Pokémon Detective Case Files.

“A ship is never driven by a computer, and a bomb can’t sink an entire ship—which is why I saw that the detective wasn’t in a hurry when he entered the ship.”

She calmly used a Poké Ball to recall Sharpedo and Cloyster from the ground, then turned and walked towards the stern of the destroyer at the edge of the ice cave.

"Although you unromantic folks dismantled most of the bridge during the ship's conversion, thankfully the emergency steering station inside was preserved."

"So, you can restart the destroyer?" Vio's eyes lit up with renewed hope.

“Of course.” The officer of the water fleet tossed his black hair. “Although the central control system has been damaged, I’m here. Even if the control system is completely paralyzed, I can still restart the ship manually.”

Vio stood still, ice crystals from the earlier battle condensing at the hem of his priest's robes—

"You'd better be really confident this time."

Quan suddenly stopped and turned half of his face to the side: "I think the one who should be worried is me."

The contempt in her eyes seemed tangible—

"The number of people I just took off the ship was actually less than half of what was on the destroyer. In the same situation, the naval fleet would never allow a single enemy to break through the ship's defenses."

"Murderous Feather Stream" ground his waterproof boots into a patch of icicles beneath his feet—

"You 'wise men' who talk so much don't seem to have much talent for training subordinates. This makes me very worried about our future cooperation. Fleet Aqua and your Plasma Team are ultimately two different organizations, yet so far I haven't seen any value from you as allies."

After a moment of silence, Vio spoke: "I know that you boarded the Order's destroyer alone on this trip, and it couldn't have been just to help. The Water Fleet may also have its own purposes."

He placed a hand on his shoulder, his hawk-like eyes lowered: "But now, I ask that you help us resolve this crisis at any cost. In the process, whatever my eyes see, I will remain silent to Quixote and the other high-ranking members of the Plasma Group."

"Oh."

Ice crystals, shaken off from the top of the ice cave, rained down like rain, and Quan's snickering voice was particularly clear in the cold wind.

"You're really shrewd. If it were Ah Chao, he probably wouldn't have said anything so clever in his entire life. Don't worry, I never intended to surrender to the police, so I'll do my best to help you out. As for now... wise sage, you either come with me to restart the ship, or you stay here and wait for the police to close in."

.

When Lyra and Alakazam appeared at the scene of the explosion using the "Teleport" technique, the control room in front of them was already a mess.

Amidst the twisted metal frame, only the charred control console still emitted wisps of smoke—the plasma cluster's destroyer control system had been completely destroyed.

Alakazam was indeed unable to pinpoint its location inside the sealed destroyer, but the energy ripples from the violent explosion acted like a lighthouse in the night, guiding the superpowered individual to its location.

As soon as she landed, Lila's purple pupils suddenly contracted.

Amidst the billowing smoke, she saw the handsome man trapped between two twisted steel plates and the wreckage of the control panel.

Although the two perpendicular steel plates didn't fall directly on the handsome man, and even cushioned most of the impact of the explosion, the detective's back was already soaked in blood. Beside him, the delinquent frog lay limp on the ground, its dark blue skin covered in burn marks.

This loyal Pokémon is particularly afraid of the high temperature of an explosion because of its "dry skin" ability, but in the critical moment, it still tried to shield its trainer from the damage with its body, and has now completely passed out.

I never imagined... that the waterproof bomb developed by this research department could have such destructive power—outside the control room, the Plasma Team members lay sprawled on the ground like wheat ears swept by a hurricane. The collapsed equipment formed a natural barrier, isolating the Plasma Team's reinforcements. Due to the high temperature of the explosion, the indoor alarm occasionally emitted sparks, casting flickering light on 'Fallen Wave's' somber profile.

Lila immediately had Alakazam use its telekinesis to move the two steel plates pressing down on the handsome man, but just as her hand was about to touch his shoulder—

"Cough cough... Don't worry about me." The seriously injured detective suddenly opened his eyes. Although his vision was blurry, he accurately recognized Lila's footsteps.

“There might be a spare manual operating system on this ship…” He struggled to pull a recently confiscated crew manual from the inside pocket of his blood-stained jacket. “Quick… stop them…”

"Okay, I see."

