Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"History itself is a long, serialized bandit novel," Joggs replied calmly. "By studying history, we can understand the rise and fall of dynasties. And all these rises and falls, over and over again, are nothing more than the same thing—one group that has the power of destruction overthrows another group that has the power of destruction, and then uses the same methods to consolidate its own position. Don't you agree?"

“I agree, I couldn’t agree more!” 'Foolish Carnival' pressed his forehead, almost bursting into laughter. “I understand now. Why you, the calmest and most neutral of all the sages, would choose such an extreme method.”

“I originally thought that the existence of your adopted son would make him the ‘king’ who could shake up the United States,” Joggs said. “However, I now have to admit that I did overestimate the situation.”

Quixote scoffed, "That guy is still too weak."

"You're wrong again, Lord Ghetsis." The historian shook his head. "On the chessboard, a king who charges recklessly is far less formidable than one who hides in a heavily guarded castle, surrounded by layers of protection. The real problem with Team Plasma lies with us, the subordinates entrusted with the king's trust—we misjudged the balance of power between ourselves and the Alliance, and that is the root cause of our current predicament."

"It's just that the other side has a superior player." The Sage Chief still insisted on his opinion. "Compared to the Alliance Champion's privilege of acting arbitrarily in that camp, our Sage Council's decision-making process is still too slow and conservative. And N is unwilling to take on the responsibilities corresponding to the King—this is what I mean by 'weakness'."

The reason why the wise men check each other and N cannot become a true king is precisely because there is a "pope" named "Foolish Revelry" in the order.

Joggs, who had always remained aloof and neutral in the factional struggles within the Plasma Group, did not utter this slightly offensive question. He simply raised his hand and pointed to the stone tablet in Qychth's hand.

“Even decentralized power has its purpose. If the current cult were a one-man show under His Majesty the King, I probably wouldn’t be asking you for this.”

The rock slab—compared to the steel slab next to it that gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen—looked like an ordinary brown brick. But judging from the occasional glances the land cloud would stealthily lift its eyelids towards the slab, it must truly contain a powerful energy capable of altering the weather of the entire coastal region.

"How about it?" asked the "Exiled Ocarina." "The mire of history is filthy and corrupt; are you willing to plunge into it?"

“I’ve always been a resident there,” Quixote shrugged dismissively. “If I was going to refuse you, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”

"It seems the alliance has made some clever moves again."

Seeing that Quixote showed no sign of resistance, Joggs sighed—this old friend, who was usually quite protective of his public image, had so readily agreed to his proposal, which showed that Group Plasma was truly forced to take a desperate gamble.

“If we continue searching, there might be other organizations in other regions willing to trade our stone tablets for strategic materials, like the Lava Team did. At the very least, we could use them as collateral to pawn the Black Market’s underground banks and hire a bunch of fearless outlaws…” Quixote paused, “Of course, compared to what you’re about to do, those guys’ destructive capabilities are nothing to brawl.”

He handed over the stone slab that symbolized unwavering will.

"Then, 'Exile of the Osmanthus'—show the United Nations your teachings."

Joggs took the stone slab and, without hesitation, placed it in the hands of the Earth Cloud. The moment the latter touched the stone slab, its aura surged.

“Lord Gryphon, if you wish to leave, please do so now,” Joggs said calmly. “Once Landorus reveals its power, this will no longer be an area where Pokémon can roam freely.”

"Heh, soon the entire Unova won't be like that either."

The outline of the Coffin of Death appeared behind Quixote. The coffin lid opened, and the Sage took a step back, disappearing into the black, other-dimensional space.

The next second, the open door slammed shut—the Coffin of Death launched a "Sneak Attack" and disappeared from the ocean platform.

This "fool's carnival" is probably headed for the Black Market next. After all, at this critical juncture, Quigish will not let the remaining stone tablet go to waste.

The historian glanced at the land cloud beside him.

"Then let's begin."

His voice was understated.

""sandstorm"."

Chapter 485 Surrounded by a Thousand Layers of Clouds and Water

As if sensing what the trainer was about to do, Landorus, gripping the rock slab, sighed softly. Its almost compassionate face turned towards the sky and slowly rose.

Next, this deity, who symbolizes the earth and abundance in the Unova region, clasped his hands together, using the stone slab between his palms as the center of a sphere, and unleashed a surge of rock-based energy.

A layer of earthen-yellow barrier space unfolded around it—with the aid of the stone slabs, this spherical area spread across the entire sea at a geometrical speed. Wherever it reached, the sea breeze suddenly stopped, and the once clear blue sky and water instantly became dry and gloomy.

And this is merely the initial condition for the formation of a "sandstorm".

In a normal Pokémon battle, releasing "Sandstorm" doesn't require such a complex preparation that's more ritualistic than practical. But Joggs' purpose is far from simply covering a small area to serve as a battleground—Landcloud has to do it for the sake of the trainer's "wish."

Next, the air inside the yellow sphere began to flow slowly.

