Pokémon Detective Case Files.

However, the ghostly figure of the wicked frog had already appeared beside it.

"Surprise attack!"

The Dark-type move's black light not only severed the flames' trajectory but also caused "Flame Vortex" to swirl back towards the Ice Crystal behind it. Under the scorching heat, the ice crystal body emitted a piercing cracking sound amidst the flames.

Seeing the situation was dire, the three members of Team Plasma prepared to summon other Pokémon to deal with the intruders. But the detective, however, wore a satisfied expression, as if his plan had succeeded—the path ahead had been opened.

His gaze fell upon the central control system that controls the destroyer's operational systems!

Ultimately, the handsome guy didn't board the ship to defeat these people!

"Bad frog, throw mud!"

As he gave the order, he simultaneously threw a Poké Ball-like sphere, which, along with the sludge created by the Croagunk, was firmly fixed to the control hub on the wall behind him.

Installation successful, countdown begins!

Several Team Plasma members looked at the handsome guy making strange movements with puzzlement. Although he had thrown something behind him, it didn't seem to cause any trouble. Instead, they breathed a sigh of relief and smoothly switched out their new Pokémon: Eel, Float, and Squirrel—this batch of substitutes was obviously much easier to deal with than their previous main lineup.

The detective secretly calculated the time.

Retreating now would surely arouse suspicion from the other side, so he could only continue to command the bad frog to deal with the opponent while subtly moving towards the hatch.

The thirty-second countdown flew by in the battle, and the human and the frog had quietly retreated to a safe distance...

"Four, three, two... one!"

Taking advantage of a round of exchanges, the pair simultaneously leaped backward, curled up to protect their vitals, and lay down to avoid the shockwave from the explosion.

However—nothing happened.

The bomb, which the handsome guy had used multiple times, didn't explode... Did it misfire? Or did it fail to activate the fuse?

"what happened?"

The handsome man looked up and saw that the bomb above the control system was still perfectly intact and stuck in place.

Beside it stood a blurry figure.

A jewel-like red dot shimmered on the figure's forehead. As the figure emerged from the darkness, its distinctive duck-like beak and its long, blue body with a tail became increasingly visible.

As it passed the control hub, the Pokémon gently pressed its webbed paws against the surface of the bomb. Instantly, clear water gushed from its palm, washing away the mud and explosive devices from the Feraligatr.

The unexploded bomb rolled to the ground with a crisp sound.

The detective's heart sank—

"It's a Golduck with the 'moisture' property!"

Chapter 413 When Paths Meet, the Brave Win

Pokémon with the "Dampness" ability temporarily coat their surroundings with a layer of water-type energy. In this state, which is similar to being "wet," not only can gunpowder and bombs not be ignited, but even self-destruct moves used by Pokémon can be abruptly interrupted.

The only way to break this feature is to defeat the feature holder!

"Bad Frog, we can't delay any longer!"

Seeing the situation suddenly reverse, the handsome detective shouted sternly, his body, which had been lying prone, suddenly sprang up like a spring.

Using the momentum of his forward charge, he slid in, his police boots scraping against the metal floor with a sharp, piercing sound, and shot towards the three plasma team members like an arrow released from a bow.

At the same time, the scoundrel immediately quickened its movements. Without even using any moves, it delivered three sharp chops that sliced ​​through the damp air, and the three Pokémon opposite it collapsed to the ground before they could even utter a cry of pain.

"Ugh!"

"stop--"

Amidst the screams from the other side, the detective executed his standard grappling techniques with fluid grace, honed through his professional career.

An elbow strike broke the first man's ribs, a backhand wrist grab slammed the second man against the control panel, and a final diagonal kick sent the fleeing third man crashing into the bulkhead. The metal walls groaned under the weight of the blows, and the three trainers collapsed to the ground like rag dolls.

Nevertheless, the results did not make the detectives relax much. The figure who had prevented the bomb from exploding was slowly walking towards them.

Outside the control room, a large number of plasma clusters were surging toward him, the alien invader destroyer... The handsome man could almost hear their approaching footsteps.

"Golduck is a Water-type, and Croagunk's ability is 'Dry Skin,' which allows it to absorb Water-type moves. From this perspective alone, we have the advantage. However..."

The detective quickly analyzed the situation, but the cold sweat on his forehead betrayed his inner tension.

