scattered in all directions, forced to reveal themselves.

"The remaining chandelier spirits will naturally remain on the fourth floor of the Tower of Heaven, hiding their firelight and silently hunting down their scattered prey."

Faced with a massive wave of Chandelures, any trainer would instinctively unleash a powerful area-of-effect attack—like "Earthquake." This would inevitably lead to a second wave of chaotic chaos.

The reason is so simple and clear: this is the truth behind why Champion Alder had to twice face off against attacks from wild Pokémon head-on.

"As for why the little fire monkey wasn't attacked, that's a trivial matter. This morning, the little fire monkey and I had to use a lot of insect repellent spray for various reasons, and the smell is still lingering on us. Therefore, when the little fire monkey was alone in the dark fourth-floor space, no chandelier spirit would be willing to brave the stench of the spray to attack it."

The detective continued with a light laugh—

"Later on, Chimchar deliberately threw itself into Chandelure's fire, and the stench on its body was completely dispelled by the flames. At this point, Chandelure was even less likely to harm my Pokémon. Because the purpose of these Ghost-type dominants attacking Pokémon is to absorb the opponent's energy to maintain the flames. Now that a little fool has walked right into the trap and plunged into the fire, there's no need for those troublesome disposal tasks... So, Chimchar successfully disappeared into the blue flames."

"You still haven't explained how you awakened all the Pokémon in the tower. Are you a psychic with the ability to awaken ghosts?"

Based on a review of past intelligence, Adek made what he considered to be a fairly logical deduction.

"No, no, no, how could there be such a strange constitution in the world?" the detective insisted on denying it.

"Actually, the method to awaken these Pokémon is also very simple."

On the same night that Detective Assistant Azure solved a bizarre case at a preschool and received a message from her boss, Hugo casually asked the Unified Champion—

Have you ever heard of a special item called 'Dream Smoke'?

Chapter 244 Flame and Ice - The End of the Dream is Announced at This Moment

The Dream Smoke is the smoke exhaled by Dream Eater and Dream Eater when they sleep, and it has the peculiar property of inducing a deep sleep.

Under certain special conditions, people shrouded in smoke may also see dreamlike visions.

Because this substance dissipates in the wind like smoke, is produced in extremely small quantities, and cannot be stored for long periods, it has not received much attention from scholars in past studies and has been mistakenly identified as a common hypnotic gas. The hallucinations seen in the fog have also been hastily attributed to the mental fantasies of victims in their drowsy state.

However, the secrets hidden in the dream's smoke are not limited to this.

With the rise of dream research, Dr. Makomo, formerly of the Dream Research Institute in Sanyo City, immediately developed a strong interest in several Dream Eater Pokémon native to Unova. In her subsequent experiments, she also studied the dream smoke released by Dream Eaters during their sleep.

Surprisingly, the research on by-products was a resounding success.

The professor discovered that dream smoke is not a product exclusive to Dream Eater and Hawthorne. In fact, any Pokémon with a sleep function will produce trace amounts of dream smoke in its dreams. However, this phenomenon is particularly pronounced in Dream Eater Pokémon, thus condensing into a pinkish smoke that can be perceived by ordinary people.

The discovery of these trace amounts of dream smoke provided powerful evidence for the fundamental theories of dream research, transforming dream research from a hypothesis into a real discipline for the first time.

Since Pokémon's sleep creates the same substance, does this mean that all Pokémon release a special dream wave when they sleep? And since they share the same wavelength, is it possible to connect the dreams of different Pokémon? Or even go further and create a world composed of the collective dreams of countless Pokémon?

A major theoretical breakthrough was achieved, which greatly excited the entire Dream Research Institute. Dr. Makomo then pressed on with this success, pushing the theoretical aspects of dream research towards practical application.

Two years ago, Professor Makomo and her assistant developed a method to extract Dream Smoke from ordinary Pokémon. Last July, she summarized specific operational guidelines for converting Dream Smoke, which cannot be preserved for long periods, into a stable solid. In the same month, in collaboration with the Sanyo City Pokémon Center, she achieved the first mass production of solid Dream Smoke.

Although some setbacks occurred afterward, the research on dreams was able to continue smoothly thanks to the proactive efforts of a certain detective.