As the air churned, the rock-based energy gradually merged with the real world, making the air increasingly dense. Fine sand particles formed in this arid space, and visibility further decreased. Then, the airflow accelerated, and larger grains of sand began to appear amidst the yellowish-brown storm. Anyone venturing into this area would inevitably be choked by these strange substances—and this was already the limit of human endurance.

Because immediately afterward, pebbles the size of hailstones appeared in the air.

They even collide with each other in the pursuit of the gale, making crackling and scraping sounds—this is the source of why ordinary "Sandstorm" moves can interfere with Pokémon battles. However, compared to this "Sandstorm" on the sea, the commotion created by those Rock-type Pokémon is almost child's play.

If such a commotion were to occur on the land of the United States, people would certainly not remain unresponsive.

The overwhelming sandstorm, the sudden darkening of the sky, and the dry, dusty air—even the most oblivious pedestrian would inevitably look up.

However, this platform, built for underwater ruins, is isolated in the deep sea, several nautical miles from the shore of Ripple Town, and Landorus's attack is launched from a height much higher than sea level. The commotion here, aside from causing nearby aquatic Pokémon to instinctively feel uneasy and flee to deeper waters, and causing the occasional Flying-type Pokémon passing by in the sky to detour, has almost no further impact.

But this does not mean that no living beings will notice this anomaly.

In particular—Joggs had carefully selected this location for the ceremony. He knew the direction of the ocean currents, the path of the sea breeze, and how the dissipated rock-type energy would be enveloped, transported, and diffused by these natural forces, ultimately reaching the Pokémon most sensitive to this "scent."

According to this historian's long-term research, the two elves happen to roam around this sea area during this season.

That's what he's betting on.

"coming."

The sage in the green robe murmured softly, his gaze fixed on the northeastern horizon.

At first, it was just a faint flash of light deep in the clouds—like a sigh exhaled from a gap in the clouds before a thunderstorm. But the light did not vanish in an instant like ordinary lightning; instead, it began to split and recombine at a speed visible to the naked eye. On the sky, which had unknowingly turned gray, it traced more and more forked blue trails.

At the same time, the wind changed direction.

As if twisted abruptly by an unseen giant hand, the moist air currents that, while affected by the "sandstorm," were still largely blowing from the ocean to the land were brutally cut off. In their place came a chaotic and surging gale, carrying with it a pungent, acrid smell of ozone. Thick, dark clouds were pushed in by the gale, and the brilliant sunshine was swept away.

Then comes the sound.

At first, it was like tearing silk, then like rolling thunder, and finally it transformed into a continuous, chest-shaking roar—as if the entire sky was roaring in anger. The sound pierced through the boundless sea, pressing in from all directions at once.

"From the same direction?"

On the swaying mechanical platform, Joggs gazed at the distant commotion, feeling a little more at ease.

The current situation suggests that the two Pokémon probably fought on their way here...

"Considering the stamina those guys have expended, the chances of success... have increased a little more."

The tornado cloud appeared first.

It emerged from the folds of the clouds, appearing as a blurry dot from a distance, yet carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.

In the blink of an eye, the green figure riding the clouds suddenly magnified in Joggs's vision.

Where it swept across, the straight wind pressure sliced ​​the sea surface cleanly—although the depth of this area was not deep enough for the seawater to surge to both sides and expose the dry seabed as in mythology, a continuous white chasm, as if it were to tear the sea apart forever, was still conspicuously etched on the shimmering waves.

On the other side, the thunderclouds, which control lightning and torrential rain, make an even more flamboyant appearance.

Although it arrived a little late, its speed was no less than that of a tornado. The reason it was late was probably because of the dark blue-black cumulonimbus cloud trailing behind it, and the crackling electric tail that constantly flung arcs of electricity across the sea—it skillfully used some of its acceleration power for its grand spectacle.

This blue cloud deity moved in a zigzag pattern between the sea and sky, as if expanding its territory, continuously dispersing moisture from the ocean into the air. As a result, the clouds gathered thicker and thicker, and the sky grew increasingly dim.

Two legendary Pokémon arrived one after the other, but neither of them looked at Yoggs on the platform.

Their gazes were all focused on the land cloud.

The focus is on that same creature that once shared the skies with them, but now willingly serves as an accomplice to humanity, causing abnormal weather over the ocean.

Focusing on that "sandstorm" space, which exudes eerie rock-based energy and is now slowly rotating, constantly spreading outwards with a provocative air.

Land Cloud, however, did not respond to the gazes of its two defeated adversaries.

Then--

That earthen-yellow barrier once again expanded outwards in a grand manner.

"You must be angry, right?"

Joggs shaded his eyes with his hand, blocking the raindrops that had begun to fall.

Raindrops pounded on the iron platform, making a dense, crisp sound, and quickly wetted the rusty metal surface, turning it a dark color.

No matter which city in the United States you search through the historical records, the names Tornado Cloud and Thunder Cloud are completely unrelated to the word "good-tempered". Even Land Cloud, which has a relatively better reputation, always leaves people with an impression of being majestic and ruthless in the records.

After all, these Pokémon are originally the embodiment of the weather—the power of nature.

And nothing is more ruthless than nature itself.

