Pokémon Detective Case Files.

Once you know the truth of the matter, tracing back to the cause from the result is an extremely simple task.

Since Hugo contacted Devon Corporation's satellite observation department and confirmed the existence of the city-sized Poké Ball symbol in the ocean, all the fragments that Azure observed in the dream connection experiment yesterday have been pieced together into a complete picture in the detective's reasoning blueprint.

What the detective's assistant witnessed in her dream was certainly not a virtual world constructed by Mia's second personality, but an undeniable flashback based on the truth of reality. In this memory, her perspective remained focused on the protagonist of the memory.

The protagonist of this memory is none other than the Aiya Mushroom that Mia released back into the wild.

More precisely, those were just a few of the countless spores that the Ayya spores released into the world—like threads hidden in the darkness, quietly weaving together the true form of Mia's strange dreams.

Now that we've seen the enormous, island-like shape of the Aiya Mushroom standing in the sea, the veracity of this guess is self-evident.

It wasn't that a legendary Pokémon from the deep sea kindly acted as an intermediary, conveying Aquafoil's thoughts from the deep sea to its original owner. Rather, Aquafoil, through its own efforts, finally managed to send a part of its body across the ocean and successfully reach the trainer it had longed for.

Judging from the fact that Mia could only clearly perceive the spore consciousness of the Aiya Mushroom after being immersed in seawater for a long time, these independent spores need to gather to a certain number in order to clearly express their own thoughts; otherwise, they can only reside in the target's subconscious in the form of dreams.

Furthermore, unlike vile pathogens, they do not forcibly invade and parasitize the human body. Evidence of this is that even after Mia suffered from bizarre dreams for about a year, her body still did not accumulate a sufficient concentration of spores to allow the Aiya Mushroom to maintain consciousness.

Therefore, Hugo believes that these spores may still retain the characteristics of the Grass-type move "Leech Seed," like dandelion seeds drifting in the wind, cleverly using the power of sea breeze or seawater to quietly attach to the surface of the human host's skin in the form of extremely small particles, and gradually lose their activity over time.

In essence, they are no different from the dust that drifts freely in the city. The only difference is that each individual spore has its own independent consciousness.

After Azure entered the Connected World, the hazy space she felt in the dream was the deep ocean in the eyes of these Aya mushroom spores.

The enormous stone tablet she saw in the dark abyss below was most likely something that the individual spores had all witnessed—such as a powerful item imbued with the power of a legendary Pokémon.

As for how the consciousness of the Aiya Mushroom came into contact with the stone tablet, that may also be open to debate.

Even when the spores growing on mushrooms form mycelium, they will not reach out and touch the stone slab like humans do.

Therefore, what Azure saw in her dream was likely a collection of fragmented memories combined with her own emotional imagination.

Before Mia had ever bathed in the sea, the spores of the mushroom attached to Mia's dreams pieced together her memories, recording only the most memorable parts.

Considering the original size of the Ayya Mushroom, or rather, considering the individual sizes of the countless parallel spore personalities within the Ayya Mushroom, the actual size of that prop is probably much smaller than the so-called "stone tablet".

However, this item contains enormous energy, enough to inflate the originally less than 20 centimeters tall and weighing only one kilogram of Agar.io to the size of an island, so much so that even satellites outside the atmosphere can clearly see the Poké Ball pattern on its head.

Thinking of this, Hugo couldn't help but recall a stone slab that was originally buried under a sculpture in Banteay City in the Sinnoh region. After a series of events triggered by Team Galactic, the artifact, which was said to be a relic of Arceus, was eventually transferred to the History Institute in Sinnoh City and guarded by the local elder, Cynthia and Hugo's grandmother.

If it's that prop, it's not surprising that it can do something so extraordinary...

Especially since the stone tablet in the dream was a dark green. Putting aside the influence of the blue reflection in the deep sea, the color of the stone tablet itself might actually be the turquoise that represents the grass attribute—which complements Aya's grass attribute perfectly.

Based on these premises, the phenomenon that Azure's perspective suddenly rises after touching the stone tablet in the dream can be reasonably explained—

Under the massive amplification of grass-attribute energy, Aiya Mushroom's own size rapidly expanded, and the consciousness that came into contact with it also moved further and further away from the stone slab.

