Pokémon Detective Case Files.

However, when Hugo turned his gaze to his opponent, he saw the Ardek champion stroking his stubble-covered chin with a nonchalant expression.

Especially after noticing that Yueju and the others had arrived at the scene and realizing that the Tower of Heaven would not be destroyed in this battle, the expression under her fiery red hair became increasingly relieved, and what appeared in turn was an almost fanatical focus.

His expression was like that of an old craftsman whose nose had been grabbed by a little fire monkey—appreciation mixed with a hint of expectation, without a trace of fear, only high fighting spirit.

This is the composure of a strong person who will not change course no matter what disadvantage they are in, without any worry about the future outcome.

As a detective, Hugo could not possibly be unaware of his opponent's strengths.

The championship selection battle atop the Tower of Heaven was prepared from beginning to end for just one Pokémon.

This means that until the Pokémon is completely exhausted, until its flames are extinguished and its soul is completely dissipated, the Unova Champion and his Volcarona are unbeatable.

Unlike its opponents, who are burning with fighting spirit and physical strength, the volcano is igniting its own life at this moment.

For Ardek's Volcano, a life that fails to burn completely is worthless, even if it is elevated to a divine status.

These powers were supposed to be gradually exhausted over hundreds of consecutive battles, but because of the Plasma Sage who broke in midway, Hugo, who challenged the champion in the dead of night, became the first test of these powers.

As expected, the fire moths that fell into the wetlands did not get stuck in the mud as best anticipated.

What we are seeing now is the worst-case scenario.

The instant the flame touched the ground, the water-based energy in the wetlands vanished without a trace, like dew evaporating in the sun. The remaining vines, nurtured by the "Grass Pact," withered and dried as the Volcarona floated up again, then burst into flames with a "poof" sound once the temperature reached a certain critical point.

Within seconds, the burning vines resembled countless tentacles trying to touch the sky, and flames surged forth.

The wetlands did not become an obstacle for the fire moth; instead, they instantly transformed into a vast "sea of ​​fire," like a fiery altar calling upon the sun.

In the center of the altar, the fire moth, its wing slightly injured, miraculously floated back to life, aided by the rising hot air. Its speed not only didn't decrease, but it became even lighter.

Even more terrifying things were yet to come—

As the crimson lava flowing over its body brushed against the wound, the Volcano Moth emitted an even more dazzling light. In that instant, the wound inflicted by the "Stone Attack" spike vanished like insignificant dust amidst the Volcano Moth's trembling wings.

"I see. So your Volcano has finally finished warming up?"

Hugo shook his jet-black collar and asked Adek.

The raging inferno generated a heat wave, and the heat it produced flowed into the fourth floor through a large hole in the ceiling, freeing many Ghost-type Pokémon that had been frozen into ice sculptures by "absolute zero".

The wild Pokémon, having barely regained their freedom, immediately felt an extremely dangerous, scorching pressure beneath the swaying ground. Before the Elite Four members, who were maintaining order, could intervene to drive them away, the Pokémon had already made their escape.

The detective's black trench coat fluttered in the wind whipped by the flames, the black suit originally intended for a funeral appearing solemn and dignified in the firelight.

"Mr. Alder, you specially organized this championship challenge for all Unova trainers here to witness your old friend Volcarona at its strongest, right? Unlike other Pokémon that grow weaker with each battle, your Volcarona, due to its special state, neither gets injured nor feels tired. It will only slowly transform into an increasingly blazing flame during the continuous battle, and then meet its final end in a dazzling light, leaving not a trace of dust..."

"I'm not qualified to judge whether this method of dying is good or bad. Whether human or elf, all living beings have the right to choose their own way of leaving this world. However..."

Rotating his slightly heavy wrist, the detective squinted, looking at Adek through the firelight—

"Are you really going to use this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on someone like me?"

Unlike in the past, this time the elderly champion did not respond to the detective with a hearty laugh, nor did he expound any grand principles with great momentum. He simply stared silently at the fire moth in front of him, which was so bright it almost hurt his eyes.

