Pokémon Detective Case Files.

Judging from the sound, it seems that the Grass Turtle seized the opportunity and planted a "parasitic seed" on the Knight Snail. Under the former's cover, Bogarman retreated to the cemetery in the center of the third floor.

Double Ice intended to use the "Ice Beam" move, but Turtwig anticipated its plan and deliberately manipulated the grass knot to make all the speakers simultaneously utter the "Ice Beam" command.

Because this phenomenon was too strange, Double Ice was afraid of doing what its opponent wanted, so it temporarily changed its moves, and the Grass Turtle took this opportunity to avoid the attack.

It seems that although the trick with the sound system has been cracked by the opponent, it can still create a confusing effect in other ways.

As for the Scavenger, although it was hit by "Leech Seed", the drain damage that Turtwig could inflict was not enough to hurt its opponent. So the Pokémon simply ignored the vines on its body and started gliding on the ice again.

Aldek, who had already fallen into the mud, was not standing on it; he seemed to be preparing to wade through the wet ground and slowly walk down the stairs.

Seeing its opponent charging towards it, the grass turtle realized the situation was bad and turned to run, also heading towards the center of the cemetery.

Currently, all the wild Pokémon in the Tower of Heaven have gathered on the fourth floor and are frozen, so no wild Pokémon can interfere with the battle at this moment.

Seeing that Piplup and Turtwig had both abandoned the wetland battlefield, Alder and his Pokémon gave chase without hesitation—Hugo’s keen ears clearly heard the distinctive footsteps of Alder’s sandals.

It seems the time is almost up; only final adjustments remain...

"Poga Poga, Pogaman".

The pre-set coded rhythm played in the headphones.

Hugo clenched his fist.

"Go, Garchomp!"

Finally, he gave the order into the microphone.

"Dragon God Dives."

The initial spirit answered the detective's expectations. Immediately, the sound of whistling wind filled the air.

Although Garchomp is a Ground-type, it can soar through the sky at speeds comparable to jet aircraft. When it folds its body and spreads its wings, the speed it unleashes is unmatched even by the mighty eagle, a master of flight.

Now, at the top of the Tower of Heaven, beside the open-air Heavenly Bell, a deep blue dragon's figure burst forth with astonishing power, leaping high into the air, then flipping 180 degrees before swooping down into the hole it had dug in the ground.

On the fifth floor of the Tower of Heaven, the opening that Turtwig and Chimchar had dug together had been widened slightly. The blue figure passed through the opening with incredible precision, without making a sound.

On the fourth level, on an ice field dotted with countless ice sculptures, only the spot where Champion Adej once stood remained unfrozen. Coincidentally, this was also the exact location where the Red-Faced Dragon unleashed "Earthquake," and directly beneath this level lies the center of the cemetery on the third level of the Tower of Heaven.

This is precisely the location where the Ardek Champion was led to by the Pogaman and the grass turtle.

Including the height of the jump, Garchomp's "Dragon Dive" had already plummeted nearly twenty meters. Carrying immense gravitational potential energy, its scythe-like bone wings, relying solely on sheer force, cut out a massive horizontal and vertical cross at the point of impact.

then--

Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble!

The ceiling directly above the head of the Adek champion suddenly shattered.

Amidst the swirling dust, the bright moonlight pierced through the three layers of holes, spilling into the third level of the Tower of Heaven.

Like a silver spotlight calling out to the protagonist.

Chapter 248 Self-Immolation - The Principle of First-Strike Destruction

Amidst a muffled, thunderous tremor, the ceiling above Aldace's head suddenly shattered.

The champion, who had finally made it down to the third floor of the Tower of Heaven, hadn't even wrung out the mud from his pants when he was instantly buried under countless broken bricks and stones. A large section of the thick floor tiles was blasted down by "Dragon God's Dive," turning into countless fragments that flew down and even piled up into a small mountain on the spot.

Whether this was a pre-arranged plan by the detective or not, at this moment, all external factors within the Tower of Heaven had been cleared.

The wild Pokémon, lured out by the Dream Smoke beforehand, transformed into countless "ice sculptures" standing guard in the fourth-floor tower. Therefore, even though the Garchomp's disturbance was dozens of times greater than that of the Reddra's "Earthquake" move, it didn't face an attack for disturbing the peace of the graveyard.