The opponent seemed to be the spirit of that Team Aqua officer, indifferent to the fall of the Team Plasma members, but calmly conserving his energy, squinting as he observed his opponent—this was more troublesome than an impulsive enemy!

The handsome man looked worriedly at the red gem on Golduck's forehead—according to well-known Pokédex information, that gem with supernatural power allows Golduck to master a variety of Psychic-type moves.

His Delin is a Poison/Fighting type, which is four times weaker than Psychic!

"We must reduce the opponent's hit rate first!"

The handsome guy made up his mind, gesturing to the bad frog while he started to run and charged straight at the final enemy with his partner.

The Golduck raised its webbed feet again—just then!

"Throw mud!"

A clump of black mud, seemingly premeditated, shot out from between the toes of the scoundrel hidden behind its back, heading straight for the red gem on Golduck's forehead.

However, just a second before it was about to hit, the mud splashing in the air suddenly slowed down as if it were embedded in transparent amber, like slow motion in high-speed photography.

"It's Golduck's 'telekinesis'!"

The handsome guy and the bad frog both frowned at the same time. The latter sensed the fluctuation of superpowers and subconsciously arched its back, the orange venom sac on its cheek throbbing nervously.

"Don't panic, the 'Mud Throwing' spell is still active, we still have a chance."

The detective keenly noticed that Golduck blinked unnaturally when blocking the "mud throw"—the mud attack clearly disrupted its concentration, showing that the move did indeed have a certain harassing effect.

"Now's the time, 'sludge bomb'!"

The charging frog suddenly stopped, clasping its hands together heavily in front of its chest.

With a piercing squeezing sound, a clump of purplish-black mud, carrying deadly poison, burst from its palm and struck its opponent again along the trajectory of the "mud throw".

The Golda duck suddenly opened its pale yellow beak, from which a high-speed stream of water shot out.

The handsome man was not surprised but delighted.

"It's a 'water cannon'! You rascal, charge straight at the water jet!"

The purple figure plunged headfirst into the water column without hesitation.

Due to its "dry skin" property, the Defeat Frog is not harmed at all by the "Water Cannon". On the contrary, the abundant water energy in it gives its skin a healthy glow, restoring some of the stamina it lost in the previous battle.

This highlights the importance of a trainer's presence. Golduck fights alone without a trainer's command or human knowledge, which is why it uses Water-type moves against opponents who may have the "Dry Skin" ability.

"Now that the opponent has seen the Croagunk unharmed in the water, and Water-type moves are ineffective, Golduck's next move will likely be..."

In the water curtain, Golduck's pupils suddenly contracted. It had clearly figured things out quickly and abruptly stopped releasing the "water cannon," its webbed feet beginning to wave in the air... But the handsome guy had already anticipated this move!

"A low kick!"

Using the current to propel itself against Golduck's flow, the scoundrel bursts out of the water, suddenly ducks amidst the splashing water, and swings its leg across the air, aiming straight for Golduck's knee joint.

At the same time, Golduck's move was complete. A dazzling beam of light shone down on the frog-like Pokémon below, but it was deflected by a sudden heavy blow to its leg. The rainbow beam grazed the figure of the frog and shot into the ceiling.

"it is good!"

The handsome guy gave a short, sharp whistle, his voice rising in pitch—this was the secret signal he and the rascal had agreed upon.

The partner didn't disappoint the detective; having just used a "lower kick," it quickly switched from palm to fist, unleashing a lightning-infused attack that shot straight at Golduck's chin—

It's an Electric-type move that counters Water-type Pokémon: Thunder Punch!

With a bang, Golduck, struck by the uppercut, leaned backward as electricity coursed through its body. The Water-type Pokémon merely swayed slightly, managing to withstand the potentially fatal "Thunder Punch."

At that very moment, the ruby ​​on its forehead suddenly burst forth with a blinding blood-red light, and the psychic-type move that had been waiting in the air condensed between its palms into a vortex of psychic power that twisted the air—it was "Psychic Power"!

Golduck has now completely overcome the impact of "Mud Throw" reducing its accuracy. Meanwhile, Croagunk, having just used a move, is in an awkward position, its old strength lingering and new abilities yet to fully develop, leaving it with no way to dodge its opponent's onslaught of a counter move…

Just then, the handsome guy made his move!

"Don't try to succeed!"

The trainer who had charged forward with Crazy Frog suddenly joined the battle. Just as Golduck was about to use a move, the trainer glided between Crazy Frog and Golduck, holding his partner and protecting him behind him.

