Pokémon Detective Case Files.

Seeing Hugo's strange look, Azure quickly explained, "It was Gym Leader Homiga who requested to continue the full-scale battle. I only used some of my true skills in the battle. These guys came out on their own because they were bored after the battle ended."

"Not a single one...we couldn't even defeat that Archaeopteryx..."

The defeated bassist, the club owner, let out a dry, bellows-like sound as he denounced Azure's atrocities. Hugo's gaze toward his assistant grew increasingly strange.

"This is because Archaeopteryx's attributes are very effective against Miss Homiga's Centipede King, so I let it try it out..."

Azure explained somewhat flusteredly, as if she, the victor, was more embarrassed by her victory.

"I had Pico use 'Baton Pass' to give it the boosts of 'Shrink' and 'Cosmic Power,' wanting Archaeopteryx to experience high-level battles early on... I didn't expect it to actually win..."

As Azure spoke, Archaeopteryx remained with its eyes half-closed, lazily perched on Azure's white sun hat, as if the topic had nothing to do with it.

"Waaah, that centipede king was supposed to be my trump card..."

The band's lead singer, whose once-proud voice was trembling, saw Hugo emerging from behind and, as if finding someone to confide in, tearfully lamented—

"That silly bird is clearly full of weaknesses, but its durability is ridiculously high, and its moves almost never hit it. The few times it does hit, it immediately recovers its full HP with Roost... This is no longer a Pokémon battle; this is blatant humiliation!"

Homiga erupted in a protest-like roar, almost rolling on the ground—

"Shouldn't Pokémon battles be a game that brings smiles to people's faces? Why does such a disgusting skill as 'shrinking' exist?!"

"Something doesn't seem right."

Hugo touched his chin, but felt something was amiss.

He looked Homiga up and down, her body battered, then lowered his voice and spoke to the white-haired girl in a tone only the two of them could hear—

"Gym Leader Homiga, your protest seems a bit like you're playing the victim, doesn't it? Among all the Unova trainers, you, the Poison-type Gym Leader, are clearly the least afraid of moves that increase evasion."

"Oh?"

The Poison-type Gym Leader's tantrums were completely under control. Hearing Hugo's barbed question, he immediately stopped, and the tears in his eyes disappeared. Homiga raised his head and looked up at the detective in the distance. "Why do you say that?"

"Because all Poison-type Pokémon possess a signature move: 'Toxic.' When this move is used by a powerful Poison-type Pokémon, it's almost impossible for the enemy to avoid it. This move not only ignores evasion moves like 'Shrink,' but even if the opponent Pokémon temporarily leaves the battlefield using 'Fly,' the toxin can still spread into the opponent's body through the air."

Hugo walked up to Homiga, the curator, knelt down to face the white-haired girl, and whispered softly—

"Even if Archaeopteryx gains a significant boost from 'Baton Pass,' if your Centipede King uses 'Poison,' it probably won't last more than a few rounds. Why did you deliberately avoid using 'Poison,' allowing Archaeopteryx to win the battle?"

Chapter 137 The Real Rock and Roll

"Using 'highly poison' is too un-rock and roll; I wouldn't stoop to using it."

The rock musician, his white hair flying wildly, spoke with a very tough attitude.

However, the way she delivered those words was so awkward that it made the lines, which should have conveyed a sense of mastery, completely unconvincing.

"Kneeling on the floor and acting like a spoiled child is even less rock and roll, isn't it?"

The detective, crouching in front of Homiga and facing her, shook his head, pointing out the obvious contradiction—

"As a Poison-type Gym Leader, the 'Toxic' move is a fundamental skill, something you should be able to master to the point of instinct. But you deliberately sealed it away during the battle; there must be another reason."

"You're surprisingly smart. You're just a suspicious person wandering around the dojo with a trash bag, so why do you always act like you know everything?"

The owner was too lazy to act cute anymore. She changed her posture, sat cross-legged on the ground, and propped her chin up with one hand, looking very impatient.