Thus, for the first time, the substance of dream smoke existed in the world as a tangible and visible object.

.

"So this is the dream smoke that Dr. Makomo is researching?"

As if remembering something, Wanlong Tianwang looked thoughtfully in the direction where the wild Pokémon were gathering.

"Has King Wanlong ever heard of such a prop?" Alice asked.

The ghost expert nodded: "About two years ago, that doctor consulted with me and Cattleya about the nature of dreams. Is the essence of dreams an electromagnetic signal or a superpower fluctuation? Where is the boundary between it and reality? What determines its content? Does it contain excess emotions from the daytime, or desires that have not had a chance to be expressed... She asked us a whole bunch of these inexplicable questions."

While it was called a consultation, this should actually be the domain of the superpowered Heavenly King. However, Miss Gadria was not good at expressing the abstract feelings in her mind with concrete language. Therefore, they approached Wanlong, a novelist, to serve as a transit point between emotional experience and concrete words.

"Surprisingly, although Miss Cattleya was quite lazy in her verbal expression, she seemed to have a way of answering the questions raised by Dr. Makomo. In her view, both the dream itself and the contents of the dream could be simplified into a conceptual image, which was somewhere between thoughts and mental fluctuations in the brain. I took the liberty of naming it 'longing'."

"Among Pokémon, longing is like a universal currency, capable of transforming into various abilities depending on the situation. A clear example is that Psychic and Ghost-type Pokémon easily master moves of each other's types, demonstrating a commonality between psychic and summoning abilities. Longing can sometimes coalesce into powerful psychic energy, and at other times transform into a lingering curse. Therefore, for Pokémon skilled in these unusual abilities, longing is an important fuel, and for Ghost-type Pokémon, which are almost spiritual beings, longing is practically their lifeblood..."

"And Dream Smoke—this substance, originally discovered in Dream Eater, may be the most primal state of longing, pure, clean, and almost devoid of any negative emotions. Therefore, if it could be mass-produced and made into a solid item, the moment it decomposes and forms dense smoke, it would inevitably have a huge attraction for Ghost-type Pokémon, and it is not surprising that it has led to the current outcome."

Before them, a vast army of ghost Pokémon was holding back the strongest trainer in the Unova region, with Psychic-type Pokémon mixed in among them, occasionally unleashing troublesome interference moves.

The power of Red-faced Dragon and Double Ice alone could only suppress them, and more wild Pokémon continued to emerge from the ground.

From any perspective, this massive melee has completely deviated from a battle between trainers.

"I don't quite understand. Does it mean that the thing Detective Hugo threw down was like a super delicious food to those wild elves?"

Faced with Miss Wanlong's lengthy and complicated answer, the girl looked like she was having indigestion and continued to press for answers.

"If Hugo threw out the solid dream smoke that the doctor just developed, then for Ghost-type Pokémon, it wouldn't just be delicious food, but an expensive and lavish all-you-can-eat luxury buffet," Wanlong analyzed.

"But it's still puzzling that such a prop would appear here—solidified dream smoke is only kept in very small quantities in Dr. Makomo's research institute. It should be as precious as important research subjects. Why did that detective get his hands on it?"

At that moment, Hugo's voice came through the communicator again.

"It seems someone has already noticed. As expected of the Unova Ghost-type Elite Four member. However, your information is actually outdated. The Dream Lab's newly developed C-device can now stably produce solid Dream Smoke in large quantities, but the news has been kept under wraps since the theft in Sanyo City."

"Furthermore, the various solid dream smokes produced also have subtle differences in properties. The one I'm using today is the type that makes it particularly easy for Pokémon to fall into sweet dreams. So, right now, Champion Aldebaran is not so much fighting the Pokémon I've attracted, but rather battling the morning grumpiness of thousands of Pokémon."

This is precisely why, after Hugo released the Dream Smoke and attracted a large number of Pokémon, their competition for food did not cause a major upheaval.

After each Pokémon ingested the decomposing smoke, it fell into a drowsy and lethargic state. After instinctively choosing a resting spot, it began to fall asleep.

The Chandelier Spirits, apex predators, occupy the open and spacious ground. Where else in the graveyard do the ghosts rest?

