Pokémon Detective Case Files.

With a loud bang!

On the island, the giant tortoise shell, which had been wrapped in layers of leaves by the Magical Masked Cat, suddenly exploded.

Gardevoir was launched into the air. Although it managed to stabilize itself using "Psychic", its "Gravity" move could no longer be maintained.

In front of everyone, the Devourer seemed to have used the "Shell" move. Although it released its Gigantamax form, it did not revert to its normal size from its Dynamax form, but instead transformed into its normal Dynamax form.

No... that state can hardly be called "ordinary"!

At this moment, the eyes of the Berserker Turtle became even more bloodshot and red. Its four legs, which had stood up again, rubbed against the ground restlessly, and a deep, muffled growl came from deep in its throat.

Unlike the previous boost from Max Energy, this time the crimson energy surging towards Max Drednaw is like a raging hurricane, showing no signs of slowing down.

As the giant spirit gradually revealed its ferocious expression and howled in pain, its size began to expand again!

"Hey! What did you do?" Pachira demanded sharply of the man in front of her.

"I have removed the power limit of the Dynamax Simulator."

With a blank expression, Crimson Pine calmly retrieved the unconscious Camerupt into its Poké Ball under Houndoom's fangs.

"From now on, that ravenous turtle will continue to expand in size until it completely loses all its physiological functions—don't try to threaten me. This command can only be executed in one direction, and the signal tower and simulation device cannot be stopped midway. No one can stop this from happening!"

"Why did you do this? You've already lost; there's no point in continuing to torture this ferocious turtle!"

"Creating new land is the greatest significance. Only an ever-expanding land can support the ever-growing ambitions of the human race."

A strange light gleamed in the eyes of the Lava Team leader.

"Based on my and Akromar's predictions, given the depth of the seabed here, it will eventually reach the size of a small island—though much smaller than that Oops Mushroom. But indeed, I still prefer the hard ground made of stone to the wicked land made of fungi..."

"Nonsense!" Pachela interrupted Crimson Pine's confession without any politeness. "Your goal is to use the weight of the Berserker Turtle to collapse the umbrella of this giant mushroom island. Only in such a flood will you and your men have a chance to escape from us!"

Crimson Pine avoided the Fire-type Elite Four's gaze and made no response—but this silence was the most irrefutable testimony at this moment.

"You've gone mad! Haven't you considered how many of them will drown in this sea?"

The Fire Elite Four member of the Kalos region stared into the eyes of the Team Magma leader and spoke slowly and deliberately.

Even someone as eloquent and charming as her didn't know what else to say to this madman.

“Every member of the team on this island is ready to give everything for their ideals—at least that’s what they told me.”

Crimson Pine calmly raised his head, his eyes showing no trace of despair or shame. He adjusted his glasses—

"Human survival is inseparable from the land... One day, you will thank me for everything the Lava Team has done."

Outside the tunnel, the deep, agonizing screams of the Berserker Turtle echoed. The Champions and Elite Four members were momentarily at a loss as to how to deal with the situation.

At a loss for what to do—

ding dong...

Just then, a strange sound suddenly rang out in the communication channel of Team Lava's secret base.

Ding dong, ding dong...

A sound like a telephone ringing came from every speaker on the island.

【Uh, hello...is this Aiya Mushroom? Long time no see, it's Mia.】

A woman's timid voice came through the distorted ocean communication. To the tense Red Flame Pine, it sounded utterly magical.

"I...I received your message, and I'm really happy. I miss you and want to see you again...but before that, I'd like to ask you...to do the detective and his team a small favor."

Pachira felt a barely perceptible tremor beneath her feet. Crimson Flame Pine, who had never even heard of the name "Mia," looked utterly bewildered.

Then, the girl who called herself Mia spoke over the loudspeaker to the island beneath their feet—

For the sake of the dignity of life, oh Mushroom, use "Cleanse Smoke" on that Devourer Turtle!

Chapter 359 Solution - Core

The ground suddenly began to tremble.

Whether it was the three Elite Four members present, or the two League Champions, Daigo and Karune, or even the evil leader of the organization, Crimson Pine, only at this moment did everyone realize, in a daze, that the island beneath their feet was not part of the planet's rocky layer, but a real, living entity.

As the distant communication, whether true or false, came to an end, the originally solidified patterns on the surface of the fungal carpet suddenly began to flow, becoming as undulating as the sea surface under a gentle breeze.

The fluctuation was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible when you got close, but if you looked down from high above like Elite Four member Talonflame, you would be surprised to see that the red and white Poké Ball pattern was slowly changing, like a giant in deep thought frowning in confusion.

The slightly trembling umbrella seemed to convey a sense of hesitation, reminiscent of the working cerebral cortex.

There is no doubt that it is thinking.

Immediately afterward, amidst the agonizing howls of the wildly expanding Devouring Turtle, the first wisp of smoke drifted up.