"Alright."

Adek said this, his voice tinged with loneliness.

"Because that's what Volcano said."

A whistling sound, like insects chirping in the wind, rang in his ears—the call to charge from his old partner. The Unova Champion waved his arm forward—

"Knight Snail, 'High Speed,' Agile Bug, 'Lightning Flash,' launch a pincer attack against our challengers."

"Vulcano... use 'Dance of Fire' on Garchomp!"

.

"Wanlong, do you know what Mr. Alder's most prized Bug-type technique is?"

The battle on the field reignited, but the Dark-type Elite Four member, watching from the sidelines, wore a cunning smile and brought up a completely unrelated topic in the spectator area.

"He mentioned it to me, saying that it wasn't an ordinary case of the weak defeating the strong, but he didn't tell me the final answer."

Wanlong seemed quite interested in this. While watching Garchomp retreat to defend under Hugo's command and use "Quicksand Hell" to block the attacking Sneasel, she answered absentmindedly without turning her head.

"Really? I do know a little about that final answer."

"I'll say it in a flippant tone," said Cranberry.

Before his eyes, the agile insect that attacked Hugo from the other side appeared like a ghost in front of the detective in black.

The grass-sprout turtle immediately jumped out from beside Hugo, attempting to block its opponent's preemptive attack with a "Protect" move, but was forcefully knocked away into the distance. If it hadn't previously recovered sufficient, even excessive, stamina from the Knight Snail using "Leech Seed," this simple probing attack would have been enough to bring it to the brink of death.

"I once asked Mr. Alderk—why is it that Bug-type attacks only cause minimal damage to Poison, Fire, Steel, Flying, Fighting, and Fairy types, yet inflict almost double the damage against Psychic and Dark types, which seem completely unrelated?"

“I remember the common saying that ‘a Bug-type Pokémon that suddenly appears will interrupt the meditation of cultivators and evil wizards’, right?” Wanlong said after thinking for a moment.

Boom! Boom boom!

Another huge ball of fire exploded in front of the stands, as Volcarona's "Dance of Fire" landed on the ground. Garchomp, which had just used "Quicksand Hell," immediately used "Stomp" to try to gather the rubble on the ground with a shockwave to block the attack.

The blue earth dragon's response was somewhat effective, but at a cost: the small mountain of rubble that had been piled up was now a large pool of dark red lava emitting white smoke.

"Legends are just legends, at least Mr. Alder doesn't believe in such things. In his opinion, the reason why Bug-type can not only counter Grass-type but also deal outstanding damage to Dark and Psychic-type is actually due to a kind of aura."

"Momentum?" the novelist asked, puzzled. "Is this the same thing as the 'awareness' that Mr. Champion always talks about?"

Cranberry shook her head: "Rather than the same thing, it's more like the complete opposite of enlightenment. 'Enlightenment' is the courage to become firm by understanding everything you have in this moment and place; while the 'aura' of Bug-type Pokémon comes from utter ignorance, a kind of ignorant enlightenment."

On the battlefield, a neat and sharp chorus of insect sounds suddenly rang out.

As if they had agreed beforehand, the Vulcan Moth, the Knight Snail, and the Agile Bug launched a sonic attack on the detective from three different directions with their "insect chirps".

On the detective's side, a thin purple light screen was erected, which was the "light wall" that the grass turtle that had been knocked away could barely release.

Having likely learned from its experience using "Wide Area Defense" at the start, this time Turtwig twisted "Light Screen" into an arch shape that would facilitate echoes, attempting to reduce the power of "Insect Chirp".

However, the combined sound wave was still too powerful, and it pierced through the thin light barrier in an instant without mercy.

The "Insect Chirp" sound, like green waves, swept across the field. Garchomp groaned from the shock, but thankfully was unharmed. Piplup shielded Hugo, using its Focus Sash to block the attack's power for its trainer. The Turtwig, who had done the crucial work, collapsed and was completely unable to battle.

