Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"gone."

Having learned from his previous experience facing uninvited guests, the Fighting King summoned his helper in advance. His slender master, Itachi, leaped out of the shadows and landed steadily in front of Lian Wu.

Upon entering the cave, one is greeted by a karst cave filled with stalagmites, and the underground river rushes past, carrying a bone-chilling cold.

Lian Wu steadily swam upstream, his bare feet firmly planted on the slippery rocks. His master, Itachi, twitched his ears slightly, trying to catch the faintest sound in the darkness.

It was too quiet, almost eerily quiet.

Lian Wu had traversed the Path of Champions countless times. Logically, such a natural cave should be filled with the sounds of dripping water, wind, and the rustling of wild Pokémon. However, at this moment, even the echo of breathing sounded dull and oppressive, as if some force had choked him.

The fighting king stopped in his tracks without warning.

"Hmph... 'Light Wall' and 'Reflective Wall,' you say?" A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "You hid them quite well."

He crouched down, scooped up a handful of river water from his feet, and then splashed it forward with force. The water droplets drew arcs in the air—

Snap, snap...

The sound, which should have spread, stopped abruptly in mid-air, as if it had hit an invisible wall.

“Right there.” Lian Wu’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Master Itachi, ‘Brick Break’!”

Before the words were even finished, Master Itachi had already launched his attack like an arrow released from a bow. His white, flowing hair tore through the air, slashing fiercely into the void with a whooshing sound!

Click!

The transparent barrier shattered, revealing the psychic clay figure floating behind it.

The patterns on this ancient Pokémon flickered rapidly, clearly not expecting its carefully laid trap to be so easily detected. In desperation, it formed a triangle with its floating, sand hammer-like arms, and its body suddenly glowed with a ghostly blue light of superpowers—

Just as Hugo predicted, the opponent wanted to use the "teleportation" technique to escape!

"Still trying to escape?" Lian Wu's eyebrows furrowed, and his angry roar echoed through the cave, "Provocation!"

Master Itachi's eyes flashed with a sharp light, his long whiskers swayed, and his fighting spirit shot out like a tangible blade!

Under this impact, the blue light on the psychic clay doll instantly dissipated, and its attempt to escape was violently extinguished.

After sealing off the opponent's variation moves, the battle progressed with lightning speed.

The clay puppet unleashed a powerful counterattack with "Psychic Power," its momentum as vast as a raging storm, but even Takeru's master, Itachi, moved like a ghost riding the waves.

Without any deliberate command from the trainer, his partner precisely stepped on every weak point of the psychic fluctuations, skipping stones upstream like stones in a river, their figures swaying as if unbound by gravity.

boom!

Without deliberately using any elemental advantage moves, Master Itachi delivered a straight "Absorption Fist" aimed directly at the opponent's core.

Faced with an absolute disparity in strength, the clay puppet's body, formed from psychic energy, immediately began to crack.

But the Fighting King's attack didn't end there. Just as the psychic clay puppet staggered backward, Master Itachi pressed his advantage, using the momentum of the inverted stalactite to somersault in mid-air, his long, slender, pale purple right leg sweeping down like an axe blade—

Joint lock – “Flying Knee Kick”!

With a deafening roar, the psychic clay figure was slammed into the riverbank, splashing muddy water that had become murky from the battle.

But it still didn't abandon its duty, its side-by-side red eyes gleaming faintly as it tried to use its final move...

"enough!"

Just then, the fighter strode forward and delivered a powerful kick, slamming it hard onto the psychic sprite's large head.

"........."

This attack seemed even more effective than Master Itachi's "Absorption Fist," abruptly interrupting the psychic clay puppet's attempt at a "big explosion."

“Looks like things have finally calmed down a bit.” Lian Wu stood atop the loser’s head, looking down at the psychic clay doll mired in the mud.

"Speak!" His voice was terrifyingly low. "Who ordered you to guard this place? Where is your trainer... right now?"

The psychic clay figure silently closed its eyes, offering no response whatsoever to the Heavenly King's question.

A few drops of water, shaken by the battle, dripped from the stalactites, creating ripples in the river, while all around was desolate.

Before them lay only a dark entrance leading to the depths of the Path of the Champion, its gaping maw mockingly opening towards Lian Wu and his master, Itachi.

Chapter 391 The Truth Will Eventually Come to Light

"It seems that the culprit in the airport bombing and the kidnapping of the Morikawa mother and daughter is none other than Sid Clement."

On the hospital's basement floor, Deputy Director Junsha looked seriously at the large stack of documents her subordinates had collected.

“Based on the existing evidence, Sid not only worked in the same transportation department as Morikawa, enabling him to access Carlos’s visitor itinerary,” she tapped the document heavily with her fingers, “but more importantly, he participated in a departmental trip with the Morikawa family last year, and had at least one encounter with Rinko and her daughter.”

"In addition, there are testimonies from colleagues who mentioned that Sid had attended presentations organized by the Plasma Group."