At the same time, in every corner of the giant agaric mushroom cap, countless wisps of smoke slowly drifted out from between the mycelium.

The white mist, like morning vapor, weaves an invisible net in the air, yet carries a refreshing, minty scent.

The thin wisps of smoke merged together, forming a milky white "river." Countless branches converged from all directions, eventually meandering and flowing resolutely towards the location of the Gigantamax Turtle.

.

"It seems that the mushroom's internal consensus has finally been reached..."

The detective in the white coat leaned against the dish antenna support at the top of the signal tower, the shadow of the metal structure enveloping him.

In the distance, a silent battle was raging between a torrent of purplish-black energy and milky-white smoke on the horizon, slowly tearing and devouring each other.

At his feet, the grass turtle and the little fire monkey lay limply, their shells and fur covered in engine oil and stains.

The two little guys really went through a lot to sabotage the sophisticated giant energy amplification device on the tower, almost exhausting all their strength. The Turtwig's leaves drooped listlessly, and the flame behind the Chimchar was reduced to a faint spark.

Nevertheless, their efforts yielded only partial results—the core of the Dynamax device that Team Magma had copied was still operating, as evidenced by the painful roar of the Dratini on the other side of the island.

These little guys attacked the device with all their might, but in the end they only managed to reduce the signal tower's amplification power by less than half, barely enough to allow basic communications to be restored in the surrounding area.

But for Hugo, that was enough.

"Hmm... Judging from the activation pattern of 'Cleansing Smoke,' Ayakashi's behavior is fundamentally different now compared to before it grew up. In the past, no matter what Mia commanded it, Ayakashi would freeze motionless because its thoughts couldn't be unified—but now, 'Cleansing Smoke' can be released from different parts of Ayakashi's body..."

Hugo held the phone he had just hung up the call on, pondering the current physical condition of the mushroom.

In previous communications, he couldn't explain too many details of the case to Dr. Makomo and the others. After all, there were too many external factors involved in the incident. Even setting those aside, he really couldn't make any guarantees to Miss Mia, who was still in Feiyun City, before the facts were ascertained.

Unlike the Gigantamax Turtle, which is affected by Dynamax, is there any possibility that this giant mushroom in the isolated sea will revert to its original form?

This is a very difficult question to answer.

After Hugo and his companions peeled two stone slabs off the Ayak Mushroom, what will become of the island?

Everything has its price. Team Lava and Akromura used cheat-like methods to make that Awful Agaric grow rapidly, but when the show ends and the magician's methods completely fail, who will pay the price?

The detective still couldn't answer these questions, but in Hugo's heart, an ominous premonition was beginning to rise.

"The fact that the skill has multiple release points indicates that under the amplification of the stone slab prop, the initiative of each individual Aiya Mushroom consciousness has been enhanced, to the point that they can even aggregate into smaller behavioral individuals through local hyphal networks—and this can also be seen from the spores that entered Mia's Dream."

The changes in Aurora are undoubtedly caused by some external stimulus. Team Magma, aiming to turn this Pokémon into the foundation of the New World, obviously wouldn't intentionally enhance Aurora's self-awareness. It's somewhat possible that this was the work of Acroma, but that contradicts the mad scientist's research goals of exploring the ultimate potential of Pokémon.

After eliminating all possibilities, there is only one source of this phenomenon—the stone slab in the dream connection that emits a green light.

The Lava Team attempted to enlarge the size of the Oyster Mushroom using stone slabs, and these clusters of mycelium that began to move were a byproduct of this frenzied expansion.

If the Lava Team's base still contained relevant experimental records, this conclusion should be very easy to verify. Unfortunately, all the relevant researchers have now fled, and all the data and documents have been taken away or burned.

It's no wonder they're an extremist group that's been entangled with the Hoenn Alliance for so many years; they're so decisive and efficient in both tactical retreats and destroying evidence.

Despite the fact that the sea base had only been completed recently, the Lava Team was able to make such a resolute choice the moment they were discovered, using the remaining team members and Crimson Pine themselves as bait to cover the team's most important assets—the scientific team and core senior officers—as they left by water.

This iron-willed decisiveness and extraordinary vigilance are reminiscent of the man who once dominated the Kanto region...

"Confusing the concepts of the individual and the whole... I see, is this the method Akromma uses?"

Having finished his contemplation, Hugo straightened up and took one last look at the Gigantamax Turtle, which was gradually returning to its normal size. A realization dawned on him—

Substituting one beam for another, or generalizing from a single instance.

They use principles to obscure the essence and use phenomena to conceal the truth.

This is the core trick Team Lava used to fool the stone tablet props...

"That's how it is."

He let out a long sigh, almost like a groan.

Following the toppled dominoes, the detective finally stumbled upon the true source of the whole incident.

It's such a slow start; he should have realized this as soon as he discovered the case was related to the mushroom.