The next second, the detective groaned in pain as a powerful psychic attack blasted into his back. His thin shirt was no match for this superpower-level attack and was torn to shreds by the invisible force, leaving spiderweb-like bloodstains on his back.

The handsome man's face contorted into a ferocious grimace, yet he firmly shielded his partner, the attacker, in front of him.

"Caw..."

The rotten frog stared concernedly into its owner's eyes, which were tightly closed in pain. However, the handsome man holding it suddenly tossed it into the air.

The tide has turned, and the outcome is already decided!

Having lost his footing, the handsome man collapsed helplessly to the ground, grimacing and arching his body like a shrimp, yet managing a forced smile on his face—

"Close combat!!!"

Despite using many psychic moves, Golduck, a pure Water-type Pokémon, is not immune to Fighting-type psychic attacks.

The rascal, descending from the sky, used gravity to deliver a powerful, unrestrained blow, like a poisoned blade, aimed directly at the gem on Golduck's forehead—the source of this powerful superpower, which is also Golduck's weakness!

With a bang.

Hit the vital point!

The small, dark blue figure landed steadily. Behind it, Golduck wobbled twice before crashing heavily onto the steel floor of the destroyer.

"Well done... beautifully..."

The handsome guy struggled to sit up, feeling as if the surrounding misty vapor had vanished instantly. The ability holder had been defeated, and Golduck's "Hydration" ability was completely ineffective!

Before him, the scoundrel picked up the spherical bomb that had rolled to the ground. The handsome man, enduring the trauma left by the "Psychic Power" on his back, accepted the prop developed by the Criminal Investigation Department.

Water droplets still clung to the waterproof outer shell, but the core components remained intact. Fortunately, this waterproof bomb was originally designed to detonate underwater, and the "moisture" property only temporarily halted the detonation mechanism. The water flow released by Golduck afterward did not damage the bomb itself.

"Looks like we still have thirty seconds left to count down..."

Without a second thought, the detective pressed the hidden detonator again, and with the help of the scoundrel's "mud-throwing" motion, firmly secured the waterproof bomb to the control system once more.

Just then, a flurry of footsteps sounded outside the control room. The noise grew louder and louder as it approached.

It is obvious that the plasma cluster has been expanded.

"It seems we're not going to get out this time."

Perhaps because of the pain, the handsome man's smile looked particularly forced...

The stun frog silently stood between the trainer and the bomb behind him, its poison sac bulging under its dead eyes, but it showed no intention of moving aside.

Chapter 414 Explosions are Everyone's Romance

A deafening explosion came from inside the destroyer, causing the entire ice cave to tremble slightly.

With the loud bang, Vio's communicator emitted a sharp alarm, and the channel was instantly filled with the chaotic shouts of his subordinates—

"Control room lost contact!"

"Power compartment in malfunction, power generation system shut down!"

"The corridor in Area A is blocked, and further reinforcements cannot arrive!"

At the same time, the situation on the battlefield had already turned around—Lucario and Snorlax used the move "Earthquake" together, making the ice layer, which had already been punctured by the destroyer, even more precarious.

Under their cover, Alakazam, Espeon, and other Pokémon that had been holding off Team Plasma suddenly vanished. The intense battle that had just taken place seemed like a dream, leaving only bewildered enemies on the ice, staring at Snorlax and the others as they turned and retreated out of the cave.

Izumi stood on the ice a few meters away, lightly tapping his temple with his fingertips, his brows furrowed slightly: "Golduck's mental link seems to have broken. It seems... we underestimated that detective."

"Hey, is this what you call 'absolutely foolproof'?"

Vio, who had muted his communicator, glared at Izumi.

The former sage, known as the "opportunist," lowered his voice, but every word was still as sharp as an ice pick from a clamshell.

“I’m telling you, the cult’s surveillance cameras near the cave have detected the intruders—the police! They outnumber us by at least three to none, so they don’t bother to cover their tracks!”

He strode up to the officers of the naval fleet.

The current situation has crossed the sage's bottom line; even he cannot maintain his composure and calmness in such a moment.

"The destroyer's control center has been destroyed, and we're stuck here, waiting to be surrounded by the police. Even if a small group manages to break through, the sealed spirit will inevitably fall into the Alliance's hands! At that point, we'll have completely failed!"

"What's the panic?"

Quan stood with his arms crossed, letting the white mist from his breath condense between the two of them.