Until it rose to the vicinity of the sea surface and saw the white light from the sky, which was when the giant mushroom was about to approach the size of a city today—the mutation occurred.

The most noticeable change was that the color of the stone slab changed in the dream.

It changed from its original green to a dangerous purple.

Considering the possible origin of the stone slab and the subsequent deaths of two toxicology experts from the same unidentified poison, this is undoubtedly an extremely dangerous sign.

However, before considering whether the stone slab itself has undergone any changes, we must first resolve some more fundamental contradictions—

Why does the Aiya Mushroom Spore, from the first-person perspective of the dream, see the stone slab again?

Looking back at the dream connection report provided by Azur Lane, the detective's assistant's perspective clearly went through four stages—

First, she drifted aimlessly in the sea; then she saw a green stone tablet and rose rapidly; then she dived again and saw a purple stone tablet in the sea; and finally, her consciousness was thrown far away and she saw Miss Mia crying.

In this series of states, the first two stages correspond precisely to Awful's initial foray into the marine environment and its gradual growth and expansion within it. These steps are equally essential if Team Magma intends to establish their own secret base in the ocean. The final stage can be roughly understood as the spores being released to the surface, drifting with ocean currents and monsoons all the way to the shores of the Unova region, finally able to reunite with their beloved Mia. The reason it presents a broad, God-like perspective is because it is originally a product of the integration of countless spore perspectives…

But what does the third stage represent?

As an observer of the dream, Azure has no way of changing the course of the memories within it. So, what factors caused Aya Mushroom's individual perspective to descend again, allowing it to see the stone slab prop that had previously been far away?

Under normal circumstances, Hugo's reasoning might have stalled due to this thorny problem, as if he had entered a dead end.

However, the current situation is quite different—

There are now too many clues laid out before the detectives. It's like a killer committing multiple crimes in a row. In this case, the police don't need to analyze every murder case meticulously. They only need to grasp the clues left by the killer during a particular crime to follow the trail and successfully bring him to justice.

In this series of cases related to the mysterious toxin, Akromma is a collaborating scientist sent by Team Plasma to Team Magma. So, to which faction does Selvilik, whose personal belongings contain the same salt crystals found on the former's Pokémon, belong?

The answer to this question is already obvious.

There is no doubt that he was one of the scientists recruited by Team Lava to participate in experiments.

However, due to some unforeseen event, this "plague scholar" was eventually driven by some terrifying speculation to return to the Unova region alone to spread his self-made fungal antibody, and finally died from an unknown poison.

The Lava Team's poison expert's movements are crystal clear. So, how did another poison expert—"Poison Master" Voodoo—from this same ocean-worshipping organization, as revealed by Team Aqua member Segawa, get involved in the case?

Having reasoned this far, the truth, which was so close at hand, was now crystal clear.

Ultimately, there is no clear evidence to prove that these spores have undergone another dive.

Considering that Ayya Mushroom did not see the green stone slab again in the dream, the original stone slab should not have floated up to the side of the view.

The myriad clues all lead to the same explanation, which also explains why the stone slab's color changed.

The stone slabs left behind by the gods can remain unchanged for thousands of years, so it is impossible for them to suddenly change color.

The only reasonable explanation is that someone brought a second stone slab!

The purple, highly poisonous stone tablet is the perfect counter to the emerald stone tablet held by Team Lava.

The power contained within the stone slab can create land, and it can also destroy it, restoring the sea to its original state.

The organization that planned this operation was, without a doubt, the Marines, who were sworn enemies of the Magma Team. Segawa and Fukuto were the special task force members responsible for carrying out this operation.

A toxicologist paired with a thug is indeed an excellent combination for carrying out such a highly dangerous small-scale mission.

However, judging from satellite aerial photographs, their operation ultimately ended in failure.

Voodoo fled to the Unova region and went into hiding. Judging from his rampage of killing the wild elves he had come into contact with, he likely believed that he was also infected with the same fungal virus that Servilic was guarding against. His indiscriminate killing may simply be to prevent the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, Segawa, unaware of the reason, followed Fukuto to Hiun City, and even when he was arrested, he still did not know about the death of the person he was tracking.

More importantly, neither Futsu nor Segawa, the two members of Team Aqua, were found with any stone tablets on them when they were discovered.