Hugo leaned against the wall, slowly flipping through another report.

"However... as evidence only, observing a speech is not enough to prove that Cid is a member of Team Plasma. Similarly, even if he had traveled with the Morikawa family, it does not mean that Cid and the mother and daughter, Ryouko, were acquainted. The sudden disappearance of the two hostages at their doorstep is still suspicious."

“If we follow your strict method of presumption, we probably won’t be able to identify even a single suspect.”

Officer Jenny put down the documents in her hand and crossed her arms.

"In any case, Sid Clement remains missing. Moreover, he also has no reliable alibi for the morning of the bombing and the attack on the two hostages."

She turned and pointed to the vehicle trajectory map on the projection screen—

"According to the last record from the dashcam footage of the official vehicle, after completing the work of transporting supplies in the early hours of this morning, this person parked the official vehicle downstairs at the apartment building he rented in Shuanglong City and has been missing ever since. At the same time, his daily car in Shuanglong City has also disappeared."

"Oh?" The champion's interest was piqued. "Can this be connected to the gray van found at the entrance to the Champion's Road?"

“I’m afraid that won’t work.” The deputy director shook her head and pulled a sparse report from the files on her desk.

"Because there is a convenient direct rail line between the Alliance headquarters and Shuanglong City, most headquarters employees do not drive to work. Therefore, there is no record of Sid's private car in the Alliance parking lot. Moreover, it is said that the suspect's daily life is relatively secluded, and the neighbors nearby do not know what kind of car Sid drives."

“This is getting more and more suspicious,” Hugo sighed. “It’s almost as if they’re deliberately hiding the vehicles for some operation.”

“That’s not even the most suspicious thing.” Officer Jenny placed her finger on another document—

“Sid Clement has ten Pokémon registered in the League, and six of them… were caught in Victory Road.”

The report provided by the Pokémon Center is rich in pictures and text. The document shows that, apart from the starter Pokémon Sentinel and four Pokémon caught around Double Dragon City—Drool, Chinchilla, and Mt. Dust—all the other Pokémon this person has caught on Victory Road in the past year. These include Mantle Rock, Iron Ant, Claydol, Vulpix, Steelix, and even an aquatic Bass.

Although most of them did not evolve into their powerful final forms, this still suggests that Sid Clement likely had a fairly good understanding of the terrain inside the Champion Road.

"Are these Pokémon still stored in the Pokémon Deposit System at the Pokémon Center?" Hugo pressed.

“It’s very unfortunate.” Officer Jenny gave a bitter smile. “The Poké Balls containing those Pokémon were taken by Sid a week ago, and he may also have had Pokémon that were not registered with the Pokémon Center.”

Perhaps those elves are currently battling even the Heavenly King of the Martial World—the deputy director added with a wry smile.

Hugo's gaze still held suspicion: "He really is a suspect who becomes more and more conclusive the more you dig into him, it's almost as if he was meticulously orchestrated... How's things going with Alice?"

“Although the signal was lost, it was most likely due to the phone battery running out,” Officer Jenny replied. “The police search team is already close to that area, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

She confidently crossed her arms: "In short, no matter what the kidnapper's true identity is, since he has already entered the Champion's Path with two hostages, he will either be cornered by Master Alice, or he will be caught by King Lianwu, or at the very least, he will run into the police encirclement. In my experience, this incident will be resolved today."

“I’m still a little bothered.” Hugo’s brows were furrowed, a stark contrast to the relaxed expressions of the officers around him.

His fingers tapped the table unconsciously.

"Don't you think the logic of this kidnapping case is a bit abnormal? The perpetrator has clearly achieved his goal of humiliating the United States through the bombing, but instead of demanding a ransom or taking the opportunity to escape, he is just taking the hostage and circling around the Champion Road. Even if the Champion Road has a complex terrain and he could escape for a long time, this mediocre action is still meaningless in the long run."

“Perhaps Sid was relying on his familiarity with the terrain and thought he could definitely escape by digging a tunnel or taking advantage of that secret waterway?” Deputy Director Officer Jenny tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “If it weren’t for you and Alice, we probably wouldn’t have been able to find the hostage so quickly.”

"Something still doesn't feel right." The detective paced back and forth, chin in hand. "It feels like a crucial piece of the puzzle is missing from this case..."

As Hugo was pondering, the landline on the long table suddenly rang with a piercing sound.

Officer Jenny deftly picked up the receiver, her tense face gradually relaxing as the call continued, and even her shoulders slightly loosened.

"Phew—" She let out a soft breath and turned to the police officers who were eagerly waiting in the room. "Finally, some good news. Master Alice has successfully rescued the last hostage."

As she spoke, she subconsciously rubbed her temples, and the tension she had felt throughout the day seemed to ease slightly at that moment.