Chasing after Piplup and Turtwig, Double Ice and Escavalier, arriving at the center of the three-tiered cemetery, turned back in surprise, bewildered as they looked at their trainer who had completely disappeared into the pile of stones.

However, Alder was, after all, a seasoned Unova Champion, and his two partner Pokémon trusted their master as much as Alder trusted them.

Aldek, who still has cards up his sleeve that he hasn't revealed yet, would never risk his life over a mere layer of rubble, much less give up the fight at this point!

Having learned from their previous experience, the two Pokémon, initially panicked, didn't panic. Instead, they exchanged glances to ascertain each other's intentions and then swiftly took action.

The faster Double Ice immediately turned around and retreated to support the trainer who had been attacked; while the Knight Snail continued to advance to prevent the two starter Pokémon that had caused them so much trouble from running further down the building.

For the Pokémon themselves, their decision was quite thorough, but Pokémon battles are not simply a contest between Pokémon; the presence of the trainers is equally crucial.

Even the Pokémon that the Unova Champions are so proud of, their own tactical ideas are still too conventional. Although they meet the principle of maximizing efficiency, this makes them easy targets for cunning and treacherous individuals who have done their homework in advance.

The rubble that buried Aldak was deathly silent; neither the attacking enemy nor the Unova Champion could be seen. Spotlight-like moonlight illuminated the empty stage, but the protagonist had yet to appear.

However, as soon as Double Ice approached, something in the rock began to shake.

Seeing this, Double Ice breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that its trainer was safe and sound.

However, what emerged from the shattered rubble was not the figure of Alder, whom Double Ice had been hoping for, but three Rock-type moves that were ready to be unleashed in quick succession—"Stone Edge".

As an Ice-type Pokémon that is weak to Rock, Double Ice has long since developed a muscle memory for dealing with Rock-type moves.

Faced with the oncoming cone-shaped rock, Double Ice used its left side face as the central axis and nimbly made circular motions in the air, easily dodging the first rock cone.

However, just as it was about to repeat the same method to evade the second and third "sharp stone attacks", it encountered an unexpected mishap in the air.

Click.

Even though they weren't hit by the rock spikes, the sound of ice hitting rocks echoed out of nowhere inside the tower.

The Double Dot Ice, which was spinning in the air, seemed to have hit something, and its elegant spin came to an abrupt end. It was then bounced off course in the opposite direction.

If Alder could observe the battle at this moment, he would immediately identify the culprit that prevented his partner from dodging the attack—the Rock-type Terrain move "Stealth Rock" that Landorus had used during the day.

However, compared to the straightforwardness of the former, the "Invisible Rock" on the third floor of the Tower of Heaven is more cunning and harder to defend against.

However, the current situation left no room for sentimentality, as the second rock spike struck without warning. It was about to pierce the right side of Double Ice's forehead.

In a moment of quick thinking, the Unova Champion's Ice-type main force made an extremely awkward move—pouting its lips and suddenly spitting out a large mouthful of white snow cloud into the sky above, using the recoil from the water vapor to make its body suddenly sink down, thus dodging the second "Stone Sharp Attack".

Unfortunately, even with all the skills honed over the years and the inspiration that suddenly struck, achieving this level is already the pinnacle.

The third rock spike seemed to have been aimed at the last blind spot of Double Ice, hitting the very center of the champion's main Pokémon with perfect accuracy.

The Blizzard Pokémon let out a piercing duet of screams as it crashed into the ground in the distance, sending up a spray of ice shards.

Needless to say, the Pokémon that unleashed the "Stone Slash" move was Garchomp, which used "Dragon Dive" to smash through the ground and reach the third floor.

With the advantage of type advantage, the "Stone Edge" move used by this Sinnoh Champion Ace Pokémon is unlikely to fail to defeat the enemy in one hit.

Shaking off the sand and dust, the brutal earth dragon, having dealt with an enemy, raised its triangular head and stood up from the pile of rubble.

The rough, dark blue dragon scales rubbed against each other, making a sound that made your teeth ache.

If an expert familiar with Garchomp were standing here, they would surely notice that it doesn't look happy at this moment.

