Pokémon Detective Case Files.

Sensing the threat from behind, the Strike Demon hurriedly turned around and tried to use "Protect," but the barrier it hastily erected was neutralized by the aftershocks of "Hot Wind."

The next moment, the radiant bird-shaped energy ball, carrying the symbolic bird, charged toward the unsuspecting fighting spirit with terrifying force.

But it was precisely at this critical moment—

The symbolic bird, which was unleashing its attack, suddenly froze, and the intense light shining around it vanished abruptly like a candle flame being extinguished.

Of all the attributes, ice is characterized by its fragility and sharpness.

Therefore, trainers who specialize in Ice-type moves should learn how to conceal and utilize their strengths.

With a click.

Abruptly, dense ice crystals suddenly condensed on the symbol bird's body, and the next moment, it transformed into an ice sculpture in mid-air and crashed heavily into the ground due to gravity.

Where the Strike Ghost had originally stood, the pale-faced Hatchling Gym Leader stood there, surrounded by the white light of "Turning Point".

In his arms, a seemingly weak elf proudly puffed out its small chest—it was a mini ice cube, a tiny creature only slightly larger than an ice cream cone, surrounded by a chilling aura.

The previous "switching of positions" and this ice-attribute move "Absolute Zero" released at point-blank range were both its creations!

Chapter 424 Sleep is Fragmentary Death

Once you become a Gym Leader, you'll inevitably have to train new Pokémon after a while. Otherwise, when all your partners are trained to their peak strength, it will be difficult to engage in worthy battles against novice Trainers.

Mini Ice was chosen by Hachiku based on these considerations and was trained as a backup Pokémon to welcome newcomers.

However, even among the Pokémon considered as candidates, there are occasionally those with exceptional battle talent. This Mini Ice, lovingly hatched and raised from its egg by Hatchling's Double-Dodo Ice, is a prime example of such a creature.

As a Pokémon designed to help beginners, the little guy quickly demonstrated amazing talent in battle. Sometimes, it was even included in the main team of trainers to face challengers with multiple Gym Badges, and even so, Mini Ice never showed the slightest fear in battle.

Logically speaking, with its current strength, Mini Ice should have evolved into Duoduo Ice long ago.

But by sheer coincidence, at a recent screening of a film that Hatchku attended in preparation for his comeback, a director who had previously worked with Hatchku was captivated by the mini ice's unique design, which was both cute and somewhat fierce. He specially invited it to appear as an Easter egg character in the next sequel to "Ice Bear Gate".

The little guy was overjoyed with this opportunity and even wore the Everlasting Stone on his own, determined to keep this look until the movie was finished.

While there's no definitive theoretical basis, many trainers and Pokémon professors believe that Pokémon tend to accumulate strength exceptionally quickly when they remain in their baby form—Mini Ice's case perfectly illustrates this. After equipping an Everstone, its progress in both strength enhancement and move mastery far surpasses that of its teammates, even those in the main team.

At this very moment, it was Mini Ice's small act of persistence that successfully defused the insidious killing move of the Plasma Ball that was aimed at the Strike Demon!

"Hiding Pokémon in one's sleeve...that's quite ingenious."

On the other side of the line of sight, Joggs completely ignored the symbol bird that had been hit at close range by "absolute zero" and fallen to the ground unconscious. He simply twirled his mustache and spoke coldly to Hachiku.

"It seems they've been preparing for this since the start of the battle, intending it as a shield in dire situations? Unfortunately, the 'Curse' move is a targeted curse that kills the target directly; it can't be mitigated by other Pokémon due to spatial barriers."

"On the other hand," Asura continued in a somber voice, "since even your last trump card has been exposed, it means that you... have no more hidden trump cards left."

The Ice-type Gym Leader did not respond, but simply made a gesture with his index finger pointing upwards towards Bear.

The tundra bear immediately understood, pounding its chest and roaring. Where the sound waves reverberated, a chilling cold suddenly spread from the spot where Mini Ice had previously used "Absolute Zero," instantly dispelling the lingering heat of Volcano Moth's "Hot Wind."

Amidst the deafening roar of the bear, a white snowflake quietly drifted down onto the spring wetlands.

Ice-type move, "Snow Scene".

The moment the move is activated, the weather can be forcibly changed to snowy weather.

"Should we let the Volcano Moth cover the weather with 'Sunny Day'?" Joggs asked his companion warily.

In snowy weather, Ice-type Pokémon can use the falling snow to continuously strengthen their defenses, and some of their moves and abilities are even enhanced by the snowfall.