"Bug-type Pokémon are known for their simple-mindedness. Therefore, many of the world's conventional wisdom simply doesn't apply to insects. What is superpower? It's nothing more than the incredible beyond human capabilities. What is ferocity? It's nothing more than a negative example of public order and good morals. Among the eighteen types, only Dark and Psychic are purely conceptual derivatives, concepts above concepts, rules outside of rules."

"Such things are far too profound for Bug-type Pokémon, who are unwilling to even think about them. So profound that there is no room for fear to exist, so profound that it doesn't matter if they simply ignore them... Such ignoring them does not reduce the damage caused by psychic and ferocious abilities, but when Bug-type Pokémon attack these inexplicable concepts, their unperceptible aura will reveal its true power."

The cranberry raised its arm, as if to show everyone a magical creation—

"So, the so-called essence of the Zerg system is nothing more than this—ignoring common sense, ignoring rules, ignoring all conventions, and sometimes even ignoring one's own life."

On the stage, the Vulcan moth displayed a divine presence, as if it had descended to earth.

Behind Volcarona, as if trying to gnaw an unreasonable hole in this cruel world of birth, aging, sickness, and death, the aged champion controlling the Bug-type roared—

""Big characters Explosion"! "

Chapter 254 Stove - An Unsolvable Dilemma

When it comes to destruction, perhaps nothing in this world is faster than fire.

As soon as Aldak gave the command, a powerful, muscular flame "T" solidified in front of Volcarona, instantly intensifying the heat within the building. Its dazzling light was clearly visible even from outside the Tower of Heaven.

With almost no charging up, this powerful fire-type move shot out like a cannonball.

"Garuda, 'Dragonoid'!"

Ignoring the agile insect that was poised to pounce in front of him, Hugo, holding the exhausted Pogaman, hurriedly shouted.

This was the second time Volcarona had used "Flame Burst" in this battle, but in terms of sheer power, this attack was more than twice as strong as the previous one.

The former's flames were enough to melt the rock spikes of "Stone Spike" upon contact. So, what would happen if this enhanced "Explosive Flame" hit Garchomp? Hugo didn't want to imagine it at all.

Without any hesitation, Garchomp obeyed the detective's will and immediately used its strongest Dragon-type special attack move—

Along the path of "Big Character Explosion," meteorites emerged from the cross-section of the void, creating blue-purple ripples in the air.

Although these meteorites, formed from dragon-attribute energy, were not large, they shot out like swift arrows, carrying an aura that seemed to annihilate dragons, and crashed headlong into the high temperature and flames.

"That's not enough! This level of awareness is far from sufficient!"

From afar came the harsh, metallic sound of Adek's champion striking the ball, his tone tinged with a sigh, like an old teacher who was disappointed that his students couldn't grow up to be good.

Indeed, although "Dragon Star Cluster" has a higher power on paper than "Fire Blast", and the Dragon type has almost half the resistance to Fire, using the former to resist the latter at this moment is by no means a good strategy.

Volcarona is now in a state beyond its peak, and its "Dragon Meteor" attack, which lacks sufficient charging time, was never a match for "Fire Blast". Moreover, Garchomp can only unleash "Dragon Meteor" horizontally in the confined indoor space, completely abandoning its original free-fall attack method, thus losing the power boost from gravitational potential energy.

Every move has its most suitable occasion for use, and the Pokémon's condition directly determines the final effectiveness and power of the move—knowledge that only trainers can deeply understand after years of training.

Reality is not a puzzle written in black and white, nor is it a well-organized turn-based game; even the most perfect reasoning can go wrong.

This was the first mistake Hugo made after climbing the Tower of Paradise.

His opponent, however, clearly did not turn a blind eye to this and had no intention of giving the detective any chance to make amends.

—Because this is the final battle for the Volcano Moth.

Hugo Detective is indeed an exceptionally intelligent trainer, and it might be quite interesting to see someone like him reach the top of the Unova League.

