Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"It seems that Azure was about to report important information about the Alliance's underground territory to me before the attack, so Ditto contacted me later as well. I didn't expect those people to launch an attack so quickly. We should have had the Alliance send someone else to handle the inquiries here."

“It was thanks to this gentleman who explained the situation in time.” The nurse gave Hugo a grateful look—the sudden attack on the visiting guest in front of the sanatorium had indeed caught her off guard.

"Do you have any leads on the attack here?" After the nurse left the ward, the Snow City guild master asked Hugo in a low voice.

Based on her professional ethics, the detective answered without hesitation: "There are water stains on the blue-clad woman's clothes. Judging from the attack power and the distance from which it was launched, it should be Thousand Faces' unique water-based move, 'Sniper,' and she deliberately restrained its power to ensure accuracy."

"Was it the Plasma Cluster that did this?" Hachiku's fists clenched involuntarily.

"No," the detective on the screen denied. "Judging from the modus operandi, it should be the work of Team Aqua, which has merged with Team Plasma. They have obviously been monitoring Azur Lane's actions for a long time."

"So, it's highly likely that Group Plasma has also obtained information about Soma's location in this sanatorium. Since Azure was attacked here, has our plan to lure them out been exposed?" Hachiku asked in a deep voice.

"On the contrary, if Team Plasma and Team Aqua realize this is a trap, they will stop this reckless attack." Hugo shook his head.

"Those people have probably only just realized that the Alliance's underground secrets have been exposed, so they're planning to weaken the Alliance's strength in this desperate situation. Therefore, our operation can still proceed as planned for now. However, since Team Plasma no longer has the need to eliminate witnesses, our provocations need to be more proactive. Besides..."

Hugo's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the sickbed—

“Azure is currently unable to move, and to prevent further attacks, her Pokémon must also remain in this sanatorium. This leaves the League with only three Gym Leaders, while the opposing side faces a combined force from Team Aqua and Team Plasma…”

"It's not 'only'."

Hatchku interrupted the detective, his voice as calm as ice and snow.

"We have three dojo leaders here, which is enough to deal with any enemy attack."

"Sigh, I knew you'd say that," Hugo sighed, as if defeated.

"Alright, please also convey this message to Mr. Kiku and Ms. Fuu-ro, who are lying in ambush—please don't push yourselves too hard. I will try to organize other reinforcements. Before the reinforcements arrive, preserving our strength should be our top priority... By the way, the battleground must be far away from the Snowflake Wetlands. The opposing water fleet is involved, so be careful of their traps and schemes."

"I will remember this." With those words, Hachiku turned and disappeared down the corridor.

.

As evening fell, almost at the same time the battle began inside the Giant's Cave, thick smoke suddenly billowed from the church spire of Team Plasma in Snowflake City.

Whoosh—!

With a sharp crack, Hatchiku, wearing a mask, burst out of the stained glass window on the front of the church.

His figure streaked across the sky, his feet treading on the swirling geometric snowflakes as he swept across the city bathed in the setting sun, speeding towards the designated battlefield in the east.

Behind them, shattered stained-glass windows rained down like a curtain of ice, yet not a single pursuer appeared. But at this moment, both the dojo leader and the lurking enemies knew perfectly well—

The war that will determine the future of the United States Alliance has silently begun in this blood-red twilight.

Chapter 420 When Fate Has Uttered Its Throat

Perhaps no one in the world understands the fact that "he is not a hero" better than Hachiku.

Just as a con artist knows best that his so-called "project" is a scam, it is precisely because Hachku always plays a hero on screen that he is so clearly aware that he is a complete imposter.

I am not an all-powerful knight-errant, but just a martial arts actor who is suspended by wires, swings his fists, sometimes performs acrobatics, and sometimes poses for the camera.

Compared to the characters in those stories, he neither saved the world nor made any contribution to social justice. Even though he had some fans, all he did was perform in front of the camera, following a pre-arranged script and choreography, cooperating with the actors in villain suits. After the director waved the clapperboard to announce the end of filming for the day, he would go off to drink with the "enemies" who had taken off their costumes, arm in arm, chatting about everyday life.

Hatchku knew he couldn't do the kind of thing that was full of love and dreams.

