Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"Oh dear, it's hard not to notice."

The crisp sound of a teacup lightly tapping on the table came from the other end of the communication line, and the old man sighed—

"The United States branch of the criminal investigation organization is becoming increasingly inefficient in reporting information, and its intelligence often doesn't align with that of other regions. The staff size has never decreased, yet the backlog of unsolved cases continues to grow, funding remains the same, and dissent against headquarters is increasing..."

"Without a doubt, some people in the United States have started lying, and others have fallen into an endless state of confusion. Although it is not yet time to make drastic cuts, the mere discovery of this situation is enough to show how precarious the power of 'justice' is in the United States."

"While assisting Detective Hugo is certainly a factor in this support, another reason is to take this opportunity to set things right in Interpol's United States branch."

"'Justice,' well, that's precisely the weapon our enemies are good at using." The detective shook his head.

When concepts such as righteousness, public opinion, alliance interests, and idealism are confused by those with ulterior motives, and when the truth is shattered in the vortex of public opinion, how long can Interpol's "justice" remain undistorted?

However, just as Hugo was about to sigh, the old man suddenly changed the subject—

"However... you don't need to be too anxious." His tone was as relaxed as if he were talking about the weather. "The situation in Unova is a bit more severe than it was in Sinnoh two years ago, but compared to Team Rocket in Kanto eight years ago... ha, it's nothing."

"This is hardly a comfort to me."

Hugo pondered, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the wall—

"Ultimately, Team Galactic, created by Red Sun, is fundamentally different from Team Rocket and Team Plasma. That madman's goal is the ethereal legendary Pokémon, while the latter two organizations pursue worldly power, so their disruption of social order is naturally more direct."

"On top of that, the ultimate weapon that Team Rocket created eight years ago completely destroyed the balance of power in the Kanto region, which made Team Rocket's expansion and aggression completely unstoppable... In my opinion, Team Plasma now obviously wants to follow the same path as Team Rocket back then."

"As expected," the old man said calmly.

"People who are accustomed to violence are always looking for more powerful weapons. But this is nothing to fear—because the forces that can truly change the world will never be content to be controlled by those organizations."

Those who play with fire will get burned—the head of Interpol said with such certainty.

He was probably referring to Team Rocket's attempt to utilize Mewtwo, which resulted in their betrayal. Following that, Team Rocket attempted to capture three legendary bird Pokémon from the Kanto region to bolster their forces, but this failed operation directly led to Team Rocket's disbandment.

Greed leads to destruction, and the pursuit of power is tantamount to the pursuit of death—in principle, this statement is not wrong.

But Hugo was not so optimistic...

"By the way, speaking of the current situation in the Unova region, there's something I need to share with you," the old man suddenly said.

"What kind of trivial matter?"

"It seems you've teamed up with another young Officer Jenny in Unicron City," the leader said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Thanks to that girl's recent outstanding performance, she's earned a resounding reputation in the underworld."

"Is it because of that incident where she arrested a member of Team Aqua on the street...? It's hard to say if it's a good thing, but as a frontline police officer with the name 'Officer Jenny,' it was only a matter of time before she got this kind of underworld title."

Hugo had a lukewarm reaction to Officer Jenny's nickname; after all, it was given to him by a group of criminals and members of an evil organization, so it couldn't possibly be anything good.

"Haha, for us in this line of work, the nicknames given by criminals are badges of honor for police officers who stand out from the crowd."

The old man, known as the "Iron-Fisted Inspector," laughed heartily. His nickname actually came from a serious hand injury he sustained in his early years. The underworld has always had only one principle when it comes to the titles of cops: the more sarcastic and unpleasant they are, the better.

The leader chuckled and said, "Unless there are special circumstances, this title usually stays with us for life. But Detective Hugo's case, where he got the nickname and then cleared his name, is an extremely rare case."

"I thought everyone had forgotten about this." Hugo shrugged indifferently. "Although I know very well that Interpol is the world's largest intelligence-gathering organization, old man, your scope of attention is a bit too broad, isn't it?"

