Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"What do you mean?" The plasma cluster scientist was not offended by this, but continued to ask without changing his expression.

"Before Voodoo joined Team Aqua, he was a trainer who aspired to challenge the Hoenn League, but he went astray on the path of raising Poison-type Pokémon. He began to slaughter wild Pokémon in a barbaric way, using the so-called 'poison testing' method, in an attempt to break through the limits of Poison-type moves. In Acromor's words, this might be called 'exploring the limits that Poison-type can achieve'."

“Foolish prejudice.” Akromar scoffed, commenting dismissively, “Without analyzing the toxicological components, using empiricism to eliminate the correct answer countless times, even if you try and fail to the end of the universe, you will never even touch the surface of the truth.”

"Regardless of the method or how sophisticated it may be, it is undeniable that what Voodoo is pursuing is the 'limit of poison,' which is the same as your research goal. Now, please put yourself in his shoes and think about it."

Hugo gently tapped his temples—

"What would you think if one day you suddenly discovered that the answer you've been searching for your whole life had already been achieved by your own hands, and that you were the one who pressed the stop button on the experiment?"

Akromma opened her mouth, but ultimately did not answer the question.

Hugo then added a condition to the problem—

"And ironically, at the same time, the experimental product you created demonstrated its inherent power. The moment your creation was born, it sentenced you, its creator, to death. The hourglass of life began to flow backward, and the second hand of the end was ticking with your heartbeat. But at this moment, you still have a chance—a chance to pilot that submarine that can only be operated by one person to the nearest land with the ocean current, where you can witness the moment your 'ultimate' descends into the world."

"You mean, Voodoo went to live in seclusion in the Unova region to witness the outbreak of the Ayak-like virus firsthand?"

Akromar's pupils contracted slightly behind his lenses, his expression shifting between surprise and realization.

Hugo's gaze was as sharp as a knife: "Some people want to save the world before they die, while others will try to take the world down with them."

He paused for a moment, allowing the weight of his words to settle—

"But Voodoo's madness went far beyond that. When he witnessed the astonishing scale of Agaric's release of spores, he feared that his whereabouts in Unova would prematurely expose the spread of the virus, giving the League a chance to take precautions. To this end, he transformed into Death, slaughtering all wild Pokémon along the way that might be carrying spores."

The detective's voice gradually lowered: "In the cave of the Tourmaline Cave, he guarded the radio that had been unloaded from the submarine—or perhaps other communication devices he carried on his person. In any case, he waited day after day for the end of the world to come—but after half a year, what he got was not the destruction of the world, but the pursuers of Team Plasma."

“Things that don’t exist can’t come to pass. Even if that virus really existed, Servilik would probably have already developed a vaccine for it. But so much time has passed, wouldn’t Volu realize that he wasn’t actually poisoned at all?”

The scholar's glasses flashed with a cold light, and his doubts were already out of his mouth.

Hugo shrugged again.

"Imagine this: huddled in a dark cave all day, surviving on compressed food, with only a poison-type elf whose mind is also being corrupted by fear spores. In this extreme mental state, this 'poison mage' would probably have long lost the ability to make rational judgments, and his madness would probably be even greater than before."

“How pathetic.” Akroma shook his head, a rare hint of pity in his voice—

"Under such mental and physical exhaustion, having to evade the pursuit of Team Plasma, and at the same time having to kill every wild Pokémon he saw on the roadside without exception, running around half of the Unova region like this, even a normal person would be exhausted to death."

"Judging from Voodoo's past misdeeds, perhaps he derived some kind of twisted pleasure from slaughtering elves. This morbid satisfaction formed a tragic closed loop with his obsession with protecting the 'poison of destruction'—he was willing to push himself to the limit in order to witness the apocalyptic scene of poisoning the entire world. Even if he couldn't see that moment arrive with his own eyes, he wanted to ensure the end of the world came..."

The detective abruptly stopped speaking, a rare look of confusion appearing on his face.

"To be honest," he sighed softly, "although I can piece together the logic behind his behavior, his extremely obsessive inner world ultimately exceeds the boundaries of normal human thinking."

The sea breeze howled past, and the steel frame of the signal tower emitted an ominous hum. Hugo subconsciously pulled the collar of his white coat, which had been ruffled by the wind, tighter.

"Let's leave the discussion about the psychology of the deceased here."

Akromma crossed his arms, his gaze behind his glasses as sharp as the beak of a pheasant—

"Champion Hugo, by now you must have a complete grasp of the ins and outs of the Mushroom Island incident. Judging from your current posture, you should have already taken complete control of the entire island, right? Finding the emerald green slab and the poisonous slab hidden on the island is only a matter of time for you."