He once carelessly botched a performance, was driven to the brink of collapse by an unpredictable character, and even broke off a friendship with his colleagues on set. The demanding workload made it difficult for him to even start a family. And as his fame grew, his old friends drifted further and further away. He clung desperately to his "never using a stunt double" reputation, like a lifeline, but he had already begun to notice the marks of injury on his body…

Despite his best efforts, when a fan suffering from a terminal illness appeared before him, he could only awkwardly leave an autograph and a photo before fleeing.

This world is built of reality as hard as rock, endless and unfathomably thick. So-called bright and beautiful ideals are nothing more than fine snow covering the surface of this stone wall. Under the wind and sun, it can hardly even maintain the shape of ice. Even just touching it with a finger may melt it, thus exposing the hideous world beneath the snow.

The truth of this world is always like this—

Even with great effort, perfection is not guaranteed. Even if you overcome all difficulties and push through illness to make a film, it may still fail and result in financial loss. The reputation you've built up can turn sour overnight. The more devoted the believer, the more demanding they are of their idol. In reality, screenwriters won't craft brilliant plot twists for you. Villains aren't necessarily defeated by good guys. Misunderstandings and prejudices are always difficult to resolve. Miracles don't happen in the most desperate times. The aftertaste of justice is often bitter...

Even so, Hatchku still dreams of becoming a hero.

After all, no one understands better than him how dazzling the brilliance of a hero can be.

Every moment he portrays a hero in front of the camera, his soul trembles. Even if it's just a lie, it's precisely because of its beauty and dazzling effect that it captivates everyone—no matter how dark the walls of reality may be, that fleeting layer of snow can ultimately prove that the dazzling light did indeed exist.

He dreams of upholding his beliefs like the protagonist of "Hatch Cool," yearns to defend justice like the protagonist of "Full Metal Cop," is obsessed with protecting his dignity like the protagonist of "Iceman," and is determined to be fearless like the protagonist of "Ghostbusters"... Of course, he would have such wishes in the dead of night.

That's why, when Hatchik, who had been ordered by the doctor to temporarily retire from acting, saw the olive branch extended to him by Adek, he mustered the courage to grasp that rough, large hand.

.

Just as it flew out of Snowflake City, the speeding geometric snowflake encountered an invisible wall.

This situation was exactly what Hachiku had anticipated. He immediately adjusted his posture, leaped into the air, and the geometric snowflakes beneath his feet began to spin rapidly in perfect unison. By the time the trainer landed again, the Ice-type Pokémon had already cleared away the "light wall" obstacle blocking its path.

However, the crisis was not over yet. The Ice-type Gym Leader had just barely managed to stabilize himself when another sharp blade appeared in front of him.

"Air Blade"!

The flying-type moves, accompanied by the sound of wind, seemed to truly tear through the air, unleashing one after another from afar, making the once vast sky almost impassable. If hit by them, there was a high chance of being forced into a state of fear.

Left with no other choice, Hatchku had to abandon its high-speed flight advantage and make an emergency landing on the ground.

The resistance of the ground cover significantly slowed down the release speed of the "Air Blade," and the swaying vegetation made it easier for him to discern the direction of the incoming attack. The only drawback was that the crash landing site was quite a distance from where Kiku and his men were lying in ambush—and it happened to be near the snowflake wetlands that Hugo had warned him about!

"As expected, the other side was already on guard."

Hachiku nimbly leaped off the geometric snowflakes, cautiously surveying his surroundings. The enemies who had attacked from afar earlier seemed to have quieted down, but this was undoubtedly the calm before the storm.

Sure enough, in the mist of the distant wetlands, a blue bishop's robe appeared silently.

"From a single leaf one can know that autumn is coming... What exactly is your intention in suddenly attacking our Plasma Cluster Church?"

Behind the old man floated the God of Harvest, arms crossed. This Ground-type Pokémon, which had once defeated a group of elite trainers at the foot of the Tower of Heaven, was now bathed in the moisture of early spring in the snowy wetlands. Its majestic eyes were narrowed, and it was unclear what it was thinking.

Meanwhile, the trainer who captured it—Team Plasma Sage Joggs—was calmly walking toward the Ice-type Gym Leader who had fled here, meeting Hatchling's sharp gaze.

Landorus's Ground/Flying typing is four times weak to Hatchling's Ice typing, but its strength as a Legendary Pokémon should not be underestimated.

Hatchik took a step forward, his lower body unconsciously bending into a fighting stance reminiscent of those seen on the movie screen: "I'd like to ask you, what kind of conspiracy is buried in the underground ruins of the Alliance headquarters?"