In the corner, the young detective couldn't help but let out a groan of relief, nearly knocking over a folder on the table as he stretched. The other investigators, while maintaining their professionalism, had clearly relaxed considerably; some subtly loosened their ties and unconsciously revealed smiles.

“However… now is not the time to let our guard down.” Deputy Director Officer Jenny’s voice rang out again. “The kidnappers are still at large, and the hostages have not been safely evacuated from the cave. Our work is not over yet.”

“But that’s a good thing in a way,” Hugo, the champion, said consolingly from the side, then thoughtfully stroked his chin—

"I'll take this opportunity to tell Morikawa Shige the good news. He's the one who should be most concerned about the safety of his wife and daughter. I also need to confirm a few details. After all, Morikawa and Sid are colleagues and fellow townsmen, so he might be able to provide some other clues."

“Well, that’s good, after all, it was you and Lianwu Tianwang who interrogated him before.” Officer Jenny nodded slightly, her tense jawline finally softening a bit. “Speaking of which, Morikawa and Sid both live in Shuanglong City, right? Perhaps the victim might remember his colleague’s car.”

"Indeed, I will ask him in detail."

.

Hugo had just stepped out of the relaxed atmosphere of the analysis center when he bumped into a familiar figure.

"Oh my, isn't this Champion Hugo?"

The beautiful nurse who always appeared outside Morikawa's ward suddenly appeared, smiling as she blocked the detective's path. Miss Skirt gracefully twirled at her feet, petals swaying gently like the hem of her skirt.

"Are you here to visit Mr. Morikawa again this time?"

Hugo's gaze lingered briefly on the nurse's name tag—it was empty. He suddenly remembered that the first hostage, Ms. Rinko, had been knocked unconscious by a powder similar to "hypnotic powder"...

"That's right, but this time I remember the room number."

Hugo nodded calmly, his right hand naturally resting on the Poké Ball at his waist.

"What a coincidence, I was just about to go see Mr. Morikawa for a routine check-up." The nurse stepped slightly to the side, gesturing for him to come along. "Since we're traveling together, why don't we go together?"

"It would be my great honor."

Hugo gave a gentle smile, but deliberately walked past the nurse and took the first step.

The ward door was gently pushed open. There stood Morikawa, the victim of the bombing, leaning against the headboard as usual, seemingly talking quietly with the attending physician.

Hearing the door open, he weakly raised his head.

“Mr. Morikawa, I have good news.” Hugo stood in the doorway, the setting sun casting a long shadow of himself through the window. “Your wife and daughter have been rescued and are safe and sound. They are with the police.”

Hugo spoke first, as always, and then glanced at the nurse beside him.

"Speaking of which... I don't even know your name, Nurse?" The detective tapped the logbook hanging next to the door with his knuckles. "Why is there only one line of text left by the attending physician in the nursing records here?"

The air suddenly froze.

In the pale yellow of the setting sun, the nurse's smile froze on her face, and the warmth in her eyes instantly turned to ice.

The next second, the usually quiet and gentle Miss Skirt suddenly stepped forward, and amidst the fluttering grass, the vibrant flower crown abruptly sank—

Whizzing!

Several emerald green "flying leaf blades" tore through the air, shooting out like poisoned daggers!

.

The sound of the underground river echoed in the cave, but Lian Wu, who was walking upstream with his head down, suddenly stopped.

—There is sound.

The Fighting King held his breath, and could hear a faint friction sound coming from behind a cluster of stalagmites, a rustling sound that seemed to be deliberately suppressed.

Looking around, there was no sign of wild elves or human enemies nearby, nor any indication of an ambush—it didn't seem like a trap, but Lian Wu remained vigilant.

He gestured to his master Itachi behind him, who immediately understood and gently put down the psychic clay doll that was in a deep coma. His white figure clung to him like a ghost.

Both the person and their pet held their breath, silently circling behind the source of the sound.

The moment he saw his target, the Fighting King's pupils suddenly contracted!

In the shadow of the stalagmite, a red-haired youth was tightly bound with thick ropes, his hands tied behind his back, his knees forced into a bent position, and his whole body was discarded on the cold, damp rocks like cargo.

His mouth was tightly gagged with a towel, allowing him to only utter muffled sobs. His light red hair clung messily to his sweat-dampened forehead. Looking at Lian Wu and his master Itachi, who had suddenly appeared before him, the young man's eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and confusion.

Lian Wu's brows furrowed deeply; he had seen the man's portrait before his departure—

It's Sid Clement!

Interlude 4: May the superpowered rest in peace.

“Miss, these tedious tasks can be handled by our servants. Why did you have to come here personally?”

Butler Shi Lan followed closely behind the mistress, her tone tinged with helplessness.

As dusk settled in Ripple Town, bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun, Cattleya enthusiastically surveyed the cityscape of this seaside town.

This capricious Unova Elite Four member had just received a call informing him that his close friend from Sinnoh would be visiting during the off-season, and immediately insisted on coming to check the maintenance of the villa, despite the late hour.