The scholar's voice carried a hint of probing: "So, now that things have come to this, why do you still insist on giving me, a patient far away in United States, a long and arduous lecture?"

“Because there’s one last question.” Hugo looked directly into the other’s eyes, the sea breeze ruffling his dark hair. “Regarding this question, perhaps only you in the world can provide the answer—”

His voice suddenly became incredibly clear—

How do I restore the Oops Mushroom to its original state?

Chapter 362 Epilogue - Aftermath

As dusk fell, the spherical operating platform slowly emerged from the sea amidst the white waves. The glass reflected the setting sun, and at first glance, it resembled a pearl spat out by the ocean.

Elite Four member Genji opened the transparent hatch, lifted the badly worn Poké Ball, and retrieved Kingdra, which was still manipulating the ocean currents outside the platform, back into the Poké Ball. The red light emitted as the Poké Ball closed traced a fleeting path on the sea surface.

"The documents inside have been completely taken away," the old captain shouted to Detective Hugo on the shore, his voice booming through the waves. "Besides those complicated instruments and equipment, not a single suspicious item was found."

"Was it moved away...?"

Hugo muttered something, then spread his arms wide, making a clear "Y" sign to Genji to indicate that they could go ashore. His gaze pierced through the glass, scrutinizing the peculiar device that had once been used to repeatedly activate the Arceus Slab's energy.

"Hmm... that makes sense. After all, since Team Lava started large-scale base construction, these devices used to catalyze the growth of Aya mushrooms have become obsolete. Given Crimson Pine's shrewdness, it's impossible for him to leave the precious stone tablets here any longer."

"Where are these damned stone slabs now?"

Genji jumped onto the shore made of red fungal caps, the fungal carpet sinking slightly into the soles of his boots, making a soft, springy sound.

“I should have thought of this sooner, but it’s not too late now.” Hugo shook his head and said, “The one in charge of monitoring Crimson Pine now should be Elite Four member, right? Let him check the Pokémon carried by that organization leader.”

Genji frowned: "The stone slab is on the Crimson Flame Pine?"

"Since the sea base is about to be abandoned, there's no point in hiding the stone tablet somewhere on Ayam Island anymore. And given Crimson's personality, he's more likely to use it to enhance his own Pokémon's strength than to entrust it to his fleeing subordinates—after all, the leader needs to stay behind to cover the retreating team."

At this point, the detective's smile deepened. Bringing so many people to the island was definitely the right decision—

"That Lava Team leader probably never imagined that he, who had laid out so many trump cards and backup plans on the island, would be captured by the Alliance during the rearguard action."

.

The search results did not deviate from the detective's expectations once again.

Among the Pokémon that Crimson Mist has been holding, Cranberry found the hidden Emerald Slate and Toxic Slate on Torkoal and Weezing respectively.

"Daigo really had a tough time back then."

Looking at the two ancient stone slabs placed on the table, the gambler who came out of the detention cell shrugged and said.

"On one hand, we have to deal with the Dynamaxed Drednaw, and on the other hand, we have to deal with the interference from Pokémon carrying these items. If I remember correctly, Redflame also has a Camerupt that can Mega Evolve, right?"

"Ordinary Pokémon cannot unleash the true power of the Slate. Even the type-matching Weezing is limited, let alone Torkoal carrying a Grass-type Slate. With the boost from the Emerald Slate, it can only unleash a few more powerful Solar Beams under Sunny Day conditions."

Hugo picked up the two stone slabs on the table and expertly flipped them over repeatedly to check their authenticity.

On the other side, Blueberry couldn't help but glance sideways: "That's a highly poisonous stone slab! Didn't you say it killed two poison experts? Won't it cause any problems if you just touch it with your bare hands?"

"Although the energy buried in the Arceus Slab is enormous, its structure is very stable."

The detective didn't seem to care, and held the stone tablet up to the light to check its translucency—when he found the Dragon Stone Tablet last time, he didn't have this much authority. Although it still had to be handed over to the Alliance later, it was quite an accomplishment to handle it now.

"Don't worry. These stone slabs are safe. Without a madman like Acromantula stirring things up, it's impossible for them to cause an anomaly of the scale of Agaric. As for when they're not worn by Pokémon, they pose even less of a threat to humans."

Watching the Unova League champion casually playing with the two dangerous items, the Dark-type Elite Four member still looked worried.

The detective, however, boldly tapped the two stone slabs together, but nothing unusual happened... This was to be expected, as the legendary Arceus was said to wear eighteen stone slabs on his body every day. If any two of them were to collide, they would explode or cause some kind of anomaly. How would that leave the face of the god?