"Heh, it seems you've already noticed something." The sage in blue robes frowned, then calmly revealed a cold smile. "A ruler should naturally have a residence befitting his status. We are merely preparing for what is bound to happen in the future."

"Then, what I do is the same."

Facing the sage who was clearly prepared, the ice-type gym leader, wearing a cool mask, raised his arms one in front of the other, a posture ready to throw a punch at any moment.

"We are merely taking precautions against potential future disasters."

He delivered lines like a leading man, placed his forearm flat upwards, beckoned to his opponent, and wore a cold, stern smile that would drive countless movie fans wild—

"May I offer my guidance?"

The next instant, the sage in blue robes raised his sleeves, revealing his trump card—

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

With several loud booms, dust exploded from the ground in all four directions around Hachiku.

It was definitely a trap!

To the left front, the heavy shell of the Rock Palace Crab crushed the ground, and the huge, tombstone-like rock gleamed coldly in the twilight.

To the right rear, the super armored rhinoceros's horn whirred shrilly, tearing through the air tinged with yellowish-brown by the sand.

Directly in front of him, a fossil pterosaur bursting from the ground spread its ancient membranous wings, casting a shadow of death upon the ground.

The three Rock-type Pokémon perfectly countered Hachiku's Ice-type attacks, but compared to the threat behind him, these were nothing.

The sudden burst of immense heat almost knocked him over. Hachiku barely managed to turn his head and saw the second sun rising sharply from the horizon. Its six burning wings turned the drifting dust blood red, and scales fell like sparks.

“Learn from the past to guide the future… After being defeated by that former champion, I believe I have grown as a result.”

Bathed in the light of the double sunset, the old man's cold voice drifted into my ears.

The encirclement formed by the four ferocious beasts perfectly blocked all of Hachiku's escape routes. Their heavy breathing rose and fell in the smoke and dust, like the opening drumbeats of an ancient sacrifice.

Chapter 421 Effort Will Never Betray

"Speaking of the sages in Team Plasma, their past identities were either university professors or highly respected scholars in research institutes, so these people can almost be said to be the embodiment of dogmatism. When facing Hatchling, who is good at Ice-type, such people will naturally choose to follow the most basic textbook common sense - use a Pokémon with type advantage to deal with it."

Looking at the battlefield in the distance, where sand and fire were spreading, the captain of the naval fleet, who was lying in ambush beside a reed bed in the snowflake wetlands, spoke to his subordinates.

Unlike the sniping attack on Azure, this ambush did not require any concealment. Therefore, these dozens of Fleet Aqua members simply wore a perfunctory layer of grass-colored camouflage cloth and sat openly around their leader, Archie.

Like pirates awaiting a boarding maneuver, the members of this evil organization suppressed their burgeoning fighting spirit while listening to their leader analyze the purpose and trajectory of the ambush—

"Don't be fooled by Joggs's lone-wolf stance. That order has plenty of backup nearby, enough to handle a desperate counterattack from several gym leaders. So, no matter how much commotion they cause, we don't need to worry."

The water sycamore plucked a wisp of reed fluff that had drifted onto its shoulder and flicked it into the water.

"Our mission is to hold the rear for Team Plasma. To rescue Hatchling, who has fallen into Team Plasma's trap, the Unova League will inevitably send more reinforcements, perhaps other Unova gym leaders, or even members of the League Police... Who they are is not important. Our only task is to intercept them here. If the League bypasses us to attack Team Plasma, we will wait for them to launch their offensive before launching a sneak attack from behind. As for how to fight, I don't think I need to specifically teach you."

The thugs, hidden beneath camouflage, revealed cruel smiles, and at the same time, two small black dots appeared on the horizon behind them.

"Did the league react so quickly?"

As the black dot gradually approached, the leader of Team Aqua frowned—with Kanto trainer Azure incapacitated, the League and that scout shouldn't be able to gather more manpower for the time being.

According to the information he received as a "gift" from the "information shop," at this very moment, the Elite Four members in the Unova region are under the close surveillance of Team Plasma and are gathered near Flying Cloud City for unknown reasons.