The answer shouldn't be hard to guess; it's the surrounding tombstones and the deep ground beneath them. This is also the real reason why Reddra's "Earthquake" move, even though it wasn't used at full power, still provoked the wrath of wild Pokémon.

It disturbed the long sleep of the dead.

"So that's how it is. Disturbing someone's peaceful sleep is indeed a sin."

A deep, weathered voice came from behind him, and Adek, who had been struggling to cope with the relentless attacks, sighed as he spoke.

"However, dreams are not reality after all, and it's time for this farce to come to an end, otherwise I, the Unova Champion, will be looked down upon."

“Your partner is far stronger than these wild Pokémon. If the battle continues, Mr. Alder’s side has a higher chance of winning,” Hugo said frankly.

"However, if I were to put myself in your shoes, I really can't think of any way to quickly end this stalemate given your current situation."

Are we going to have Volcarona appear and blow up all four floors of the Tower of Heaven with her "Explosive Flame"?

"Red-faced Dragon." The champion, with hair as red as flames, didn't waste time chatting on the communicator and immediately gave commands to his partner, uttering a skill that surprised everyone present—

"Praying for rain."

Upon hearing the command, the red-faced dragon immediately halted its relentless attacks.

It showed no doubt about the trainer's command, spreading its dragon claws and drawing upon the mysterious power of the graveyard to condense inky black clouds beneath the ceiling.

The wild elves' attacks did not stop, continuing to bombard the rough-skinned dragon, but the red-faced dragon remained unmoved.

Finally, the water vapor condensed into water droplets, and the first drop of rain fell on the red-faced dragon's head, dripping down its fiery red jaw to the floor.

The rain started to fall.

Then came the second drop, the third drop, the raindrops strung together like threads, gathering into a gentle drizzle.

A light rain began to fall, but the red-faced dragon was still not satisfied. It stomped its foot again and continued to add the power of "rainmaking" to the attack.

In that instant, the rain curtain beneath the ceiling seemed to break through a certain threshold, instantly transforming into a torrential downpour.

"Double the ice." As if he had seized the opportunity, Adek continued with the order.

The person being directed seemed to have already guessed what was to be done next; both faces wore the same solemn and cold expression, already brimming with power for the next attack.

"Absolute zero."

Chapter 245 Sweltering Heat - The Black-Clad Detective's Escape Route

In an instant, all was silent.

The torrential rain has vanished, leaving only a bone-chilling cold that underscores the ferocity of "absolute zero."

The ceiling of the fourth floor of the Tower of Heaven is now covered with countless inverted ice spikes. Beneath the thousands of ice needles, no living being can move freely.

The illusion painstakingly constructed by the detective has come to a complete end, and the mass battle triggered by the dream smoke has finally concluded in an extremely tragic manner.

Rainwater became an excellent conductor of low temperatures, freezing everything outside the area centered on where Adek and Double Dodo Ice stood.

The moves were interrupted, the flames went out, the limbs froze, teleportation was restricted, and the spirits were frozen... Countless lifelike "Pokémon ice sculptures" crowded together in an ice and snow forest, maintaining their final state frozen in place.

This naturally includes the Red-faced Dragon, who uses the "Rain Dance" move to assist his companions.

Although Alder also wanted to recall Redface Dragon into its Poké Ball, Gothic, who was mixed in with wild Pokémon, first pinned Redface Dragon's shadow to the field; later, several Ghost-type "Black Eyes" further blocked Redface Dragon's escape route, which further blocked the Champion's idea of ​​rotating Pokémon to avoid damage.

In addition, "Absolute Zero" is a single-target move with an extremely low hit rate. In order to spread the effect of this extreme cold and freezing to the entire space covering the field, it is necessary to rely on the rain curtain of "Rain Prayer" to "connect" the four floors of the Tower of Heaven into a whole.

This indoor downpour was only sustained by the power of the Red-faced Dragon. If it had been removed from the battlefield earlier, the rain would have weakened immediately, and Double Ice's "Absolute Zero" would never have achieved such a perfect effect.

"Ahem, Champion Aldace, you still love to mess around in matches..."