"After all, this is related to a case I've been following recently," the old man said vaguely. "So, has the famous detective deduced Miss Officer Jenny's title yet?"

"Don't make things difficult for me. I don't have time to waste brain cells on questions I already know the answer to," Hugo said, giving up. "Just tell me directly."

"Hehehe." The old man chuckled kindly, then said the nickname.

"Ah...it's not exactly unpleasant to hear, but it somehow lacks a certain imposing presence." Hugo's expression was somewhat subtle. "However, it's quite apt in hinting at personal characteristics."

"For criminals who are risking their lives, the most important use of nicknames is to convey accurate information. Therefore, if a nickname not only fails to accurately describe its user but also misleads the inhabitants of the underworld, people will naturally abandon that nickname over time."

The old man said to Hugo meaningfully.

The detective coughed, abruptly changing the subject: "Let's put these off-topic discussions aside for now. It's about time Your Excellency told me who your capable assistant, whom you sent to support the United States, is, isn't it?"

"I thought you'd already guessed it and were too lazy to ask," the leader chuckled, not bothering to keep them in suspense and giving the answer directly—

"Because the agents were drawn from Interpol divisions in Sinnoh and Hoenn, there wasn't much room for choice in who would lead them."

"Leading the Hoenn members is Ms. Lyra, known as the 'Decadent Wave,' who also serves as the Battle Tower Lord of the Hoenn region; her second-in-command, leading the Sinnoh members, is a handsome agent from the International Police, whom you're very familiar with—of course, 'handsome' is also his code name within the International Police, as you probably already know."

"So, are you satisfied with this lineup?" the old man asked confidently.

Hugo, however, fell into an unusual silence... If these two groups of secret agents who had come from afar were to deal with the mobile forces of the Aqua Fleet, they might be more than capable in terms of combat power. But to rely on them to deal with the now deeply entrenched Plasma Group was nothing short of wishful thinking.

Although he wasn't a superhuman, he had a premonition.

The problems of Unova may ultimately have to be solved by the Unova region itself.

.

"Hugo, Champion, an emergency has occurred!"

The detective had barely stepped out of the communications room when Khaki's urgent shouts came rushing towards him.

Standing beside the newly appointed administrative officer were Security Supervisor Gade and Vice President Gloria, all three with terribly grim expressions.

"What happened?" the Unova Champion, dressed in a white jacket, asked in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the three tense faces, his heart sinking.

Without a word, Gade handed the tablet to Hugo, on which a chilling video was playing.

At the same time, Khaki reported rapidly, "The car escorting the three VIPs of the Carlos Alliance to the airport was suddenly struck by an unexplained explosion on its return trip! And the incident occurred right in front of hundreds of fans of Champion Karuni! The driver is seriously injured and unconscious, and videos of the scene are already spreading like wildfire on major social media platforms..."

In the video, a limousine parked near the airport entrance and surrounded by numerous passersby suddenly makes a strange noise.

The driver immediately got out of the car and dispersed the crowd. When he came to the hood of the car to check what had happened inside, an explosion occurred.

With a loud bang.

The driver was thrown several meters away by the impact. The agitated crowd screamed, and some rushed forward to try to help the injured, but most people continued to shout and shove. Fortunately, because the terrain at the explosion site was open, it did not trigger a more serious stampede.

Hugo frowned—the timing was too perfect.

They chose to do it right after the three visitors, Carlos, had left the country, and they chose to do it right in the center of the crowd...

"This is absolutely the work of Team Plasma!" Vice President Gloria clenched her fists and said through gritted teeth, "They are openly provoking the Alliance and trying to shake the public's trust in us!"

This was a slap in the face to the United League, a blatant display of their incompetence by their opponents—allowing the League's champion, the world-renowned actor, to sit in a car loaded with bombs for the entire journey. And that car almost exploded.

It's easy to imagine how furious Karuni's fans would be upon hearing this.

...This is truly a brilliant move that hits right where it hurts.