It's impossible for the Flying Cloud Police Department to have kept the evidence hidden from him, the Unova Champion. And even if N, the King of Team Plasma, might have been deceived by his subordinates, he, who can understand the thoughts of Pokémon, would not have overlooked such a prominent Pokémon item as the Arceus Plate.

This means that no one brought the stone slab out of this giant mushroom island.

The two stone tablets that the spores witnessed were actually located in two different places.

At this moment, both the Grass-type and Poison-type stone slabs exist on this island made of Ayam!

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"Hugo, we've dealt with all the enemies on our side. Have you made any discoveries?"

Pachira's broadcasting voice cut through the damp sea breeze and reached the detective's ears. The latter walked cautiously on the soft red fungal carpet, maintaining a safe distance from the other Champions ahead. His gaze swept across the Lava Team base, constantly observing and revising his reasoning.

"The cement around the airport is light in color and has a uniform texture. Moreover, it shows almost no signs of weathering on this windswept island, indicating that it was laid no more than a year ago."

Hugo responded to the Fire-type Elite Four member's question, walking past the Magma Team executives lying sprawled on the ground, and continued his analysis—

"The skin of these lava team members mostly showed signs of short-term sunburn. Although they had many burns, they lacked the bronze or dark brown complexion typical of people who have lived by the sea for a long time. The color difference between the covered and exposed areas was very small, which indicates that they had moved here at most a year or so ago."

"What does this prove?" Champion Karune asked, turning her head as she recalled the Wrestling Hawkman into its Poké Ball.

"Judging from the current size of Agaric, this Pokémon must have grown to the size of an island a long time ago. If Team Magma had planned to build a base here from the beginning, the buildings we see from the sky should have spread outwards in concentric circles from the center, gradually becoming sparser—but that's not the case."

“That’s really strange,” King Lantana chimed in. “For this island in the sea, an important facility like an airport should have been built in the very center of the cap first, but Team Lava built it on the outer edge of the red zone, as if they just remembered to build it.”

"That's right! Exactly!"

Hugo snapped his fingers and immediately realized what was happening—

"Originally, this island was not intended for use as a base! Because the Ayakashi mushrooms that form the island's foundation are constantly growing, any building would collapse within a few years of its construction due to the expansion and deformation of the foundation. However, in the past year, Team Lava has suddenly begun large-scale construction, even preparing to use it as a secret base."

Karuni looked thoughtful: "Does this mean that the growth of the Ayam mushroom has reached its limit? So the island has stopped expanding?"

“If there were limits to its growth, it should have stopped long ago before it reached its current size,” Hugo shook his head in denial. “I’m more inclined to believe that someone stopped the island’s expansion plans a year ago, forcing Team Lava to turn it into a secret base instead.”

"Speaking of all that equipment on this island, like the seawater desalination plant and the wood catalytic workshop, it's obvious that it was looted from the production facilities they destroyed in the Hoenn region not long ago." Dragon-type Elite Four member Genji frowned and sneered. "What secret base? This is clearly a bandit stronghold."

Hugo gazed at the distant horizon and fell into thought once more—Akroma's return to Unova, Team Magma's construction of a secret base, Team Aqua's dispatch of a task force, Mia's onset of strange dreams, Servik's development of a vaccine, and the simultaneous launch of sabotage operations by two extremist groups in Hoenn... all these events occurred within this specific timeframe of one to six months prior.

If they are all dominoes falling one after another, then what is the first domino that triggered this series of problems?

Just then, a deafening roar came from afar.

On the other side of the island, where Champion Steven had drawn fire for their plane's landing, a gigantic Pokémon, enveloped in red light, slowly rose from the sea. Its gaping jaws resembled a guillotine with a sharp blade hanging high, its menacing carapace pierced the waves, and its blue-green limbs were as large as buildings. This enormous Pokémon, with its bloodshot eyes, was like a towering mountain simply by standing there.

"Heh, it seems Team Lava has finally revealed their ace."

Among the five, the Gambler King looked up at the spectacular scene and a smile appeared on his lips.

Chapter 358 The Solution - Though the Tortoise Lives Long

"Although it was just the product of a group of madmen's insane experiments, the scene was still incredibly spectacular."

With the sea breeze tossing his flamboyant hairstyle, Yueju squinted at his eyes, stung by the salty mist, as he watched the colossal beast emerging from the chaotic vortex.

The purplish-red energy surrounding the Gigantamax Turtle resembled boiling magma, steaming the entire ocean into a distorted, otherworldly realm.