Without further ado, Lila immediately understood the seriousness of the situation. She stuffed the first aid kit and the Spirit Shard into the hands of the handsome guy and the rascal, while simultaneously unfastening the Raikou Poké Ball from her waist.

In a flash of lightning, the Interpol expedition leader left behind only a brief instruction—

"Lightning speed!"

In an instant, golden lightning ripped through the dimly lit corridor inside the ship, and the figures of the man and his pet vanished, leaving only arcs of electricity dancing in the air.

The simple map in the crew manual did not mark the location of the backup system, but Lila’s years of experience as a criminal investigator allowed her to immediately determine the direction of the backup control room—such facilities must be laid out diagonally opposite to the main control room, that is, on the other side of the ship opposite to this location.

She immediately rode Raikou at breakneck speed along the tilting cabin. When she encountered Team Plasma, she even used static electricity to fly upside down from the cabin ceiling. She encountered no significant obstacles along the way, only the metal floor making a crisp clanging sound under the feet of the legendary Pokémon.

Just as they rounded the last bend, the detective's pupils suddenly contracted—

With a creak, the hatch of the emergency exit at the stern slowly opened, revealing Vio's priestly robes and Izumi's black hair. The three looked up almost simultaneously, and time seemed to freeze at that moment.

"Alas, it's all fate," Vio sighed.

"Stop her! I'm going to start the engine!" Quan shouted sharply, and before he finished speaking, he had already rushed towards the emergency steering station behind him.

Without hesitation, the original sage threw out several Poké Balls. At the same time, a large number of Team Plasma members surged in like a tide, instantly blocking the narrow passageway.

"Quick reaction." Lila's eyes turned slightly cold as she said in a low voice, "But unfortunately, I've already seen you."

The next second, Alakazam's figure flashed behind her—the "Instant Transmission" move was activated!

Lila, Raikou, and Alakazam all disappeared at the same time, their target being Izumi behind the human wall.

However, just as the spatial rift distorted by "teleportation" dissipated—

“Crush it!”

Just above where Lyra landed, Sharpedo's gaping maw suddenly tore through the air, its sharp fangs precisely biting at Alakazam, which had just appeared!

This emergency steering station turned out to be a trap hastily set up by the "Killer Feather Stream"!

Click!

Alakazam, already exhausted from continuous long-distance teleportation, completely lost consciousness under this fierce "Crunch" and collapsed to the ground.

"The cheating teleporting Pokémon have finally quieted down a bit. Next up will be one-on-one cage battles."

Deep inside the room, a cold smile crept across Izumi's lips. He pulled a lever to activate the destroyer's backup hydraulic system, then slammed his hand on the control panel in front of him, switching the engine room's operation from automatic to manual.

"Now—this ship is my home turf!"

As soon as Quan finished speaking, a grass-green figure shot out from the shadows—it was the cheerful and talented Lucky Kappa.

The sprite suddenly started a comical dance, and the strange rhythm involuntarily attracted the Thunder God's attention, plunging him into a state of temporary confusion.

In another direction, the shell of the Spiny Shell suddenly opened, and sharp "ice spikes" carrying "rock blasts" poured down like a torrential rain, completely blocking Raikou's escape route.

At the same time, thick mud poured down from the ceiling, and a catfish king was turning the entire cabin into a mud pit by "playing with mud," while the lightning around the Thunder God became dim and lost in the mud.

However, the attack by the Navy's officers showed no signs of stopping—

Almost simultaneously, a sharp, piercing "bug chirp" rang out, the sound waves slicing through like blades, causing Lila's newly summoned Espeon to collapse. Behind the detective, a Mothro spread its dazzling, eye-like wings, the oppressive aura of its "Intimidate" ability causing the air to momentarily freeze.

Two more gray tentacles rose up at Lila's feet. As they touched the detective's legs, the paralyzing poison entered Lila's body along with a stinging sensation, and the detective immediately bent over weakly.

—This is the "poison sting" attack of the stinging jellyfish.

"Did you think I would take only six Pokémon across the ocean from the Hoenn region?" Izumi's cold laugh carried a hint of regret that no one else could detect.

As a veteran member of Team Aqua, Izumi had previously scattered different Pokémon throughout the destroyer so that, should an emergency arise, she could control the entire destroyer single-handedly, bypassing Team Plasma. This was a perfect contingency plan she had secretly laid out, but at this moment, she wished she could turn back time—if all these hidden forces were concentrated in the control room, that other despicable detective would never have succeeded.