“Their purpose is not just this.” Hugo’s voice was calm, almost chilling, as he slowly raised his gaze.

"They're forcing me, the newly crowned champion who 'rose to power by luck,' into the spotlight prematurely." He paused, a completely unsmiling smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "to face the scrutinizing gaze of the public."

It seems that the revenge of the "fool's revelry" is coming more urgently than expected.

Chapter 380 Words are more powerful than swords

From the moment Quixote projected his illusions in the Alliance Hall and issued an ultimatum to Hugo, the detective foresaw that the sage would one day exact a vile revenge on him.

The primary target of the attack was naturally Hugo's "unconventional" champion status—when he was no longer a potential ally of Team Plasma, the champion title transformed from a valuable resource into a target that the Order had to destroy.

I just never expected their attacks to be so precise and vicious...

"Hugo, what should we do now? Should we implement a lockdown?"

Vice President Gloria pressed on urgently, her high heels tapping nervously on the ground.

“No.” Hugo shook his head. “This tactic might work under normal circumstances, but we need to be careful because our opponent is Group Plasma. Since they launched the offensive, they must have already prepared a public relations strategy afterward, and they won’t let us quell the situation easily.”

“But if we respond directly, the facts will be against us…” The vice president frowned. “At this point, whatever we say will make us seem weak, while if we give it the cold shoulder, it will be interpreted as arrogance, which will only provoke more anger from the alliance’s opponents.”

"No, the situation may not be that bad; the league still has a chance..."

Hugo stared at the explosion footage playing on a loop on the tablet, a sharp glint in his eyes.

He suddenly ordered the other two, "Mr. Khaki, prepare the recording equipment for me. Director Gade, contact the video production team of the Alliance's publicity department."

"Understood!" The two quickly accepted the order and left, leaving Gloria standing there, bewildered.

"Don't panic, Vice President." Looking at the still bewildered Vice President, Hugo's lips curled into a confident smile. "Group Plasma certainly possesses the power to weave narratives and stir up public opinion, but don't forget—"

He shook the tablet in his hand: "As the true power holders of the United States for the past hundred years, the Alliance also has the power to determine the 'facts'."

.

Within two hours of the incident, the online world was in an uproar. The explosion video spread like wildfire across various news forums and internet communities.

On the trending lists of major social media platforms, topics such as #UnitedAllianceSecurityCrisis# and #CarlosChampionAttack# have been dominating the charts.

Conspiracy theories are rampant, and even Karuni's clarification statement has been drowned out by doubts.

The void of truth will eventually be filled with suspicion—this is precisely the invincible offensive strategy of "Foolish Carnival" Quixote and "Rift Mobilization" Smura.

In past public incidents, the Plasma Group has repeatedly used such methods to gradually erode the discourse power that should belong to the United States Alliance.

However, this time, things might be different...

Just as public opinion was boiling over, an official statement from the United Alliance suddenly appeared online.

[I am the newly crowned champion of the United League. Due to the unusual manner of my inauguration, I do not believe myself to be comparable to the League's past champions, so please allow me to remain anonymous.]

There were no images on the black screen, only Hugo's unprocessed voice.

Between remaining silent and taking the stage head-on, there were still many options available, and the detective chose a compromise.

Although hiding one's face might seem a bit too humble, the champion's calm and upright voice, so frankly stating that he did not want to reveal his identity, actually gave people a sense of sincerity.

[This statement is issued today in response to the explosion that occurred near the Union Airport. While this incident involves the Carlos League Champion and two Elite Four members, it also poses a serious threat to the residents of Unova. In this incident, an innocent pilot was seriously injured, and had he not noticed something amiss and promptly dispersed the nearby crowd, the explosion would have harmed many more innocent civilians—the League will absolutely not tolerate this incident.]

Hugo said these things to shift the audience's focus away from Karuni's special status as champion. He wanted to change their perception from that of mere spectators to innocent residents who might become the next victims, which would benefit his subsequent remarks.

Before providing further updates on this incident, I would like everyone to take a look at these photos.