Faced with the indifference of their lifelong nemesis and the blatant invasion of their territory by the Land Cloud, they could not possibly remain indifferent.

The two Pokémon in the air exchanged a glance, and then nodded simultaneously without hesitation.

The next second, like two shooting stars, they simultaneously crashed into the "sandstorm" where the land cloud was located!

Chapter 486 Using Bronze as a Mirror

In the legends of the Unova region, the three cloud gods, led by Landorus, possess a different appearance that is completely different from their incarnations.

That was their original form before humans became the masters of the Earth.

At that time, there were no cities, no gyms, and no contracts between trainers and Poké Balls on the land. There was only wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and endless wastelands and oceans.

The power of nature gave "clouds" their most primitive form—tornadoes soar like birds, drawing unpredictable trajectories across the sky; lightning leaps like dragons and snakes, accumulating destructive energy deep within the dark clouds; sandstorms roar like tigers in the mountains, carrying the earth's weight and violence, sweeping away everything in their path.

That was the pure, untamed power of nature.

But then, humans appeared.

They looked up at the sky, revering the ever-changing winds and clouds, and prayed, offered sacrifices, and sang praises day after day.

They personified those indescribable natural phenomena as deities, gave them names and images, carved their likenesses in temples, and wrote their deeds in ancient texts...

Turn “them” into “them”.

Words are more powerful than swords, and speech possesses power. When whispered prayers are heard for a thousand years, even the most lofty legends cannot remain unmoved.

It is unclear when it began, but these natural forces have tempered their power—the beast-like bodies have transformed into solemn statues, and their originally violent and unpredictable nature has gradually become relatively gentle and stable.

Occasionally, there are even local reports that these legendary Pokémon, which appear and disappear without a trace, will actually appear on their own initiative in times of crisis in the city, helping humans and the Pokémon in the city overcome difficulties.

However, have those suppressed powers truly vanished without a trace?

Or rather—if those primitive, bestial forms represent the "truth" of the Three Cloud Gods, then is the "ideal" posture they present today, which is worshipped by humans, merely a forced suppression, sealing, or even condensation of those dark and violent aspects into something even more terrifying?

Joggs lowered his head and glanced at the antique mirror in his hand.

Since acquiring this item, he has gathered a team in the plasma cluster to study it. However, how this "revealing mirror" should trigger the original power of the land clouds remains unknown.

The only thing that can be confirmed is that the mirror itself does not contain any special energy.

It doesn't contain a part of the soul of a legendary Pokémon, like in horror stories, nor does it have a transformation device like in tokusatsu shows, which can change the form of a Pokémon with a flash of light.

When the research stalled, some researchers even privately asked Joggs if he had found a fake product that had no function at all.

The possibility of such danger certainly exists.

The premise is—that is, if the land cloud were not by the sage's side to help him confirm it.

This is undoubtedly an item that can change the form of the Cloud God.

Whether it's the legends passed down through generations around Mountain Road Town or the sacrificial records in the Shrine of Abundance that have not been lost, they all record roughly the same story—a priest once used this mirror to quell the anger of the Cloud God; a trainer in the early days of the League also brought his Cloud God into the shrine, and after using this mirror, the latter's appearance changed visibly.

So here's the question—how could a mirror with no special power cause a legendary Pokémon to change its form?

Originally, Jogos had almost given up on this attempt. Until the scholar now referred to as having a "personal interest"—Akromar—returned to the Order.

"Can't find the source of the deformation energy? That's easy."

The scientist, a true madman even within the Plasma Cluster, was fiddling with his newly developed equipment while brazenly occupying the lab space, directing a group of strangely behaving rock-dwelling crabs to move something around. He spoke to Joggs, who had been pushed aside, with an air of self-righteous indifference, as if to say, "Isn't this obvious?"

"Just think about the original principle behind the behavior of 'looking in the mirror'."

"Looking in the mirror?"

The historian lowered his head and saw only his own slightly blurred reflection in the mirror.

"This is the most basic knowledge of optics."

Akromma merely glanced at the revealing mirror in Joggs' hand, then adjusted her glasses and continued to observe the almost mechanical movements of the Rock Palace Crabs.

Compared to the land cloud, this guy was clearly more interested in the "project" Vio was carrying out. The device he was currently debugging also seemed to be specifically prepared for that operation.

However, despite showing little interest in land clouds, Akromma still offered his advice from a scientist's perspective.

"Although most mirrors today are made of silver-plated glass, in the era when the ancient props in your hands were created, such technology probably wasn't used yet."

“According to the spectrometer analysis, the mirror is made of polished bronze,” Joggs answered truthfully, but for a moment he couldn’t figure out what the other person was trying to say.

“No matter what material it is, if it wants to be a mirror, there is only one most important quality… that is, it must be smooth enough.” Akromma tapped his glasses frame with his knuckles. “Only a smooth surface can allow light to be reflected accurately and clearly.”

"The reflection of light—is this the basic principle you mentioned?"

"Introductory-level physics knowledge, isn't it?" The scholar shrugged dismissively.