With each step it takes, it triggers a deafening roar that shakes the earth, sending towering waves carrying salty, pungent vapors, and countless rocks shattering into dust beneath its thick, hardened, massive hand.

Click, click... The crisp sound of the camera shutter stood out starkly against the roar of the waves.

The Fire Elite Four member from the Carlos region ignored the exclamations of his companions, and simply used his slender fingers to keep pressing the shutter of his portable camera, recording this spectacular sight that was a once-in-a-century event.

Her flight partner, the Arrowhawk, also took to the skies at that moment, carrying an aerial camera.

From the bird's top-down perspective, a gray-blue metal shuttle can be seen flashing wildly at high speed, constantly bombarding the lower limb joints of the sea monster.

After Gigantamaxing, Torterra's body shape changes from being on all fours to standing on two legs, but this does not mean that its exposed knees will become particularly vulnerable.

Just looking at the towering rocks that grow out like a trident on top, and the thick, muscular rock below that is as heavy as a city wall, is enough to make anyone instantly give up the idea of ​​trying to trip it up.

However, Daigo, the champion who is on the front lines of the battle, doesn't seem to think that way.

From the moment the behemoth appeared until this moment, the "Comet Fist" and "Thought Hammer" striking the giant Devouring Turtle continued to flash and intertwine like fireworks during a festival.

While dodging the flailing forelegs of the Tyranitar, the Mega Metagross attacked the giant's legs from all angles, producing a continuous, muffled thud like a torrential downpour.

"It seems that Daigo's teamwork with Metagross has reached a new level. Even with such frequent clashes, he still has the leisure to plan tactics... Hmph, the younger generation is truly formidable, the new generation is surpassing the old."

Genji Tenno put his hands behind his back and stared at the muscular right leg of the Violent Devourer Turtle with a slightly narrowed gaze.

On the part that had been repeatedly attacked by the Metagross, a faint greenish fluorescence began to appear.

"He's probably planning to use the 'grass knot' move."

Lingju shook her head, nodding as if she were a spectator at a gambling table—

"This is a dangerous gamble. Moves like 'Grass Knot,' which target weight, have never been very effective against Dynamaxed Pokémon. Why doesn't this champion believe it?"

"That guy was probably showing off, trying to take down the Berserker Turtle by himself. He even sent a signal earlier telling us to ignore the Crimson Pine and deal with the remaining Lava Team soldiers on the island first. There should be a limit to arrogance."

Genji, twitching his white mustache, said—

"However, against an opponent with such specialized defense, and with so many resistances to Water and Rock types, even Steven could only think of using Grass-type moves that were four times super effective against his opponent's weaknesses."

"It's no use."

Suddenly, Pakila, who had already put down the camera, spoke up.

"That Gigantamax Drednaw hasn't really launched an attack yet. Its current offensive is as weak and feeble as a child just waking up and casually brushing off the dust in front of it. Once it really gets going and starts using Gigantamax moves in this body, will your Champion Steven still be able to set up traps so calmly?"

As if echoing the news anchor's commentary, a loud eagle's cry suddenly rang out above the crowd.

The Arrowhawk seemed to sense danger from afar and began to circle anxiously.

At the same time, the Berserker Turtle, which had just landed on the island's shore, suddenly lit up its bright red eyes without warning.

Suddenly, its previously sluggish movements accelerated several times over. Its massive right arm swung out like a baseball bat, aiming at the gray-blue figure hurtling towards its knee joint, and unleashed some kind of technique!

"Get out of the way!"

Seeing his partner in danger, Steven, who was confronting Red Mulberry with his remaining Pokémon, had to shift his attention and meticulously control Metagross's movements from the ground. However, the leader of Team Magma, who was at a disadvantage, seized the opportunity and used a recovery potion to wake up his several Pokémon that were on the verge of unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, under the trainer's command, Mega Metagross significantly increased its dodging efficiency.

However, just as it was about to dodge the giant claws of the sea monster, countless invisible rocks suddenly appeared in front of this champion ace Pokémon, blocking the air.

"Gigantamax ready!"

This is a move that Dratini can only master after it undergoes Gigantamax!

Sharp rocks, like invisible roadblocks, blocked the air ahead, and the Metagross's speed was clearly slowed down by their surroundings.