Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"According to the information you relayed via mobile phone, those league personnel who had contact with him during his hospitalization in Akromma have been apprehended," she reported urgently. "One of them attempted to resist but was subdued on the spot. Champion Hugo, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Hugo calmly straightened the collar of his white coat. "However, starting today, the League's security department will probably have to work overtime. The cleanup of the explosion will also be handled by you. I think with Gardevoir keeping an eye on things, the damage shouldn't have spread outside this ward."

"Aren't you worried about your safety?" Karuni asked Hugo with concern.

This is actually the same question that everyone else present wanted to ask.

“No league champion in the world would be afraid of this level of threat, and I am no exception.”

The detective said casually.

"The reason why Ghetsis said I was unworthy of the title was because he saw that I did not have a powerful Pokémon like Gardevoir with me. If faced with a sudden attack from Team Plasma, I might not be able to protect myself in time. But this problem is actually very easy to solve."

He patted the Poké Balls at his waist. Besides the Poké Balls containing Chimchar and Turtwig, one of the original solid metal Poké Balls had been replaced without him noticing.

"I'm not bad at making friends. If it's just a matter of temporarily borrowing a Pokémon, I believe that whether it's you, Ms. Karen, Mr. Steven from the Hoenn region, or even Mr. Alder, who is currently living a leisurely life at the Sudowood Ranch, they would all be happy to send a Pokémon to assist me."

He chuckled. "However, when it comes to guarding the Unova Champion, I think this guy is the most suitable. He has a bit of a temper, but if you weren't here just now, I think he would have stepped in to help me."

The detective held up the Poké Ball.

Within that, Garchomp opened its golden dragon eyes.

.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in the Hoenn Sea, a black submarine surfaced at the site of Team Magma's secret base.

The rolling waves crashed against the submarine's hard armor, producing a dull echo.

A man wearing a dark trench coat, with his face concealed by sunglasses and a black-brimmed hat, walked onto the deck and silently gazed down at the boundless sea.

After a while, a short-haired woman who looked like a secretary came up and handed the man a tablet.

"The news has been confirmed by the Aqua Fleet. The secret base of Team Magma in this area has been wiped out by the Hoenn League. A large number of Team Magma members, including Red Pine, have been arrested. The escort fleet is expected to arrive at Kaina Port this evening."

The man casually swiped his fingers across the tablet, and after browsing the intelligence content, he returned it with little interest.

"The overall situation is pretty much as expected, but it was a bit unexpected that Crimson Pine himself would be captured by the Alliance. Did something unexpected happen?"

"I heard that they received assistance from an external alliance. Now that the Hoenn TV station has lost its information window, the accuracy of the intelligence they receive is much lower than before."

The secretary adjusted her glasses, her voice calm and professional.

"Besides, Archie and the others seem to be preparing to launch an attack on Mt. Dew, which contains a certain treasure, while the Hoenn Champion is away from home. Do we need to provide assistance? Or should we take this opportunity to do Team Magma a favor?"

"When the snipe and the clam fight, it's utterly foolish." A cold smile appeared on the man's stone-carved face. "They haven't even dealt with their common enemy, the Elf Alliance, yet they've already started fighting amongst themselves. We don't have time to get involved in such childish games."

The secretary hesitated for a moment, then mustered her courage and asked, "Could you please tell me your views on the future situation in the Hoenn region? Understanding the trend of the situation there in advance will help the Hoenn intelligence gathering department to make preparations."

"Regardless of whether Crimson Pine is captured or not, Team Lava can still linger on for a while longer. That organization hasn't truly reached its end yet. As for Team Aqua, if their plan on Mount Sacred Mountain succeeds this time, that's fine. But if they stumble, that organization is very likely to turn its attention overseas, just like us, and we need to pay close attention to them."

"You mean their relationship with the Plasma Group in the United States?" The secretary's eyes flashed behind his glasses.