Unlike its well-rounded mother, this Garchomp prefers face-to-face combat to sneak attacks and setting traps, finding the clash of moves in the most satisfying way to achieve victory.

Although it would patiently follow the detective's instructions out of politeness, the intensity of the battle was hardly enough to arouse Garchomp's interest.

The fire moth we clashed with earlier was quite powerful, but given Hugo's penchant for taking shortcuts, he's probably already lured it away using some kind of diversionary tactic. The detective, eager to avoid all the strong opponents and win the battle directly, is practically a thief trying to steal victory.

A displeased growl escaped from deep within Garchomp's throat.

What exciting battles could possibly take place in this tower? I really shouldn't have listened to Hugo's nonsense...

Come to think of it, this seems to be the second time it has faced the trainer opposite it. Who knows? It couldn't be bothered to remember the opponents it had defeated before.

Pokémon don't carry the same deep-seated emotional burdens as humans. For Garchomp, the reigning Unova Champion Alder was merely an opponent it had faced once years ago.

Being as competitive as it is, it cannot fully understand the difference between a draw and a victory. If it has already defeated its opponent with its moves, why can't it be considered a victory?

As if taking a casual stroll, Garchomp wandered across the pile of rubble, searching for traces of the enemy trainer.

Suddenly, a fierce glint flashed in the eyes of the deep blue earth dragon, and its body moved faster than its mind, making a move in an instant.

The two topknot-like protrusions on its head sensed its prey, and at the same time, its scythe-shaped dragon claws plunged deep into the dusty pile of rubble behind it at an almost twisted joint angle.

From beneath the rubble came human voices—

"Hahaha, it truly lives up to the reputation of the Garchomp I once admired."

With the intervention of the dragon's claw, the pile of rubble was partially cleared. As a loud laugh reverberated, more stone chips and dust slid down due to the avalanche effect, revealing the weathered, dust- and gravel-covered face of the Adek champion.

At this moment, Garchomp's sharp, scythe-shaped claws were pressed against the Unova Champion's head and neck.

The duel should have come to an end—

Having lost three key Pokémon—Old Master Builder, Red-faced Dragon, and Double Ice—the opponent's ace is now at its throat, ready to end its life with the slightest pressure. This unrestricted Pokémon battle on the Tower of Heaven should end here and now.

However, Adek smiled broadly and spoke leisurely—

"You managed to pierce through the tower's bricks in such a short time; that explosive power was truly unexpected. Despite my best efforts, I overlooked the threat directly above me, so this predicament is entirely my own fault. Fortunately, when the ceiling collapsed, I had Agilebug use the 'Melt' move above me. Just like Escavalier retains some speed potential after evolution, the fragile Agilebug also possesses some defensive talents. The soft body of this molting Pokémon formed a sturdy shield above me, preventing damage from the falling rocks."

Garchomp let out a short, low growl, its golden dragon eyes looking down at the champion, urging its opponent to quickly admit defeat.

"You want me to admit defeat, right? Hmm, if this were just a teaching match, I'd probably do it. After all, I'm not some old fogey seeking fame and fortune. If I want the younger generation to grow, I need to give them some encouragement. But..."

Adek's smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression like a teacher reprimanding a student, and he began to scold—

"This is a battle to pass the championship on. If you, the champion of Bamboo Orchid, have only grown to this level, then I will be utterly disappointed!"

A sudden unease rose on Garchomp's back, but it was too late before it could make any move.

"Double the ice, use 'Big Bang'."

The Pokémon's move had already been used, and only then did the Unova Champion slowly utter the corresponding command.

"My Double-Strike Iceborne was carrying a special item—a Grass-Sludge Berry that provides excellent resistance to Rock-type damage, which is why it wasn't near death after being hit by 'Stone Edge.' Taking the next step without assessing your opponent's situation is either too arrogant or too naive. Also, didn't you notice? Double-Strike Iceborne didn't create a blizzard upon its arrival, and it didn't feel particularly cold at close range. This indicates that its ability isn't the common 'Snowfall' or 'Ice Body,' but rather the rare 'Shatter Armor.' This is precisely why my Double-Strike Iceborne could react faster than your Garchomp and use 'Explosion' beforehand..."

The latter part of Aldeck's explanation could no longer be heard, as the earth-shattering explosion drowned out everything.