Why would Akromar be so fond of this Ayya Mushroom who suffers from multiple personality disorder?

Why was the Ayak Mushroom able to survive the Lava Team's almost insane experiments and successfully thrive in the unfamiliar seawater environment?

Why did the second stone tablet brought by the Water Fleet cause anomalies in the dream world?

Why did Team Magma abandon their plans to continue expanding on land a year ago and instead build a base on the umbrella of the Awful Gymnocalycium?

Why would two toxicologists coincidentally travel to Unova, thousands of miles away, and both die there from some unknown toxin?

Why did Miss Mia also start having strange dreams shortly after that?

What exactly did Servilik tell Akroma that made the scholar set aside his scientist's pride and have the idea of ​​taking the initiative to tell the league champion about the contents of the experiment?

Answering these questions does not require extraordinary imagination, nor does it require observation or inspiration beyond the common sense.

By carefully extracting the most crucial core of the entire incident, the twists and turns in this series of events will be resolved as easily as dominoes falling.

The sea breeze howled past, carrying a salty scent that brushed against Hugo's cheeks, reminding the detective of the salt sand between the seams of Selvilik's suitcase.

No wonder the police couldn't find any trace of sand or gravel from the beach. The top of this mushroom was covered with an endless, neat carpet of fungus. Team Lava only started building their secret base a year ago; before that, they hadn't even built any houses. Akroma and Servilik, who had left Mushroom Island at that time, certainly couldn't have come into contact with the sand and dust from the mainland.

Looking back now, the monster that Akromama carried was most likely also a participant in this experiment, responsible for using its superpowers to monitor and control Aya Mushroom's mental state.

In preparation for his meeting with the champion, the scholar wanted to use the Pokémon to increase the persuasiveness of the conversation, so he carried it with him as a witness and evidence.

The reason why this Psychic-type Pokémon behaved so dull and silent was probably due to the aftereffects of spending a long time distracted by monitoring the consciousness of every mycelium in the experimental subject.

For Team Magma, this is a necessary safety measure. After all, if they fail to properly appease the earth and cause it to turn against them, resulting in the deaths of the members who participated in the experiment, Team Magma would be completely unable to hold their heads high in the underground world.

In the distance, the purple light of immense energy gradually dissipated under the shroud of white smoke. The "Cleansing Smoke," capable of resetting all ability changes, completely suppressed the expanding size of the Berserker Turtle, and the latter's mournful roar finally ceased.

At the same moment, Crimson Pine, escorted by King Pachira, was brought before the two league champions.

Although the distance was too great for Hugo to see the details clearly, judging from the situation he had observed earlier, the leader of Team Magma would likely end up being escorted back to the Hoenn region and imprisoned along with the other arrested members by Daigo and Genji.

Ironically, compared to the aggressive Team Aqua and Team Plasma in the Unova region, Team Magma's actions over the years have indeed seemed rather "small-scale."

Perhaps due to their focus on marine research projects, apart from a few recent acts of vandalism against public facilities, this organization has hardly committed any major crimes in the Hoenn region in recent years.

In essence, setting aside their label as an extreme environmental organization, Team Lava is no different from those thugs who incite disturbances.

Due to the influence of the organization's leader's personal style, Team Magma's control over its members is even stricter than Team Aqua's, which makes their members relatively restrained in their actions. If the Hoenn League were to truly pursue Crimson Pine's crimes and seek a serious charge, it would likely require a great deal of effort.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that Team Lava does not actually have any hidden dark side.

"Get up, it's time to reunite with Karuni and the others."

The detective in the white coat urged the two beginner Pokémon beside him to start walking towards the stairs of the signal tower.

Just then, a melodious yet strange bell sound, like the friction of metal, rang out beside Hugo.

"Is it a Douzi?"

The detective glanced at the lit-up phone screen, a look of surprise on his face. Wasn't this landlady busy with Hei Lian and Bai Lu's class reunion? Why would she call at this hour?

He dialed the number casually, and immediately the urgent voice of a girl with a high ponytail came from the other end—

"Hugo, Akromá has woken up!"

Chapter 360 Solution - Q&A

"Champion Hugo, it's a pity to meet you again in such an unseemly state."

Sitting on the hospital bed, Akromar held a bowl of oatmeal porridge and had a weak video conversation with the detective. The blue and white striped hospital gown issued by the Alliance made his face look even paler.

In the empty Alliance ward, the Plasma Group scientist stirred cereal soaking in hot milk with a spoon, giving the detective on the other side of the camera a frank, listless smile—

"I've heard all the details of Lionel's crime from this champion agent. I'm deeply grateful to you for saving me from the brink of death by the 'Impairing Dragon's Spell' and for apprehending the real culprit."

"You should thank the emergency medical staff at the Alliance Medical Department. If it were me, I would have given up on treatment long ago after seeing a victim like that."

Hugo shrugged at his phone, neither confirming nor denying.