"But the locations of the Arceus Slabs are often accompanied by some strange natural wonders. Just like when the ice-elemental icicle slabs were discovered on the twin islands of Kanto, people saw a huge, bottomless ice cave nearby. Detective Hugo, how do you explain such phenomena?"

A gentle voice came from outside the door, and Daigo, dressed in a well-tailored suit, walked into the room, looking at the two stone slabs in Hugo's hands with great interest.

"Is the Alliance ship transporting the Lava Team prisoners finally arriving?"

Hugo put down the stone slab, suppressing his playful mood, and asked.

"Yes, the first escort ships should arrive in the nearby waters before sunset. This area is remote, and we wanted to ask Interpol for assistance, but they are busy with other cases. Therefore, the Hoenn Alliance has to take full responsibility, which has caused some delays."

The Hoenn champion stood across the table from the detective and spoke apologetically.

"No, no, this speed is already quite remarkable." Hugo quickly waved his hand. "To be able to react so quickly within the League's procedures, Champion Daigo, you must have used the power of Devon Corporation, right?"

"Leaving that aside, what were Mr. Hugo's thoughts on the unusual phenomena that often accompanied the discovery of stone slabs?"

Daigo coughed lightly, pretending to be nonchalant as he changed the subject.

"I think it's just a purely natural phenomenon, like water dripping on a stone."

Without hesitation, Hugo pointed to the emerald green stone slab—

"Just like this grass-attribute stone slab, if it were scattered in some soil on land, its effect in the short term would only be to make the grass in less than one square meter more lush—but what if we extend this time span to decades or even hundreds of years?"

"Will it expand into a forest?" Daigo guessed. "The ever-growing plants will accumulate a lot of humus, eventually making the soil in a large area around fertile. But that alone shouldn't be considered a spectacle."

"You've overlooked the Pokémon factor. In my opinion, it will give rise to a vast sea of ​​trees."

Hugo raised his finger and shook it from side to side.

"Fertile soil attracts Oddish and Mushroom, while lush lawns and trees attract Bug-type Pokémon, which in turn attract more Pokémon like Grovyle and Victreebel... forming a complete ecological cycle. The Emerald Slate, as an inexhaustible source of energy, helps these Pokémon survive droughts and cold over the long years. The presence of these Pokémon also increases the energy accumulated in the forest itself, ultimately causing the forest you mentioned to outcompete other ecosystems that are frequently weakened by Pokémon migrations caused by disasters in the struggle for survival, thus becoming a unique ecological landscape in the area."

However, this still didn't take into account the possibility of the stone tablet being claimed by a legendary Pokémon—the detective added, "If a powerful Pokémon were to get involved, the scale of the phenomenon would be even larger."

“I see.” Champion Daigo nodded in agreement. “That makes perfect sense. Anything rich in energy will inevitably affect its surroundings; the only difference is when…”

At this point, the young master of the Devon company stopped talking.

Hugo noticed his concern and bluntly pointed it out: "Is Champion Daigo worried about the impact of the Ayakashi on the nearby ecosystem?"

The Hoenn champion sighed softly, his lapis lazuli eyes dimming slightly.

“There was a very serious failed project in the Hoenn region. An energy company that was once on par with Devon Corporation planned to build a huge seabed energy harvesting platform in the waters near Hoenn, but it was eventually halted due to the environmental problems that the project might cause. The company went bankrupt as a result, which in turn led to even more serious social problems.”

"Are you referring to the Corydalis incident?" Hugo, who frequently reads newspapers, was familiar with these past events; the company seemed to be called the Corydalis Corporation.

"I remember that although the project was abandoned, before the facilities were dismantled, someone discovered that the place had a unique ecological environment, so it was preserved as a nature reserve. Now it has become a tourist attraction with special scenery, and it is also regarded as a beautiful story."

"It was just a temporary crisis management tactic to divert attention from the main issue at the time."

The heir to Devon Corporation shook his head. So many years had passed, and the company involved was still Devon's former rival; clearly, there was no point in keeping it a secret.

"The reason that abandoned facility was able to blend harmoniously into the local ecosystem is largely because the seabed energy extraction platform was not officially put into operation. In fact, according to today's scientific investigation, if that project were to start large-scale extraction of seabed resources, it would inevitably lead to extremely serious chemical pollution and ecosystem damage, and might even completely change the underground structure of that sea area—this is not a problem that can be taken lightly for the Hoenn region, which is frequently affected by earthquakes and tsunamis."

"Are you worried that this 'little guy' might cause similar problems?" A gambler tapped the ground with his toe.

“Emotionally, I’m reluctant to view Agaric as an environmental hazard, but it is, after all, a consequence of illegal organizations in the Hoenn region, and as the Champion, I need to take responsibility for it,” Daigo said solemnly.

