Pokémon Detective Case Files.

Alice touched the moss with her fingers, feeling the dampness on it.

There has been no rain near the Path of Champions during this period, and the cave is deep, so it is impossible for any creature to have brought it in from the outside—could this cave be connected to a water source?

The three-headed dragon beside her floated forward, extending its central, brain-equipped head to sniff it once more. Then, its red eyes flashed, and it nodded firmly.

“Alright.” Now that things had come to this, the girl no longer hesitated. “If there is a waterway leading to the outside world, the prisoners may have prepared a means of transportation to get there in advance. We must hurry up.”

She used her phone to send photos of the moss and her current location to Officer Jenny and the others, then patted the orange-yellow patterned back of the ant-like beast: "Lead the way!"

The cave leading to the right was narrow and rugged, so the three-headed dragon could not follow for the time being.

Fortunately, there was only one path, so the pursuit progressed relatively smoothly... or so it seemed.

"careful!"

Just as they were about to pass through a narrow opening, Alice's ears twitched, and she immediately grabbed the chimney-shaped red tail of the ant beast.

The next second, a fierce "water cannon" swept past in front of their path.

"An enemy! It's a toad king that combines water and ground-type abilities!"

Using the sparks from the startled Antminer's cough, the Dragon-type expert got a clear look at his opponent—this was not a Pokémon commonly seen on the Champion Road, but judging from its moves, its strength was definitely on par with the enemies Iris had faced over the past month.

Judging from the fact that the opponent didn't immediately follow up with an attack after activating the skill, it doesn't seem to be a Pokémon acting under its trainer's command. Wild Pokémon are often neglected after battles, so they cherish their stamina—and that King Toad's actions fit this pattern perfectly.

"Do you know Grass-type moves?" The girl took a few steps back with her Antmon. In the distance, they heard the sound of a huge creature walking on water, and it was getting louder and louder—was there an underground river on the other side of the passage?

Legend has it that Antminer evolved from a herbivorous Pokémon, and with training, its long snout can use Grass-type moves such as "Giga Drain" and "Solar Beam".

However, this wild Pokémon that Iris had just captured had not received any training, and when it heard the trainer's question, it could only shake its head in confusion.

"Damn it, I forgot to bring Excadrill this time because I was specifically training Dragon-type Pokémon. My Red-faced Dragon, which is good at moving in caves, is exhausted from a month of moves, and the other Pokémon are too small to move around freely here... If only I hadn't evolved Haxorus..."

Alice checked her Pokémon and finally pulled out a berry from her nearly empty backpack.

She solemnly handed it to the molten ant beast—

"This is a dried fragrant fruit that can withstand one water-type attack. I must defeat the Toad King—the Molten Ant Beast—that's blocking my path. Can you lend me a hand?"

The Toad King's footsteps grew louder and louder. Just as the girl was hesitating whether she should find another way, she saw the fire-type spirit she had just captured suddenly lean over and, with a whoosh, suck the dried fragrant fruit the size of a chess piece into its pointed mouth.

"Whoosh—" The tongues of flame, burning at high temperatures, danced through the air.

To Alice's astonishment, the Molten Ant Beast resolutely leaped out of the cave entrance, confronting the Toad King, whose attributes were advantageous to it, its figure resembling a red crescent moon.

Battle begins!

"Purgatory!"

Although the incident happened suddenly, Alice's fighting instincts faithfully came into play, allowing the Antmon to use a fire-type move it had used against her the moment it emerged from its cave.

As a powerful Fire-type move with a wide area of ​​effect, "Inferno" has a low accuracy rate, but the close proximity between the two Pokémon negates this disadvantage.

"Gu-ga-wa!"

A blue toad covered in tumors stomps the ground heavily with its webbed paws—the most common "earthquake" move!

The Molten Ant had no choice but to take the attack head-on. However, the Toad King was now bound by a layer of will-o'-the-wisp-like restraints, and the burns significantly reduced its physical attack capabilities.

Alice leaped out of the cave at that moment: "Now! 'Tie it up!'"

In the darkness, the Molten Ant Beast flicked its tongue of fire, several meters long, firmly binding its opponent's hands and feet.

The Toad King struggled fiercely, its fleshy growths throbbing as it channeled water energy to unleash "Turbid Current".

"It's not time to use the tree fruit yet, 'Hold on!'"

Alice's loud command seemed to have caught the attention of the Toad King, which bypassed the barrier and hurled a neurotoxin-laden "dissolving liquid" at the trainers behind it using its tumor-like appendage.

"Hmm... 'Flame... Vortex'!"

In her haste, the girl used her empty backpack as a shield, throwing it in front of her to block the poison-type attack.

At the same time, flames erupted from the Molten Ant Beast, which was entangled with its opponent, and wrapped around the Toad King like a whirlwind.

With "Binding," "Flame Vortex," and the burn status, despite its type disadvantage, this water-type Pokémon is currently being drained of its stamina by three different attacks.