Behind Lila, the Plasma Team's reinforcements had recovered from the chaos and were closing in again.

Looking at the Ludicolo, King Catfish, Rainwing Moth, and Tentacruel that had suddenly appeared around Izumi, Vio's expression was gloomy as he seemed to be calculating something—but at that moment, Izumi clapped his hands in delight: "It's done!"

There was a tremor beneath my feet, as if something was awakening. The entire destroyer seemed to be roused from its slumber, and this destroyer, which had just lost its "brain," was regaining its vitality.

The previously dormant electrical system restarted, and the power collected from the Pokémon in the power room was restored to all parts of the ship. Emergency lights went out one by one, replaced by bright cabin lighting. The roar of the engines gradually grew stronger, the turbines vibrated the deck, and heat spread through the pipes, the steam beginning to further melt the ice layer between the destroyer and the underground river.

Click—click—

The sound of ice breaking pierced through the thick hull and reached the steering station clearly.

Quan's hand was already on the massive rudder. With just a twist, this steel behemoth would break free from its icy shackles and speed away through the wide underground river, completely shaking off the curse of the Giant's Cave.

"Turn the rudder!"

Quan shouted happily. Seeing that all the Pokémon she held were restricted, and even that she herself had been hit by Tentacruel's "poison sting", a bright smile appeared on her face.

However, this smile froze on her face when Lila held up the spherical object.

“I’m not like that handsome guy; I don’t carry any portable explosives that would be confused with Poké Balls—but that doesn’t mean I can’t make the same kind of noise as him.”

Even with poison in her leg, Lila's voice remained calm and firm.

"Retreat! Back up now!" The moment Vio saw what was under the translucent material of the spherical object, he decisively ordered his men to retreat. However... it was too late.

"Whether you turn off the steering wheel or not, the outcome will be the same."

Quan gritted her teeth, struggling to turn the heavy steering wheel, trying to start the destroyer before Lila could retaliate. Seeing her stubborn resistance, Lila couldn't help but chuckle.

The next instant, a bluish-gray four-legged metal monster was launched from the red and white Poké Ball.

It was Metagross, who had been knocked down by Genesect but regained a sliver of strength using a fragment of energy while Lila was in hiding.

And now is the time for it to play its role again!

"Now!"

Before any of the Pokémon on the field could attack, the detective had given the final order.

""big Bang"!"

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

Chapter 415 The End of the Giant's Cave Incident

When Interpol reinforcements arrived at the bottom level of Giant's Cave, the Team Plasma members stationed there were in a state of chaos, leaderless and disorganized. Even just Lyra's Snorlax and Lucario, left behind, were making it as difficult for them to regroup as a Caterpie being chased by Pidgeotto.

Although the strange destroyer stuck in the ice surprised the detectives, it did not slow down the expedition's progress.

Near the ship, on the precarious ice, the leader of the resistance was a mid-level Plasma Group officer named Brad. Despite his desperate attempts to reorganize the battle lines, the Interpol agents' coordination was clearly superior. Simultaneously launching attacks from both the caves and escape routes, they also held a numerical advantage, quickly routing the Plasma Group.

As the battle progressed into the destroyer's interior, the detectives successfully located the handsome man in the command center, who had already administered initial first aid. As the highest-ranking officer after the captain went missing, he continued to provide updates to the main force via the detective communicator while trapped—one of the reasons why the operation to apprehend the suspects proceeded so smoothly.

Incidentally, although the handsome detective's partner, the delinquent frog, was seriously injured in the explosion, fortunately, his life was not in danger. Having used the Spirit Shard, his condition has now stabilized.

Another, larger squad was also searching towards the stern of the destroyer, their goal being to find Captain Lila, who had remained silent since the explosion.

This part progressed even more smoothly, because before they even reached the emergency steering station at the stern, they could already hear the shrill screams of Team Plasma soldiers and the crackling sounds of Lyra's Pokémon actively unleashing Electric-type moves.

This legendary Electric-type Pokémon was recalled into its Poké Ball by its trainer when Lyra commanded Metagross to use "Explosion," so it was unaffected by the blast's impact. Therefore, after the explosion wiped out all the opposing Pokémon on the field, Raikou occupied the steering station, preventing any Team Plasma members from entering.