"Based on Mr. Hugo's previously published reasoning, this Pokémon's ability has changed from 'Regeneration,' which causes it to continuously grow larger, to 'Spore,' which allows it to actively release spores into the environment. No one can predict the chain reaction that will ultimately lead to. In the worst-case scenario, it might even breed the apocalyptic virus that those two toxicologists imagined… I know this is nothing short of a fantasy, but in any case, leaving this Awful here to fend for itself is clearly not a reasonable solution."

"What should we do now?" The Dark-type Champion shifted his gaze to the champion of his own league.

Speaking of which, Aurora is originally a Pokémon from the Unova region, and it was brought to this sea by members of an illegal organization in the Unova region called Acromorium. In terms of responsibility and obligation, Hugo, the new champion of the Unova region, is also inextricably linked to it.

Following the gazes of the two people in the room, the detective's expression remained unchanged.

So what do you want to do about this tragic and enormous life that has become a sacrifice for the Lava Team's experiments...? Hugo didn't voice these harsh dilemmas, because he had already prepared a solution for the situation.

"This matter is not difficult to resolve. Just like the nature reserve that was preserved in the case of the Corydalis, even if it is called a stopgap measure to cover up the truth, at least this Aiya Mushroom still has a chance to be reborn."

Hugo sat down in a chair at the table and said in a relaxed tone—

"In fact, Karuni, Pachira, and Miss Fenglu have already begun preparations for this matter."

“I remember those ladies went to the cell tower…” Yueju looked thoughtful. “What are you planning to do?”

"Just wait and see. This method of handling things might be a bit... shocking, and it can only be carried out after all the Lava Team prisoners have been escorted onto the ship," Detective Hugo said, leaning back in his chair with a confident expression.

On the sea horizon outside the window, the tower-shaped masts of the Alliance escort ships were already faintly visible.

Chapter 363 Epilogue - Final Performance

The sea was as calm as a perfectly ironed blue-gray tablecloth, on which a modified cargo ship bearing the Hoenn Alliance flag was slowly sailing away from the island.

Needless to say, these ships were packed full of Lava Team members captured at the secret base.

Although many of the high-ranking officers of Team Magma had already fled the island before this, considering the speed of the escort ship, these unfortunate soldiers on board might return to Hoenn before the so-called "elite" who were struggling to cross the seabed. Thinking of this, the prisoners held together all showed bitter smiles.

The sailors on deck were completely unaware of the commotion inside the cabin. Due to the Alliance's information control measures, most of the crew members responsible for operating the cargo ship were unaware of the mission they were carrying out and had no idea how much of a commotion the "cargo" they were transporting would cause in the Hoenn region.

At this moment, if these sailors were to talk to each other, they would most likely focus their conversation on the strangely shaped "island" in front of them, wondering why the island was half red and half white, like a deliberately created Poké Ball.

As for the truth about the true nature of the mushroom, there wasn't a single person who realized it.

Meanwhile, the group of five, who traveled in the jet "Tornado," along with two Hoenn League associates, Gou and Genji, finally gathered together for the first time under the signal tower in the center of the Agar.io cap.

Everyone turned to look at Hugo, waiting for the initiator of this raid to deliver his final closing statement.

The detective in the white jacket, who was attracting everyone's attention, turned his gaze to the Wind and Dew Pavilion Master, who seemed a bit out of place among the champions: "How's the situation at the signal tower?"

"The repairs are complete, and all the marked machine nodes have been adjusted according to the diagram you provided, but—"

While stretching his shoulder joints, the Flying-type Gym Leader of the Unova region raised his voice and said, "Champion Hugo, let me make this solemnly clear: although I can pilot airplanes and perform routine checks, it is absolutely not the job of a Flying-type Gym Leader to use a wrench to repair machines and circuits."

"Thank you for your hard work. But you're not fighting alone on the cell tower, are you? Aren't there other people helping you?"

Seeing the weariness between Miss Fenglu's brows, Hugo asked with some surprise.

"Let's leave aside the fact that Champion Karuni has other tasks, and this Miss Pachira, who claims to be a professional news anchor, is completely useless."

Miss Fenglu turned to Paqira standing beside her, her cheeks puffing out like an electrified flying squirrel, and began to berate her without any restraint—

"She works at a TV station, yet she can't even adjust the frequency of a radio transmitter! Not only was she useless, she almost burned through the control room's wiring with 'Flamethrower'!" She became increasingly agitated, gesturing with her fingers in the air. "And the Champion too! Even if it was an emergency shutdown of the signal tower, directly using a Pokémon on delicate equipment was far too brutal! Especially considering we still need to repair it!"

Hugo could only offer an apologetic, bitter smile.