According to the cult's strategy, the Plasma Team churches located in major cities have completed their initial "propaganda" work and are ready to cooperate with the Plasma Team's actions at any time to cause various disturbances in the local areas to hold back the gym leaders. Of course, with the strength of those rabble, they naturally cannot hold them back for too long. Perhaps the League police alone can suppress them, but that would be enough to disrupt the League's overall plan.

If the person who came was really sent by that detective, it could only be an outsider like Azure and himself who came to Unova temporarily, or a backup plan that had been set up in this area from the beginning... Archie tends to think it is the latter, but with the other party's intelligence, would they really reveal their last trump card at the very beginning of the battle?

The answer was soon revealed.

The black dots appearing in the sky have taken on clear shapes, revealing them to be two Pokémon that have mastered the "Fly" move—Swan and Flygon.

The people riding on the backs of these two elves were a young girl with long ochre hair and a middle-aged man wearing a huge wide-brimmed hat.

It was none other than the Gym Leaders of Fuyuki City and Hombara City—Kazeru and Kiku!

They abandoned their original ambush location!

.

On the other side of the battlefield, Hatchiku reacted as the trap was set.

"Geometric Snowflake!" he shouted. Without further instructions, the crystal Pokémon, whose body was made of ice crystals, turned around decisively and rushed towards Volcarona.

The Ice-type Gym Leader charged forward, and the Aerodactyl blocking its path spread its purple wings, unleashing a barrage of "Rock Slide" attacks.

"Is he trying to use himself as bait to make the attacks of the Super Armored Rhinoceros and the others interfere with each other?"

Seeing Hachiku recklessly charge into the center of the encirclement, Yogs became wary.

"Vulcan Moth, 'Big Flame Burst'! Take down that geometric snowflake first!"

Watching Hachiku skillfully dodge the falling rocks and advance towards the fossil pterosaur as if scaling walls, the Blue-Clad Sage decided to continue the encirclement tactic.

"Crucian Crab and Rhyperior, use Rock Tomb to restrict that person's movement! Aerodactyl, strengthen the Rock Slide attack, don't give him a chance to release a Pokémon to counterattack!"

Towering rock walls suddenly rose up on both sides of Hachiku. The smooth surface offered no footholds to climb over, and between the two rock walls, a deluge of rocks poured down.

Behind the Ice-type Gym Leader, Volcarona's "Pyroblast" instantly engulfed the geometric snowflakes, and the fragile ice crystals vanished without a trace amidst the explosive sound.

Rumble... The falling rocks created by the "rockfall" buried the original location of Hachiku.

As the dust settled, there was no trace of the Ice-type Gym Leader left in the arena.

"Uh, it's over just like that?"

As he stroked his beard, trying to guess his opponent's tactics, Yoger was momentarily dumbfounded. At the same time, the land cloud that had been floating beside him let out a cold snort and turned its gaze to the back of the super armored rhinoceros on its right.

In the shadows of all Pokémon's blind spots, water vapor scattered in the air is quietly condensing, transforming into a smaller geometric snowflake. And in the gap of this Pokémon's mouth-like opening, a wisp of green light has already condensed with the sunlight provided by the setting sun and Volcarona.

"Oh no! Super Armored Rhinoceros, 'Dig'!"

Joggs hurriedly issued the order—but it was too late.

The Grass-type Solar Beam, which is four times stronger than Rhyperior, suddenly burst out from the gap in the orange-red armor shell of this Drillhead Pokémon, instantly blasting it into the "Rock Tomb" wall it had created. Taking advantage of the chaos caused by Rhyperior, two figures emerged from the rubble.

A red light flashed in one of the men's hands, and a snow-white tundra bear appeared beside him—it was Hachiku, covered in sand.

Thanks to the height created by "Rock Blockade" and "Rock Collapse", the distance between him and the aerial fossil pterosaur has been greatly reduced.

A massive ice pillar solidified between the giant claws of the Tundra Bear. This Ice-type Gym Leader's ace leaped into the air, unleashing an "Ice Pillar Slam" with tremendous force, striking the Aerodactyl, which was weak to Ice-type attacks!

While rocks are twice as effective against ice-type moves, they do not have resistance to ice-type attacks!

At the same time, the Rock Palace Crab, located on the left side of the battlefield, also met its opponent, the figure that leaped out of the rocks along with Hachiku.

That slender and agile figure carried an aura that instilled a subconscious fear in the Rock Palace Crab. In its haste, it tried to "shrink into its shell" to avoid the attack, but it ended up playing right into its opponent's hands!