Chapter 249 Rekindling - The Realization of Being Weak

Almost simultaneously with the use of Double Ice to unleash "Big Bang", the "Wetland Terrain" created by Turtwig and Piplup finally dried up and disappeared, and the staircase connecting the third and fourth floors of the Tower of Heaven was once again unobstructed.

Wanlong, Alice, and Victini rushed downstairs to observe the battle up close.

Although they could roughly see the battlefield from the top of the spiral staircase, these three curious onlookers were clearly not satisfied with that. Before the smoke from the "big explosion" had cleared, the two people and the elf had already reached the third floor.

Through the thin mist of smoke, the first thing that catches the eye is the Garchomp, which still stands proudly.

The fact that Garchomp is still alive isn't particularly surprising. Both Alice and Wanlong are seasoned veterans of the battlefield and naturally understand the intricacies of the situation—

Although Double Ice, having withstood a "Stone Slash" attack, was not knocked unconscious, it was clearly at its limit, with both its internal energy and the accuracy of its moves greatly diminished. While Ice-type moves were highly effective against Garchomp, hitting it at that point was questionable. Therefore, Champion Alder was forced to use the potentially devastating "Explosion" move.

Given Double Ice's condition at the time, and the distance between them, the possibility of it knocking down Garchomp directly was extremely slim.

However, what truly surprised the two trainers was that the blue Garchomp before them seemed to have only suffered a minor injury.

Although his body was covered in minor injuries, they were far from affecting his ability to fight, and his overall condition was almost unaffected.

"How did it do that? A 'Big Bang' that causes explosive damage from all directions couldn't possibly only do this little bit of damage."

Alice said in surprise.

Wanlong was equally puzzled, but when she shifted her gaze to the air that Garchomp was staring at, she instantly understood—

"I see, it's 'Stealth Rock.' Previously, to block the path of Double Ice, the Stealth Rock placed in the air acted as an invisible shield, inadvertently absorbing most of the damage for Garchomp."

Garchomp glanced sideways at the empty space before it with a complicated expression. While trying to regulate its somewhat erratic breathing and regain its peak condition, it remarked that sometimes even a detective's command could be incredibly lucky…

Meanwhile, under the blue dragon's blade, the Unova Champion had already vanished amidst the chaos of the explosion. Also disappearing with him was Double Dodo Ice, who was near death after using "Big Bang," presumably retrieved back into its Poké Ball by Alder.

"It seems that neither side has achieved its goal," Wanlong concluded.

"Challenger Hugo failed to seize the opportunity to defeat the Ardek Champion; and although the Champion escaped unscathed, his risky bomb attack failed to seriously damage the opponent's main Garchomp."

"It seems the two sides have tied again... But Mr. Alder now only has three Pokémon left, right?" Alice remarked.

"Three against three, the score is tied again."

"A draw?" As if hearing a ridiculous joke, Wanlong couldn't help but give a wry smile.

"Miss Alice, even now, are you still judging the strength of both sides by the number of elves?"

Seeing the girl's surprised expression, the Ghost-type Elite Four member continued—

"Although the rules state that the side whose Pokémon are all knocked down first loses, in reality, the number of Pokémon each player has in this battle is completely meaningless. Because no matter what the score is, the detective's chance of defeating the champion will not change much—it's just a matter of climbing from one infinitesimally small number that is infinitely close to zero to another infinitesimally small number that is infinitely close to zero. From beginning to end, the detective is standing on a dangerous razor's edge, pursuing an infinitesimally small possibility."

"Isn't that a huge exaggeration?"

Alice felt that her understanding of the battle situation differed somewhat from that of Miss Heavenly King, so she argued logically—

"Doesn't Mr. Hugo still have Cyndaquil Champion's Garchomp? He set up so many traps on the fourth and third floors; he must have even more secret methods up his sleeve. Piplup and Turtwig may be weak, but they're incredibly clever. The detective himself is even sneaking around in some corner, only willing to remotely command his Pokémon in battle. With so many tricks up his sleeve, he seems like he can really go toe-to-toe with Champion Alder—isn't successfully taking down three of Mr. Alder's Pokémon the best evidence of that?"

"Oh dear," Wanlong sighed.