Wanlong Tianwang released the girl he had been shielding behind him, wiping the cold sweat from his cheeks with his free hands. A crystal chandelier spirit, not wild, appeared before the two of them—it was its timely appearance that shielded the two ladies, who were at the edge of the arena, from the aftershocks of "Absolute Zero".

Caught off guard, Victini awkwardly flapped its little wings, as if ashamed that it hadn't been able to use its skills during the rampage.

“Miss Wanlong, did you already guess that Mr. Adek would use this tactic?” Alice asked.

"Hmm, I roughly guessed something when I saw the wild elves."

As he retrieved the crystal chandelier, the novelist gave a shy, wry smile.

"This is the most ingenious of countless endings. Given the gentle nature of our Unova Champion, I think he would most likely adopt this tactic. However, I did not expect the ending to be so tragic. Even that tenacious red-faced dragon fell during the execution of the tactic. Cynthia's brother is truly not to be underestimated."

"Hmm... Is holding an ice sculpture exhibition in a cemetery considered gentle?" The girl was a little confused by the novelist's first sentence.

Wanlong shook his head: "Although 'Absolute Zero' looks scary, in reality, the damage Pokémon suffer while frozen is far less than that caused by other attacks. These wild Ghost-type Pokémon will naturally transform into a spirit state and go into hibernation after being frozen, which is quite a merciful countermeasure. And more importantly—"

Wanlong turned her gaze to the depths of the cemetery.

"This method is the best way to preserve the original state of the tombstones and mausoleum within the four layers."

To err is human, to forgive divine. Having realized his mistake, Adek chose the gentlest tactic for the deceased.

On the other side, the champion, who was at the center of the discussion, ignored the whispers of the audience and went straight to the "ice sculpture" of the Red-faced Dragon. He smashed the ice covering its forehead and pressed the weathered Poké Ball against the rough scales of the Red-faced Dragon.

With a flash of red light symbolizing recycling, the Red-faced Dragon's "ice sculpture" turned into an empty shell, and this cave Pokémon, now unable to battle, officially exited the stage.

This was Alder's second casualty in this battle, and their only achievement was defeating a weak and insignificant beginner Pokémon...

Have they really been defeated?

Having clashed with the detective in black for so long, Aldak had long since abandoned any thought of underestimating his opponent; he had to be prepared for the worst.

The Chimchar that used "Hold On" had only a sliver of strength left. It then forced itself to use "One More Time" on the builder before disappearing into the vast army of wild Pokémon.

Theoretically speaking, if this little Chimchar attracts the attention of any wild Pokémon, no matter how slight the attack, it could render the Pokémon completely unable to battle... But things can change in an unexpected way.

Thinking of this, Adek suddenly looked at the spiral staircase passage at the other end of the cemetery.

Along the winding paths through the snow-covered forest, the champion witnessed the worst possible scene.

Logically speaking, wild elves swarming towards the center of the battlefield shouldn't be deserters; if they were afraid of fighting, they wouldn't be here at all.

However, at the tail end of the wild Pokémon army, frozen into "ice sculptures," near the entrance to the stairs, several "Pokémon ice sculptures" appeared facing the opposite direction. They were not looking at Alder, who had offended the undead, but staring straight down the stairs, as if their attention had been drawn to something there.

Could it be that Chimchar escaped through this passage?

The spiral staircase continues downwards, leading to the dark third floor of the Tower of Heaven, which is also filled with the graveyards of Pokémon.

Now, it really does feel more and more like a tabletop game where you explore an underground castle.

Regardless of whether Chimchar actually escaped death from the fourth floor of the Tower of Heaven, the whereabouts of its trainer, Hugo, are certain; everyone witnessed him running down the spiral staircase to the fifth floor. And now, since the entire fourth floor is frozen and Hugo is nowhere to be seen, he must be on a lower floor.

There is only one path I should take... as if it had been planned out by someone long ago.

Dispelling his hesitation, Alder walked down the stairs. Double Ice, with its two faces, floated leisurely behind its trainer.

But at that moment, the champion of the United States, who was going downstairs, suddenly stumbled. If it weren't for his good sense of balance from regular training, he would have almost fallen on the spiral staircase.