"The origin of this garbage bag is a bit complicated, please don't worry about it... But Gym Leader Homiga, you still haven't answered my question directly. Why did you hold back during the battle? Between 6-0 and 6-1, the latter would definitely have allowed you to salvage some dignity, right?"

Hugo blinked and stared at the person in front of him—

"It couldn't have been due to obsession or interest, nor was it due to negligence. So what made you give up this opportunity?"

"Oh, that's the reason." The shop owner scratched her hair, cornered by the detective, and turned her head towards the soundproof wall beside her, awkwardly and reluctantly saying—

"It's a bit inappropriate for someone like me, who was utterly defeated, to say this... However, after seeing the child's eyes, I realized that this battle couldn't be won with moves like 'poison'; that would be pointless."

"Is it meaningful?" Hugo nodded thoughtfully. "Don't want to undermine Archaeopteryx's confidence, and hope that the child can learn something from the battle?"

"That little guy must have fallen into a slump for some reason, right? You can tell at a glance. We occasionally encounter audience members like that at performances. They're mostly unlucky guys who've encountered something sad or broken up with. They always have a look of utter despair on their faces. They see a flyer while wandering aimlessly on the streets late at night and end up at the concert. Surprisingly, such people are quite common."

"When I encounter such people, I reduce the number of gloomy and depressing pieces and instead use passionate and exciting melodies to inspire their enthusiasm. Our band is called the Poison Gas Band, but our philosophy is not to suffocate the audience in poison gas, but to ignite, detonate, and explode the dull gray haze in the sky, let the bright purple poisonous smoke sweep across the earth, and let the world hear our voice."

Hugo thought that the blue Piccolo would be a good fit for Homiga's band, but he didn't say much. He just said lightly, "Using evenly matched battles to energize the Archaeopteryx is indeed a good attempt, but looking at it now, it seems to be no different from before."

“No one will have a complete epiphany after listening to a song,” the white-haired girl said, waving her hand. “As long as it can make the listeners a little happier and give them a little courage to continue living their lives, even if it’s just a little bit, my goal is achieved.”

"You're more like a psychologist than a band's lead singer," the detective said with genuine admiration.

"I am, after all, the dojo leader. It is only right for me to do this!"

Homiga spoke with conviction, displaying the imposing presence befitting a powerful trainer—

"Just as a band chooses different songs depending on the occasion, as the owner of Liyong Dojo, you have to treat different opponents in different ways."

"When facing a powerful enemy, we must bring out our strongest lineup for a desperate battle, making them remember this venomous gym with the most perilous fights; when facing a weaker challenger, we must choose a matching lineup, showing them that in addition to the efforts of the Pokémon, the trainer's own strength is the key to victory or defeat; and if a person or Pokémon who is lost comes to challenge us, we must of course find a way to help them out of their predicament."

However, after hearing the gym leader's words, Detective Hugo still didn't give up: "But there's still something wrong with your words and actions. When Azure and I first entered the gym, we heard you say that you've never been defeated since the gym opened. Can a battle where you only win and never lose really benefit all challengers? Doesn't this fact contradict the hospitality principles you mentioned earlier?"

“That’s because those challengers are too weak. Even if I used a lightweight team to fight them, they would still lose miserably.” Homiga’s face stiffened, and then he raised his voice to answer.

Hugo's expression remained calm, like a mirror reflecting the inner turmoil of his speaker. He gently asked—

"There are some suspicious points about your battle with Azure. You were not satisfied with losing three times and insisted on a full battle. It seems that you have some kind of obsession with winning. Judging from your battle with Archaeopteryx, you are not a trainer who can't accept defeat. What is the reason for such an unusual contrast? I'm sorry to pry so deeply, but there must be a more important reason for your inconsistent words and actions."

Homika offered an awkward explanation, her expression remaining stiff; Hugo could tell at a glance she was lying.

"Oh dear, people are actually very complex creatures. Their personality and actions fluctuate with their mood, so it's not surprising that sometimes their words and actions don't match... In the end, this matter has nothing to do with you, so stop asking questions like an extreme fan."