Color appeared on the black screen, and several photos of Karune, Zimi, Pachira, and fans posing for pictures appeared in the video. The faces of the people in the photos were blurred, but the Champions and Elite Four members with their respective signature Pokémon were clearly visible.

These photos were taken casually by fans after the three VIPs of Carlos were recognized as they disembarked at the airport. We obtained their permission before acquiring the photos. Please note that the photos were taken not far from the vehicle damaged in the explosion; the location of the vehicle can be clearly seen in the group photo.

The photos in the video are zoomed in one by one, and the location of the car is marked with a red circle.

People can clearly see that the car was indeed near the filming location at the time, and there is even a photo of him posing with King Pakila, taken directly in front of the car door.

There's a problem here.

The champion's voice rang out calmly.

[Pachira's Houndoom has an exceptionally keen sense of smell. During its visit to the Unova region, it had just detected a failed attack by identifying the smell of gunpowder. If there were explosives in the car carrying the three distinguished guests, they should have been detected no matter how well hidden.]

He paused briefly in his speech, giving the audience time to think for themselves.

Similarly, we should also rule out the possibility that the bomb in the car was created using a Pokémon move. Because when the Champion and the others were in the car, Gardevoir, with its extremely sensitive energy perception, was right next to Champion. If its trainer had indeed been in a room with a dangerous explosive device, it wouldn't have been indifferent given its powerful sensory abilities.

The fact that Carlos, the champion, was once under the threat of a bomb could certainly ignite public opinion instantly, but precisely because such news is so sensational, it is effortless to overturn it.

Ultimately, it goes against the common sense of ordinary people. How could a champion who can dominate the league be threatened by a mere bomb?

Therefore, the rumor that Carlos's visitor's vehicle contained explosives cannot be fully confirmed at this time. The United States will definitely pursue the truth of this case to the end—we will do everything in our power to find out the cause of the explosion, apprehend the perpetrator, and give everyone an explanation as soon as possible.

The champion's speech, delivered behind closed doors, has come to an end, but the video doesn't end there.

The next scene showed a podium inside the alliance headquarters, from which a sharply dressed spokesperson emerged. He reiterated the alliance's position on the bombing in standard official language; his speech was long and tedious, revealing little new information beyond what had already been disseminated.

Few people have the patience to watch the entire lengthy speech that follows, but this segment is still necessary.

After all, if the video only contained Hugo's remarks, the entire statement would seem insufficient, while the official statement endorsed by the alliance can make up for this.

Chapter 381 The Tipping Point

Just as the statement from United Champions sparked a new wave of discussion on the internet, Hugo Champions, the instigator, was sitting in a black limousine heading to the medical center that was treating the murdered driver.

"Is this the model of car that picks up and drops off Champion Karuni and the others?"

Sitting in the back seat, Hugo looked around the interior of the car, his gaze finally settling on Lian Wutianwang, who was wearing a seatbelt beside him.

“Yes.” Lian Wu nodded, feeling somewhat awkward in front of Hugo for some reason—

"According to the investigation materials submitted by the Union Police, it is indeed the same gasoline-powered vehicle. Of course, please don't worry, we also conducted a thorough inspection before getting into the car, and there is no way there could be any kind of bomb inside."

“I don’t doubt that. But if the car that exploded was a regular gasoline-powered vehicle, the location of the explosion seems a bit strange.” Hugo tapped the car window thoughtfully with his finger. “I remember the bomb was installed in the front of the car where the engine is located, which is a bit unusual—if the perpetrator wanted to cause a larger explosion, it would have made more sense to place it near the rear seat chassis close to the fuel tank.”

As he spoke, he stomped his foot, and a muffled sound came from the carpet inside the car—this was the spot where Hugo was sitting.

"Hugo, didn't you already rule out the possibility of a bomb being planted in the car in your statement? Why are you still worried about this?" Lian Wu asked, puzzled, after having read the public statement.

"That statement, although it seems to have had a good effect so far, is actually mostly just sophistry."

Hugo casually shrugged and made a startling remark.