“It’s a pity.” Asura shook her head. “After all, he is the Gym Leader of Snowy City and has four Ice-type Pokémon. We can’t beat him in terms of weather control.”

Ironically, the two sages who initially held an overwhelming numerical advantage are now clearly on the defensive.

With several of Joggs' Pokémon being defeated, even including Landorus, Team Plasma only had three Pokémon left capable of fighting; while Hatchling, even after losing Gekko, still had five Pokémon ready for battle.

"Then... should we use option two?"

The sage in blue raised his hand in a gesture, and the Earth Cloud beside him stepped forward in response.

If the situation is to be maintained before the plan is implemented, this legendary spirit must be added to the battlefield as reinforcement.

"From the moment I sent Death Coffin to make my move, it was an inevitable choice."

The Soul Thief nodded indifferently.

"I never imagined that I would be driven to such a state by a mere person."

Behind him, the Sage's only partner, the Coffin of Death, silently sank back into the shadows, as if it had never existed.

"We've already tied up too many of our men here, so... we can only hope that the Aqua team performs well from now on."

Joggs echoed in a low voice, "I hope they are as strong as they claim, able to handle the reinforcements sent by the Alliance on their own without any cooperation."

The Plasma Group's initial objective was to prevent the leakage of intelligence regarding the Alliance's underground territory. However, now that the secrets have been leaked and the conflict between the Alliance and the Order has intensified, their goal has shifted to reducing the Alliance's manpower as much as possible before a full-scale war breaks out.

Despite the meticulously planned hunt, which failed to effectively suppress Hachiku despite the simultaneous actions of the two sages, they still held onto one last card that could secure victory!

"Strike the Ghost! 'Brick Break'! Daruma and Mini Ice, focus your fire on Landorus with 'Blizzard'!"

Seeing Team Plasma act again, Hatchling immediately took action. He had already learned of Landorus—the powerful legendary Pokémon controlled by Team Plasma—from the Elite Four and Hugo, so he dared not be negligent in the slightest.

The blue Fighting-type Pokémon swiftly swung its blade, shattering the Light Screen and Reflect that surrounded Volcarona in an instant.

Mini Ice leaps gracefully atop Damon's head, and together with the massive Tumbler Pokémon, aims at Landorus, which has just entered the battlefield.

The next moment, a massive blizzard, amplified by the snowy weather, erupted and swept forward with an almost all-consuming force.

The frigid storm not only struck the Earth Cloud directly, but its spreading aftershocks also forced back the Volcano, which was unleashing "Flamethrower" at the Demon, and even forced the lurking Coffin to reveal its true form!

However, this powerful combined attack came to an abrupt halt in front of the Land Cloud—

"Humph!"

The legendary Pokémon with its arms crossed let out a disdainful snort.

In an instant, a surge of heat, completely opposite to the fierce blizzard, appeared out of nowhere and steadily blocked the powerful blow that should have been four times more restrained.

Ground-type move, "Scorching Sandstorm"!

Sweep your opponents with scorching sand and raging winds, sometimes even burning them – this is Land Cloud's signature skill!

A scorching sandstorm surged upwards, tearing through the cold air like a sharp blade, melting all the ice and snow in its path. But in the blink of an eye, the blazing sandstorm retaliated with overwhelming force, hurtling straight towards the Daruma Baboon and Mini Ice!

"Then, activate Plan Two."

Looking at the battlefield, which had once again fallen into a stalemate due to the addition of Land Cloud, a relieved smile finally appeared on Joggs' lips as he pressed a button that had been prepared beforehand on his communicator.

Suddenly, a series of rustling noises came from all around the battlefield—in the once lush woodland of Route 8, several huge cargo trucks abruptly threw off their camouflage tarpaulins and branches, roughly crushed the bushes, and drove into the edge of the clearing where Hatchling and the Sage Pokémon were battling.

The container door slowly opened, revealing a massive device resembling a satellite antenna. Dozens of members dressed in plasma cult uniforms quickly jumped out of the vehicle and began to adjust the equipment in a tense but orderly manner.

This machine was originally brought along as heavy equipment for silencing witnesses and extensive memory alteration, but after some modifications, it has unexpectedly become a useful battlefield weapon.

If it weren't for that detective's interference, this device might have been fully developed two years ago… Joggs thought to himself, but his hands never stopped issuing commands. Only when his subordinates signaled "Ready to complete" did he finally speak solemnly, reciting the final order—

"A dream of wealth and glory, unawakened from the pillow, through countless autumns... For the sake of our cause, let us slumber in this dream!"