"Arrow is far more petty than he appears. Now that his identity has been exposed by the Unova police, he will definitely try to get revenge. The reason we were able to make a deal with them this time was precisely because we took advantage of his deep-seated hatred for Team Magma and Red Pine. If he had to choose between fulfilling his own wishes and destroying Team Magma, he would choose the latter without hesitation—that's just the kind of person he is."

"Ah, speaking of this transaction, the Poisonous Stone Tablets we exchanged with Team Aqua have now fallen into the hands of the Hoenn Alliance. Should we formulate a follow-up recovery plan?"

“There’s no need,” the man replied. “We’re not the Water Tree. We shouldn’t be clinging to the price we’ve already paid. We just need to ensure that every transaction yields a tangible return. The meteorite samples that the Water Fleet secretly stole from the Devon Corporation through their sabotage operation are the focus of our future research. We need to prioritize.”

"Yes!"

Seeing that the man had finished arranging things and turned his gaze back to the distant sea, the secretary bowed and quickly took her leave, leaving the man alone on the empty submarine deck.

On the distant sea, a flock of long-winged gulls circled and chased the waves. Dense schools of fish could be vaguely seen swimming underwater. The biodiversity in this area was more concentrated than in other places, perhaps attracted by the energy emitted by the evolution of the giant mushroom island a while ago.

For some reason, the man recalled the scene when he obtained the poisonous stone slab.

After having a daughter, the ninja who had now become the king of the alliance handed over his ancestral treasure as a token of his determination in order to completely break free from the shackles of the criminal world and his family's rules... His obsequious appearance was truly unbearable to witness.

“Once a person has offspring, their thoughts change… Ha, it’s really absurd.” The man said as if talking to himself, “However, I can’t completely fail to understand it.”

Questions like "What choice would I make if I were faced with the same situation?" are never something men need to consider.

To seize everything with one's own hands—spirits, wealth, power, status… even the entire world—that is what men pursue.

Weak areas should be covered with armor, and vulnerable links should be mercilessly cut off.

This world doesn't care about ideals or reality, nor about justice or evil; only the strong will prevail, and this is the principle by which the world operates.

He turned around, took off his sunglasses, and looked in the direction of Guandu. His trench coat billowed behind him, casting a large shadow like a black flag.

"One day I will return there, with unprecedented elves, unprecedented strategies, unprecedented allies, and... unprecedented power!"

On aboard a submarine amidst this endless blue expanse, a stain on the world.

The leader of the Rockets.

The man feared and called "Sakaki of the Earth".

A declaration is made in response to destiny.

Chapter 366 Green Mountains Beyond

On the express train to Sanyo City, Azure saw a rather strange person.

He was a man of considerable size, who, despite sitting in the same expensive first-class carriage as me, occupied two adjacent seats by himself, looking like a small mountain. Despite his enormous size, he wore a well-tailored suit, clearly made of high-end custom-made materials.

The man was frowning and speaking softly into his phone. Although he was angry, he maintained basic rationality and kept his voice at a level that wouldn't disturb others.

This person is no ordinary person—that's what the detective's intuition told Azure just by seeing his back from a distance.

"But I'm getting off at the next stop, so I probably won't cross paths with that person."

As Azure was thinking this, she saw the huge man again on the platform where she got off the train.

"...What do you mean by an unexpected situation? Do you know how valuable my time is? You should know that our work never accepts any investigation methods other than booking the entire venue."

Perhaps because he had left the train carriage, the man, who was nearly two meters tall and probably weighed around 300 kilograms, spoke much louder into the phone. Although he tried his best to remain composed, you could see that his thick neck had turned red from the effort.

I retract my previous judgment.

Azure quietly shook her head at the Eevee that jumped out of the Poké Ball. Seems like a demanding boss—she'd seen far too many like him.

Since taking over the detective agency, Bilan has encountered many self-righteous clients who, despite being completely incompetent, always like to criticize her, a professional detective who has passed the exams.

However, the situation of the man in front of us who looks like Snorlax seems a little different?