If this were a battle on land, the Toad King should have been exhausted by now, amidst such intense and agonizing pain—yet it is now standing in the water.

The toad king, which had been croaking incessantly, suddenly fell silent, and the fleshy growths covering its body began to slowly swell.

"It's sucking water! Watch out, Molten Ant Beast—"

Before Alice could finish giving the order, like a bomb exploding, the "Water Cannon" attack, like a towering column of water, swept up from the Toad King's feet and directly struck the Molten Ant Beast that was intertwined with its flesh, before continuing to rush towards the top of the cave, creating a brief drizzle in the narrow passage.

"Hold on!" The dragon expert's command came belatedly... no, not really!

As the water splashed down, the Flood Ant, still wrapped around the Toad King, kept its dead fish eyes open, with more white than black. The Dried Fruit, which resisted the water-type moves, blocked the initial attack of "Water Cannon," giving the Flood Ant enough time to use its own moves!

Even now, even though this fire-type Pokémon's stamina is nearing its limit, the effects of "Flame Vortex" and "Binding" continue!

"Quack quack—Guaaaaaaah!"

The Toad King beneath the Molten Ant Beast completely lost its mind, randomly spraying "Mud Shot" upwards, only to be calmly blocked by its opponent's "Protect" move.

Finally, the wild Pokémon went all out and crashed into the rock wall along with the Pokémon on its body. At that moment, the MagnaEagle broke free from its opponent and used a simple Normal-type move, "Slash," to further fuel its self-destructive act.

With a loud bang—

The giant toad, which had crashed into the rock wall, collapsed unconscious.

Meanwhile, its opponent, the Molten Ant Beast, staggered back to Alice's side, sitting exhausted in a pile of muddy rubble, its chimney-like tail emitting wisps of unburned ash, clearly also unable to fight any longer.

"You did a great job." Iris placed a Poké Ball that would allow Pokémon to rest peacefully on Antminer's forehead. "That fearless figure was just like a legendary dragon from mythology."

The girl collected her exhausted partner into the goal, ignoring the toad king lying by the water's edge.

The hostage was in imminent danger, and the urgency of the kidnapping meant she couldn't waste any more time—she was about to run along the direction the river was flowing... Wait!

Just as Alice was about to leave, she suddenly saw a round, hairy creature on the other side of the battlefield.

It looks like a rolling bat...

"That looks like the Toad King's lair. Could it be one of the Pokémon it captured before?"

Alice hesitated for a few steps forward, turned on her phone screen, and peeked at it in the dim light—

The girl's expression changed drastically in the next instant.

Because, right next to that rolling bat, lay the remains of a red and white Poké Ball.

It's the hostage's Poké Ball!

Chapter 388 The Road is Nothing But Hesitation

The air in the data analytics center was thick with the mingled scents of coffee and anxiety.

"The photos sent by Gym Leader Alice have been compared, and the roly-polyte in them matches the Pokémon that Lady Rhombus is paired with in the family photo album!"

"We found the product number on the Poké Ball fragment, and the supply chain points to the department store in Twin Dragons City. The batch was five years ago—it's almost certain that it was the Poké Ball that Mrs. Morikawa used when she adopted the Bumblebee."

"The Alliance's Human Resources Department has sent word that they have completed the headcount for the Alliance's vehicle management department. Nine people, including Morikawa Shigeaki, are absent due to time off, personal leave, or sick leave. Of the remaining employees working on the front lines, four are temporarily unreachable. According to the Human Resources Department, they may be on duty and unable to speak to each other."

"The search along the entrance to the Champion's Road has covered the first layer of the mountain path, but no trace of the kidnappers has been found yet..."

News about the kidnapping case keeps coming in, and it's mostly developing in a positive direction.

As the commander-in-chief of the rescue operation, Deputy Director Jun Sha paced anxiously in front of the makeshift projection screen.

On the projection screen, the red dots representing the League Police had blocked all the entrances and exits of the Champion Road like a fishing net, but the progress of the various reconnaissance teams in exploring the cave was quite slow, with almost every team being hindered by powerful Pokémon along the way.

The only breakthrough was the purple mark at the very top of the screen.

The point of light representing the location of Alice's phone, the leader of the Otsukawa City Gym, is currently rushing deeper into the Champion Road, but the news she brings is not optimistic—

There may be an underground river leading to the outside world hidden deep within the Champion Road, and the Pokémon of the hostage's mother was forcibly released by the kidnappers along the way of this river. This means that the kidnappers may have found other secret passages to escape the Champion Road.

"No, I think Alice has taken the wrong path."

A familiar voice appeared behind the overwhelmed Officer Jenny; it was Hugo, the champion, who had recently been arguing with the league's personnel department.

He walked around the long table and stood in front of Officer Jenny, saying, "Look at the report Alice sent. This cave leading to the underground river is so narrow that even a single person can hardly pass through. How could the kidnappers with two hostages possibly get through?"

Officer Jenny's brow furrowed: "How do you explain the rolling bat and the Poké Ball fragment next to it? Iris's Hydreigon did detect human presence at the cave entrance."