The forced dream device—unlike the machine in Dr. Makomo's laboratory that gently connects to the dreams of spirits using dream smoke—is designed to strongly stimulate the central nervous system of living beings, forcing them into painful nightmares and driving them completely insane while they are asleep.

However, without the ability to refine pure dream smoke and lacking sufficient experimental data, this machine is currently unable to forcibly break through the mental barriers of conscious Pokémon to induce hypnosis.

But that doesn't mean it's useless. Whether it's humans or Pokémon, there are always vulnerabilities in the human heart.

For example, the all-pervasive "curse" that was already planted in the Coffin of Death.

Chapter 425 A Storm is Brewing

"It seems Mr. Hatchku is out of danger for now..."

In front of the Flying Cloud City train station, Hugo had just stepped off the business class carriage. Gazing at the night sky shrouded in heavy clouds, he slowly put away the communication terminal he was using to talk to the Snowflake City Gym Leader.

In the eyes of the two sages of Team Plasma, the gym leader should have already fallen into chaos due to the "curse" and the modified Dream Device—but they never expected that Hatchling was actually using this "disadvantage" to cleverly lead the main force of Team Plasma away from the battlefield on the other side of Snowflake Wetlands.

The "curse" of the Coffin of Death was indeed firmly locked onto Hachiku himself, and the backlash damage he suffered made Asura even more convinced that his partner's spell had taken effect—however, even if the spell could take effect, it did not mean that it had hit the intended target correctly.

Indeed, Coffin's Ghost-type move bypassed the Mini Ice that was originally hidden in Hatchling's arms, hitting something further behind. However, the Mini Ice hidden under Hatchling's haori at that time was merely a coincidence—it happened to be there to launch a counterattack. The true last line of defense for the Ice-type Gym Leader was something else entirely!

The person casting the spell must personally confirm the target of the "curse" before releasing the spell.

Conversely, if the image seen by the caster simultaneously contains two targets, the effectiveness of the "curse" may be deflected or confused—until it completely loses its direction.

"As expected of a martial arts actor who has been working in the film and television industry since childhood, his acting skills in simulating injury are truly lifelike. It even makes me wonder... if he is really injured."

Perhaps because it was about to rain, the air felt heavy and oppressive.

Hugo, with a touch of admiration, recalled the scene he had just witnessed on the communication terminal—

On one hand, Hachiku had to feign being affected by the strange device, showing weakness, and using a drunken stagger and flawed command to lure the enemy deeper; on the other hand, he also needed to maintain the strength of the battle line to prevent his Pokémon from being defeated by Asura and Yoggs in one fell swoop.

He maintained a seemingly forced but actually well-paced rhythm, constantly pulling the tide of the battle, neither giving the opponent a chance to stop and think calmly, nor letting them hold onto the illusion that "if we just drag this out any longer, victory will be ours."

Later, Hatchku went against the grain, integrating seemingly chaotic commands with clumsy movements. Facing Landcloud's fierce offensive, he actually used its force against it, launching a counterattack with feints and real attacks, which further deepened Team Plasma's fear...

"Perfect timing, it also throws the only 'mask' that might expose our identity onto the battlefield."

In a corner unnoticed only by those in the know, the blue eye patch that had almost become a symbol of Hachiku quietly fell off as he rolled and fell, and was left behind in the grass where the snow was deepening.

As Hachiku's figure receded into the distance, the once azure blue headscarf-like eye patch silently changed color—

First, it emitted a purple, mud-like sheen, then quickly shrank, transforming into an electric insect no larger than the palm of your hand. It parted the grass under the snow and silently disappeared into the vast wilderness.

It is the seventh Pokémon attached to Hatchling—Azure Ditto!

For the detective and the curator, this was a matter of course—

If her sole purpose was to protect Azur Lane, who was still unconscious in the sanatorium, the current fighting force she had was already more than sufficient. Furthermore, Ditto's adaptability was difficult to fully utilize in a static defense. Therefore, given that the Trainer himself might also be vulnerable to a surprise attack, Hugo naturally wouldn't allow Hatchling to face the enemy alone without any backup. Having this Pokémon, capable of freely changing forms, secretly follow her and possess the Gym Leader became the most natural choice.

The mask covering Hatchling's face replaced his original appearance, making him one of the targets locked by Coffin. It was because of this deviation that Team Plasma's "curse" failed to hit Ditto.