"They actually asked me if I was comfortable dining with others and if we needed to add two more guests? Are you kidding me? Are you looking down on our magazine?"

The giant stamped his feet impatiently, and the ground seemed to tremble in response.

"Rules are rules. Even at the most upscale members-only restaurant in Raven City, we have to adhere to this standard, let alone a restaurant that was just converted from a Pokémon Gym. They insist on having the entire place to myself, even a private room isn't acceptable, as that would slow down the restaurant's food preparation! I'm giving you one last ten minutes to contact that restaurant and reiterate our demands..."

The detective's ears twitched, as if she had heard some information that could not be ignored.

“Listen, they need to understand how valuable the opportunity they’re missing is. No matter how distinguished the two additional guests are, the chief editor of *Flying Cloud Gourmet Exploration* carries far more weight than them. We’ve already invested space in them; we can’t invest any more time!”

She was indeed no match for this "big shot" in terms of importance... Azure swallowed hard, realizing she could no longer stand idly by.

Seeing that the man had hung up the phone and was looking around for a bench where he could sit, she strode up to him and blocked his way.

"Sir, are you planning to go to the Sanyo Gym in Sanyo City?"

The man cast a wall-like shadow in front of Azure, his eyes, which looked tiny in his enormous face, narrowed slightly as he scanned Azure, who was holding Eevee, from top to bottom as if he were assessing merchandise.

"I'm so sorry, I overheard the phone call behind you," the detective explained before he could speak, "but I hope you can reconsider this matter."

"You're a trainer? Do you have some connection with the three gym leaders of that shop?"

The enormous man raised his layered chin, and he keenly discerned Azure's past profession, but his subsequent reasoning was completely wrong.

“No, I don’t know any of the Gym Leaders in Sanyo City, but…” Miss Azure winked mysteriously, “I just think that if the editor refuses to visit the Sanyo Gym today, he will probably regret it later.”

"A pity?" The man looked at Bilan with confusion, then gave up thinking and asked directly in the most efficient way, "Who exactly are you? Why do you say that?"

Azure took a deep breath: "My name is Azure, and I'm a detective from Hugo Detective Agency in Flying Cloud City. I received a personal request from the Unova League Champion to come here and evaluate the future development plan of the Trisolaran Gym... which is one of the 'two additional guests' you mentioned on the phone."

“I see.” The editor touched his neck, which was slightly sweaty in the sunlight. “Is it that agency with the prominent sign in Feiyun City? It’s strange that the league would entrust this kind of evaluation work to an outsider. Is it because the newly appointed champion harbors resentment towards his subordinates?”

Miss Detective really wanted to tell the other party that the so-called new league champion was Detective Hugo from her own agency, but at this moment she could only remain silent.

Her demeanor was interpreted by the man as a sign of keeping her confidentiality.

"Forget it, I don't like getting involved in those political squabbles anyway, so I won't pry. I'm sorry, young lady, for making you come all this way for nothing. Could you please come to the Sanyo Dojo another day to conduct the evaluation?"

The man politely bowed to Bilan, which, given the enormous weight he was carrying, was a sign of utmost sincerity.

"My name is Guskaf."

He took a small brown business card from his suit pocket and handed it to Bilan with one hand.

"You may have heard about my profession just now: I'm a food critic, and currently the chief editor of 'Flying Cloud Food Exploration,' the most famous food magazine in the Unova region. I consider myself to be doing an excellent job, so I'll probably continue working here until the magazine goes out of business. If you're ever struggling to find something edible, you can give this call a try—though I might not have time."

Upon hearing the word "food," Eevee's little ears twitched, and it curiously fiddled with the edge of the business card with its paw.

Azure then handed the firm's business card to Guscalf in return.

"If you encounter any infidelity investigations, missing persons or pets, crime evidence collection... well, in short, any case related to detective work, you can consult our agency—as long as you bring enough commission fees."