"The fact that someone was at the entrance doesn't mean that anyone ever passed through there." Hugo, the champion, tapped his fingertips on the table—

"Whether before or after evolution, Hydreigon is a ferocious predatory Pokémon. Although it can track its prey, it cannot distinguish subtle differences in scent. I tend to think that the rolling bat flew to the vicinity of the dark river on its own, which is why it was caught by a wild Pokémon."

What's the basis for your judgment?

Officer Jenny wasn't convinced by the detective. After all, the fragments of the Bumblebee Poké Ball were scattered nearby, which was irrefutable evidence that someone had forcibly released them there.

"The existence of the Poké Ball proves that the kidnapper was not there," Hugo said confidently. "That place is the Toad King's lair, and the wild Pokémon was still full of energy before battling Iris, which means it obviously did not have a direct confrontation with the kidnapper. How could the latter have been near the waterway?"

"So the shattered Poké Ball is..."

"According to research by some Unova ecologists, many abandoned Pokémon linger near their release sites for extended periods, even carefully guarding their former Poké Balls. The Wriggle might be one such example; after being released at the entrance of the tunnel, it retrieved its Poké Ball, and then, for some reason…"

Hugo walked to the screen, stroking his chin thoughtfully: "It's possible that the kidnappers' further driving forced it to fly near the waterway, where it was then hunted by the Toad King. The Poké Ball was also completely destroyed in the process."

Officer Jenny's brows furrowed even more: "According to your logic, could it be that Miss Alice took the wrong turn during the pursuit?"

“To be precise, it took an extra turn.” Hugo raised his hand and cast a shadow on the map. “The kidnappers traveled back and forth on the same side road twice, which is why they left behind such a strong human presence.”

"So that's why the three-headed dragon found its way here?"

"That's right. Think about it, the location for releasing the Pokémon must be far away from the hostages, but there's no need to get confused by complicated forks in the road—taking a turn and walking a safe distance is the most reasonable choice."

The detective's lips suddenly curled up: "However, Alice actually holds a more reliable 'key' now."

"The key?" Officer Jenny was puzzled for a moment, then realized, "You mean that rolling bat?"

As a Pokémon that inhabits dark caves, the slug can emit precise ultrasonic waves from its nostrils to detect its environment—making it far more efficient at finding people than Hydreigon, which relies on its sense of smell. Not to mention that Iris is looking for its former trainer.

“It seems Alice has figured out what to do.” Hugo’s smile deepened as he watched the purple dot on the screen begin to turn back. “Look, she’s changing direction.”

.

"Rolling bats, this is the right road, isn't it?"

In the dark cave of Victory Road, Alice carefully carried the injured Rolling Bat and moved quickly among the jagged rock walls.

The little creature with the broken wing is now using ultrasound to guide her—compared to relying on the three-headed dragon to track the faint scent before, she finally has a clear target.

The hostage was just ahead and had stopped moving, which meant that only one final stretch of definite distance remained between her and her target.

“This is indeed the route the kidnappers took…” The young gym leader wrinkled her nose; the lingering smell of insecticide spray in the air confirmed her judgment.

She deftly scrambled over a pile of rubble blocking her path, and a few faintly glowing crystals in the distance caught her attention.

By the faint light, she could make out that she was in a wide space covered with dense ferns.

"Where to go next?" the girl asked the creature in her arms in a low voice.

The rolling bat strained to open its pink nose, and even though its injured wings were no longer able to fly due to the Toad King's "Rock Slide" attack, it still managed to flap them a few times.

"You mean, to the left of the glowing spot?"

Because the kidnappers might not have left yet, Alice moved with extreme caution. She first looked around warily, and after confirming that there were no ambushes, she crept closer step by step, clutching the Poké Ball of Haxorus tightly in her hand.

She seemed not to hear anything... With only a few steps left to her target, Alice gritted her teeth and dashed toward the light source like an arrow released from a bow.

As the light grew brighter, the girl suddenly turned to the left, swiftly parting the layers of vegetation—

There was no sign of the enemy, only a disheveled woman lying unconscious in a corner! The tear stains on her face were faintly visible in the dim light.

"Mm!"

Suddenly, the rolling bat broke free from Alice's grasp and fell to the ground with a "thud" like a ball of fluff.

Ignoring its injured wing, it struggled desperately to crawl toward its trainer, leaving a shallow trail on the ground.

Chapter 389 Water Knows All Escape Routes

Ms. Morikawa lay quietly on the ground, her breathing relatively steady, with no obvious external injuries.

But no matter how Alice called out to her, or how the bats gently patted her cheeks with their wings, the mother remained in a deep coma and could not wake up.

The situation at the scene is worrying – the kidnappers escaped into the Champions Road with a mother and daughter, and now the mother has been abandoned here, while the kidnappers and the young daughter have disappeared without a trace.

"It's possible they were forced to inhale an excessive amount of 'sleeping powder.'"

Hugo's voice came through the phone strapped to Alice's arm—