However, while intelligence and ingenuity can accomplish many incredible things, they are not equivalent to true power. Just as one flame cannot replace another, the power of the mind cannot replace the experience and resolve unique to a Pokémon Trainer.

Perhaps, after everything is over on the Tower of Heaven, he should pass the league championship to Lian Wu…

Looking at the black-clad detective across from him with an unpleasant expression, Adek suddenly thought to himself.

Although that guy is still figuring out his fighting style, this street fighter who always considers himself a champion's disciple already has enough resolve to be a guardian of the Unova region...

And now, it's time to bring this fresh and exciting battle to a close—

Adek waved his arms, his linen shawl billowing in the hot air.

Although his opponent only brought four Pokémon, and even with such a weak team composition, he was forced to use all his strength despite being fully armed, the outcome of this battle would not change even if his opponent today was Detective Hugo's sister—because today, his Volcarona could not possibly lose.

"It's time to deliver the final blow! Volcarona, put up our additional bet! Use 'Heat Wave'!"

Then, Adek swung his second arm, making a gesture as if he were embracing someone.

"Knight Snail, 'Ultimate Impact'! Agile Bug, 'Destructive Ray'!"

His pincer attack has entered its final stage!

The champion, who had nurtured four outstanding superstars, looked at the pale-faced detective and, like his students, proudly announced his lines—

"Inspiration has arrived, the prophecy has come true, and the story concludes at this moment!"

At this moment, the seemingly magnificent meteor shower in front of Garchomp only stirred up a layer of intense waves on the surface of "Flame Burst". Although it resisted for a few seconds, it ultimately failed to shake the latter's high-speed momentum.

Just as the deep blue earth dragon was about to try to avoid the limelight, the fire moth's "hot wind" had already arrived at the front line of the battle.

This is bad—Garuda's pupils contracted.

The "Big Flame Burst" was enhanced by the "Hot Wind," greatly increasing its power. At the same time, it accelerated rapidly with the help of the wind speed, and the surging burning "Big" character instantly arrived in front of the deep blue earth dragon.

The latter not only had no way to avoid it, but also had so little time that there wasn't even a chance to use the "Defend" skill.

Garchomp was in danger, and its trainer, who was directing it from behind, was in no better shape.

The grass-fed turtle was already on the verge of death and had been retracted into its ball. At this moment, Hugo only had a sliver of strength left in his hands, Pogaman. On either side of him, Aldak had meticulously prepared a pincer attack.

On the left is the agile bug that has already closed in with "Lightning Flash". White light of the move gathers in front of it, just like the move that the old craftsman used on the fourth floor. It is the "Destructive Ray" that is about to be released.

To Hugo's right, the Sneasel had already struggled out of the "Quicksand Hell" created by Garchomp. Boosted by the "Agility" skill, it ran faster and faster, its body shrouded in white mist, resembling a metal chariot speeding towards the Detective—a distinctive feature of someone about to unleash the Normal-type move "Giga Impact."

Hugo neither believed his body could withstand the crushing force of the "Ultimate Impact" nor that he was agile enough to dodge the "Destruction Beam." With Garchomp on the front lines struggling to survive, the blue penguin he was holding was utterly powerless to change the current situation.

At this moment, he was already trapped in a cage of flames.

This game is about to end.

Chapter 255 Yang Tui - A Perilous Leap of Vigilance in Times of Peace

The world is full of foolishness and accidents.

However, when an accidental mistake occurs, who can really be sure... that it was just a simple error?

.

The third level of the Tower of Heaven had now been divided into two battlefields, one in front and one behind.

In the very center of the battlefield, Volcarona's "Fire Blast" mixed with "Heat Wave" crashed down on the spot where Garchomp stood, instantly engulfing its figure.

Meanwhile, on Hugo's side at the rear of the battle line, Sneasel and Agilebug had flanked Detective from both sides, with each Pokémon unleashing their strongest moves.

This is a Pokémon duel with very simple rules.