Hugo watched as the white-haired girl gestured incoherently in sign language, desperately trying to cover for herself, and finally even adopted a posture of refusing to answer. He couldn't help but sigh, stand up, and beckon Bilan, who had been watching the show from a distance for a long time, to come over.

“Gym Leader Homiga, now that my companion has won the gym battle, shouldn’t the gym hold a corresponding ceremony?”

The detective, still carrying the black garbage bag in one hand, crossed his arms and spoke to the curator.

"Of course." Seeing the blue figure approaching, Homiga quickly got up from the ground, dusted off his legs, and looked completely panicked.

The assistant, sporting an Archaeopteryx on her head, approached and first glared at the detective who had been whispering with the curator for a while, then asked, "What were you discussing? Was it related to the case investigation?"

"At present, they seem to be unrelated and should be classified as everyday mysteries." Hugo shrugged.

“Miss Azure.” The Poison-type Gym Leader, oblivious to the detective's conversation with his assistant, cleared her throat, trying to appear serious.

"Your strength far surpasses mine as the gym leader. Whether it's tactical command or Pokémon training, you possess talent that rivals the Elite Four members—I don't even know why you came here to challenge the gym... In any case, you have undoubtedly won this gym battle, and on behalf of the Poison-type Gym of Liyong City, I acknowledge your strength!"

"Oh, um, thank you."

Azure's reaction was unremarkable; she was past the age of celebrating a gym victory. She simply didn't understand why the gym leader was speaking so formally; something seemed to be missing.

Witnessing this scene, Detective Hugo, who was standing to the side, revealed an "I knew it" expression and interjected without hesitation: "Master Homiga, then where is Miss Azure's proof of victory in the challenge?"

"Of course...it exists."

The white-haired rock musician stammered, "I'll send you an electronic code for the gym certification via email later. That barcode is valid throughout the entire league, and it's easy to save—just put it in your phone's photo album..."

Azure finally realized something was wrong. She nudged Detective and whispered, "Has the Unova region become so advanced that they don't even use physical gym badges anymore?"

The detective shrugged and replied, "I think there is such an electronic credential. But physical badges haven't been phased out yet; I saw one at Mr. Yati's place in Feiyun City a while ago."

“I see.” The assistant nodded, extending her hand to Homiga without hesitation, and said—

"In that case, I still think a physical gym badge is more convenient and has more commemorative value. Please give me a Toxic badge that represents the prestige of the Liyong Gym. Gym Leader Homiga, although the previous battle was a complete victory for my side, it was very enjoyable to fight you, and Archaeopteryx learned a lot from you."

Above the girl's head, the little feathered dinosaur opened its eyes for once and gently flapped its wings in response.

It seems the battle left a deep impression on this dejected Pokémon. The punk-style yet intense battle certainly had an effect.

"This...that...that..."

The white-haired gym leader, who was supposed to be handing out gym badges at this moment, completely panicked and began to ramble incoherently.

At this time-

"Homiga, isn't the battle over yet? When are we going to practice the new piece together?"

Guitarist Lu came out from backstage and greeted the band's lead singer and bassist.

Seeing Hugo and Azure surrounding Homiga, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Huh? You guys haven't left yet?"

The black-haired guitarist then saw the group of elves swaggering behind Azure and had a vague guess in his mind, but the words had already slipped out: "Miss Azure, you didn't actually beat Homiga, did you?"

"Uh...yes."

Completely baffled by the strange situation, Azure continued, "The gym leader seems unwilling to give me the gym badge for this gym. Is there some hidden reason behind this?"

"Hehe... Pfft."

Miss Lu quickly covered her mouth and stifled a laugh, her body trembling uncontrollably, as if she was enduring great discomfort.

Then she retreated back to the backstage room and slammed the door shut.

The backstage room was soundproofed, but it couldn't stop the joyful atmosphere from spreading. Unrestrained laughter erupted from inside, and it sounded like it was coming from more than one person...

"What exactly is going on?" Azure couldn't hold back any longer and took another step closer to Homiga, almost forcing him to ask—

"What happened to your dojo's badge? Tell me the truth!"