As for the strategy of feigning injury to delay the enemy, it was proposed by Hugo through a communicator hidden in Hatchkull. However, even he did not expect that the curator would execute it so flawlessly.

"Mr. Champion, the Alliance headquarters has completed the evacuation of all personnel. Furthermore, as previously anticipated, the conflicts initiated by Plasma Group churches in various locations have been brought under control. What are the next instructions?"

The "Silent Footsteps" who had previously disguised herself as a nurse had now changed into a neat secretary's outfit and stood quietly beside Hugo.

She held an information terminal that contained intelligence from various sources, and her two elf partners, Miss Skirt and Wind Fairy, followed closely by her, ready to deal with any attack at any time.

"We cannot let our guard down. What is the specific situation of the conflicts in different regions?"

Hugo turned his attention away from the distant rain clouds. He had been keeping a close eye on the battles in both the Giant's Cave and Snowflake City. Although he had made some arrangements for the situation in other areas, he still couldn't put his mind at ease.

"As you predicted, no signs of Plasma Group activity were detected in Hinoki City, Sanki Town, and Tateyu City in the southwest region, thanks to Mr. Adek's personal presence. Although cult riots occurred in Fanba City and Fukiyo City, which were heavily guarded by the police in advance, the situation has been effectively controlled due to thorough preparations."

The chief intelligence officer gently adjusted his non-prescription glasses, which he used as a disguise, and continued—

"Symphogear City, Raven City, Shippo City, and Sanyo City were also targeted by Team Plasma, but the unrest was quickly quelled as the Gym Leaders of each city remained in their respective locations. In addition, the remote Yamajiro Town and Seiwa City were almost unaffected, as Team Plasma did not operate in these areas where there are almost no churches."

"The elite Plasma Team from Kagome Town should have been transferred away beforehand because of the Giant's Cave operation, right?" Hugo glanced at the screen of the information terminal and asked casually.

“Yes.” Luna Silvia nodded in confirmation. “Only a few bluffing thugs were causing trouble in the area, and the local police managed to suppress them smoothly.”

"What about Ripple Town and Karasu Town?" Hugo checked the major towns in the Unova region one by one, and continued to ask, "Have these two places been targeted by Team Plasma?"

"It is true." This top intelligence agent rarely showed genuine admiration in his tone.

"Perhaps because the Alliance's defenses in those areas were weak, Team Plasma even made these outlying towns the main targets of its elite forces. If it weren't for the fact that you, Mr. Champion, had dispatched Ms. Homiga, the Gym Leader of Rikyu City, and Ms. Touko, the Champion's acting representative, to provide support in advance, these cities would probably have already fallen into the hands of Team Plasma."

"No, the Plasma Group's goal has never been occupation. Even if they were to defeat the Alliance in the area, they would probably only engage in some destructive demonstrations at local television stations and administrative centers. The current unrest is, in the end, just part of the 'Rift Mobilization' Smura's 'propaganda offensive'."

The detective's expression was grave, his voice low and clear—

"Local wins and losses have little impact on the overall situation. The true aim of that illegal organization is to drag the entire Union into a state of continuous turmoil and panic. Like carelessly scattering sawdust in a closed room, they are waiting for a spark that could ignite everything—"

"Once it appears, the pressure that the Plasma Cluster has been building up on the land of Unova for more than a decade will explode instantly, plunging the entire Unova into a vortex of chaos. All we can do right now is to open a few windows in this room, deplete their strength in advance, and minimize the damage after this 'dust explosion'."

As if in response to his words, a thunderous roar—

A bolt of lightning suddenly ripped through the dark night sky of Feiyun City.

A fierce wind, carrying raindrops, rushed towards us, as if it were some kind of ominous omens.

Chapter 426 Between Sand and Foam

War, in essence, is the art of the strong bullying the weak. It requires skillful allocation of forces to create a significant advantage in specific areas, overwhelming the opponent. Otherwise, one is easily defeated piecemeal, ultimately ending up with no troops left to fight.

Just like Pokémon battles, in addition to considering the characteristics of the Pokémon itself, you should also try to seize the opportunity to switch Pokémon during the battle, so that the Pokémon with full health and type advantage can face the opponent who is at a disadvantage. This not only makes it easier to seize the opportunity to strengthen and advance, but even if you are not careful and fall into the opponent's tactical trap, you are confident that you can get out of the predicament by relying on pure strength.

Conversely, if you want to defeat the enemy with absolute certainty, you must keep a close eye on the weaker members of their team and dismantle them one by one.