"A detective..." The man held up the business card, examined it for a moment, hesitated, and then put it in his pocket. "Although I already know your agency's address, I still accept it with gratitude. I hope I'll never need it."

What concerns did Guskaf have?

Azure looked puzzled, but ultimately focused her attention on the matter at hand: "Regarding the Sanyo Dojo, I regret that I cannot decide my own itinerary on my own. May I ask, Editor, why are you so insistent on booking the entire venue for a meal?"

"You should know that the prices of dishes at high-end restaurants like the Sanyo Dojo brothers' restaurants actually far exceed the cost of the raw materials and the chefs' labor?"

“Yes.” The detective nodded. “Although I don’t know much about the food industry, I still have this level of common sense.”

"The extra aspects largely come from elements that the palate cannot perceive, such as service, cultural value, and dining atmosphere. Therefore, a food critic must also be a connoisseur, making an objective and unbiased judgment on all of the above conditions without any external interference when evaluating fine restaurants."

Guscalf tried to straighten his back, transforming himself from a bloated diner into a professional critic—

"However, if there are other guests around while dining, their words, expressions, actions, and the likes and dislikes they show can easily have a biased influence on the judge—so I have to avoid these distractions."

"But in reality, it's impossible for customers to dine in a private room every day. Can such reviews really represent the feelings of ordinary customers?"

Azure and Eevee in her arms both frowned—the latter simply because she had just discovered that the business card was inedible.

"When magazines review restaurants, there are of course undercover investigators who mingle among the customers to evaluate the restaurant's service quality and speed of serving food—but that's not my job."

The food editor, resembling a Snorlax, arrogantly raised his head. "My reviews and I are only responsible for judging the restaurant as close to perfection as possible. For those gourmets who travel around tasting delicious food, the ceiling of a restaurant is more meaningful than the average."

“I understand what you’re thinking,” the detective nodded. “But I still think you should accept the invitation from the Sanyo Dojo today.”

"Why?" Guskaf asked, puzzled, his thick, short eyebrows furrowing. "Are you going to promise me that you will never make any face while eating? I advise you not to. Nothing is more unappetizing than having someone next to you with a long face while you're eating."

"This guy's really bad at reasoning," Azure thought to herself, but smiled as she spoke—

"You mean that when evaluating a meal, if other people are around and expressing their opinions about the food, it could very likely interfere with your accurate judgment of the restaurant."

"Yes, that's right."

The giant editor nodded laboriously; he was already quite tired after standing for so long chatting with Azure.

"Is it possible that the person sitting next to you is a more professional food critic than you?"

"Absurd! This is impossible!"

The man leaped up, almost defying gravity—

"I'm a top gourmet in the Unova region, how could anyone possibly..."

"Really? But the third guest to visit Sanyo Dojo today is a top-notch restaurateur who is renowned worldwide. Even someone like me, who knows nothing about the catering industry, has heard of his cooking skills on television."

Azure let Eevee jump onto her shoulder, held up her phone in front of Guscalf, the phone reflecting the sunlight, displaying a photo of another person she was meeting on this trip besides the Triads—

The Water King of the Carlos region, a world-class gourmet connoisseur, and a legendary chef—Zimi.

The difference between this person and a food critic is like the difference between a champion and a superstar... no, it's like the difference between a superstar and a champion.

pat.

The phone, which the man had been holding, fell to the ground, and its vibration sounded at this untimely moment, which seemed particularly ironic.

Azure didn't receive any communication from the Sanyo Dojo, which was to be expected, she chuckled to herself.

It seems that the three brothers of Sanyo City did not change their plans because of the status of "Flying Cloud Food Exploration". The editorial staff member finally got a negative answer from them - this is the correct way of reasoning.

The little creature perched on the girl's shoulder shook the white down on its neck and yawned somewhat unhappily.

The trainer said they'd be having a delicious meal as soon as they got off the bus, so why are they still standing there like idiots on the street?

Chapter 367 A Restaurant for Three