Guided by its electric light, the detectives quickly found Captain Lila unconscious in the steering station, along with a large number of Team Plasma members who had also fallen into a coma beside her—including Team Plasma's former sage "Windhole" Vio and the infamous Team Aqua executive "Murderous Feather" Izumi.

No one was in mortal danger, perhaps because Metagross deliberately reduced the power of its self-destruction to protect Lyra. Additionally, it seems another Pokémon used the "Mud Play" move at the Steering Station earlier, which also slightly reduced the blast radius of the "Big Bang."

After successfully locating the two officers who had taken the lead, the Interpol officers swiftly and decisively subdued all the Plasma Team members present. The crisp clinking of handcuffs echoed throughout the Giant's Cave, and no accidents occurred during the entire process.

.

About two hours later, Lila awoke from her coma in the destroyer's lounge.

Hearing people talking in hushed tones, she secretly opened her eyes and found her familiar Interpol colleagues in front of her, which made Lila breathe a sigh of relief.

Further away, the detective spotted the spirits that had been injured in the battle earlier—

Alakazam and Espeon sat back to back, using their psychic powers to manipulate healing potions to treat each other; outside the door, Snorlax's round figure and Lucario's upright back could be vaguely seen; while Metagross—the warrior most severely injured in the self-destruction—was lying on the carpet with its four legs spread apart like a tired mechanical beast, with scorch marks from the explosion still remaining on its metal shell.

On the opposite hospital bed, the handsome guy's delinquent frog was also lying quietly receiving treatment, its dark blue skin covered with a thick layer of ointment.

Lei Gong was the first to notice her waking up. He gently pressed his warm golden mane against her arm, and the familiar warmth, carrying a slight static charge, finally made Lila breathe a sigh of relief, and her tense muscles gradually relaxed.

But then, she heard some rather bad news from her colleague—

"What? The giant ice block that sealed the spirit is gone?"

Lila, who had almost single-handedly fought against the entire Plasma Group base, stared wide-eyed at the news she was hearing, her emerald-purple eyes wide with disbelief.

"Isn't that destroyer still here? The Plasma Cluster couldn't break through the cave exit either, so how did they manage to move the ice?"

"When we broke into the ship, the cargo door at the stern had been secretly opened, and there were still scratches and water stains on the floor where ice had slid."

A hoarse voice rang out from afar, and a handsome detective, now back in his trench coat, was being helped towards them by a colleague. The detective still had bandages on his head. His gaze lingered for a moment on the unconscious "Bad Frog" on a nearby hospital bed before turning to Lila—

"Besides the sealed Pokémon in the ice, Team Plasma scientist Acroma and his Steel-type Pokémon also disappeared at the same time."

“The two are not necessarily related,” Lila said cautiously.

“Akromar has a pretty strong Psychic-type Pokémon with her, so it’s not surprising that she was able to escape from the cave.” She sighed as she recalled the previous battle, then frowned. “But the frozen tundra blocks that sealed the Pokémon were so huge, they couldn’t have just disappeared without a sound. Could they have been sunk into the underground river by Team Plasma?”

“The underground river beneath the permafrost isn’t very deep. We sent out a water-type spirit to investigate as soon as we discovered the situation,” the detective who was helping the handsome man said, shaking his head. “The riverbed is full of sharp rocks, and there aren’t even any wild spirits. Apart from the icy water, it’s practically empty.”

"So it seems that the disappearance of that sealed spirit must be related to Akromma, right?" The expedition captain struggled to sit up from his sickbed.

"Is it possible that the Pokémon inside the ice broke free of its seal after entering the water and escaped on its own?" The detective had never seen a Pokémon under the ice with his own eyes, and he asked with some confusion.

Lila shook her head: "It takes more than one day for ice to freeze three feet deep. Although it has been cut, the thickness of the ice layer can still maintain the seal for a while. Moreover, if a powerful Pokémon were to awaken from the seal nearby, Raikou would definitely sense it."

Everyone turned to look at the legendary elf lying beside Lila. As if noticing their gaze, the elf raised its neck and shook its majestic head with remarkable understanding.

It seems there is no perception...