The white-haired girl kept her lips tightly closed and remained silent, pretending to be a stone statue of the Bodhidharma baboon. She simply opened her pitiful eyes, as if pleading with the two to be lenient and let the matter drop.

Azure wasn't as easy to deal with as a detective. Her curiosity piqued, she simply stared at Homiga, the curator, as if she wouldn't leave until she got the badge.

The backstage room door opened again, and Miss Lu, her hair disheveled from laughing, came out once more.

"Mr. Detective and Ms. Challenger, you don't know what's going on yet, do you? You can't keep something this interesting to yourself..."

Homiga stared wide-eyed in horror, shaking his head frantically at the guitarist, his eyes brimming with tears as he begged his companion not to continue.

But her companion betrayed her without hesitation.

"Homiga threw a wild concert on the first night of the Rikyu Dojo's opening, inviting all of our band's fans. The performance lasted until late at night, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. Everyone was screaming and singing, practically lifting the ceiling off the place. So, this bassist, caught up in the excitement, did something stupid, pfft..."

The guitarist couldn't hold back anymore and burst into laughter again, taking a long time to calm down before continuing her story—

"She scattered all the dojo badges at the audience like wedding candy... When we were cleaning up after the show, she looked at us with an expression of utter despair and told us that those shiny things she had just thrown away were our dojo badges. We rushed to look on the ground, only to find that they had all been picked up by someone else..."

Despite having traveled to many places, the assistant had never seen such an unreliable gym leader. Staring in disbelief at the white-haired girl, she cautiously asked, "So, that's why Gym Leader Homiga is so determined to have an all-out battle with me?"

The guitarist nodded with a smile: "From that day until now, she has fought every challenger like a mortal enemy, and she doesn't care about fair competition at all. Even if she sends out a weaker Pokémon to fight at the beginning, she will send out the strongest Scolipede to guard the gate in the end, just because she is afraid of losing in the battle and falling into a situation where she has no badges to give out... It's really funny, this is the real punk rock."

"That's why no one has succeeded in challenging the Rikyong Dojo since it opened."

The detective nodded with satisfaction; this everyday mystery had now been completely solved.

"But didn't Gym Leader Homiga show a little mercy during the final battle against Archangel Bird?"

Azure, as expected of a top-tier trainer, noticed this detail. She didn't shy away from asking about the bird on her head. Even if the Gym Leader was holding back, it was still something to be proud of that Archangel Bird could defeat him.

At the same time, it's a good thing to let it recognize its true strength. No matter how sweet the venom of vanity is, it cannot cultivate the fruit of strength.

The detective pursed his lips and answered his assistant's question: "That's because the Pokémon before you were too strong. The gym leader saw that the outcome was already decided, so she thought it would be better to lose gracefully and do a favor..."

"It's all because of that power plant explosion!" Homiga suddenly exclaimed. "The blackout shut down the badge-making factory for several weeks, otherwise our gym would have received our new badges long ago... Ouch!"

A light chop landed on the white-haired girl's head; the guitarist had somehow moved behind the brothel owner.

"Homiga, you can't blame your mistakes on others. You need to apologize to the challenger properly."

Chapter 138 The Other End of the Phone Call: Current Situation and Condition

Hugo sorted the black garbage bags and threw them into the distant recycling point. The shredded pieces of the detective's notebook were specially picked out, and the little fire monkey took them five meters away and burned them to ashes with a "flame".

As Hugo and Azure left, the rock music in the Liyong Dojo resumed its cacophony, with drums, keyboards and guitars intertwining, and the bass, though inconspicuous, truly supporting the overall tone of the performance.

……

On the same afternoon.

"I've found the information about the female engineer you mentioned."

In a separate booth on the left side of the Pokémon Center, the detective and his assistant were gathered around a medium-sized telephone screen, discussing the case with a female police officer on the other end of the line.

On the screen, Officer Jenny, dressed casually at home, curled up in her computer chair with her legs tucked in, a stylus between her fingers, tapping away at her tablet. Finally, she pulled up a white-background, passport-style photo, placed the tablet in front of the camera, and said to the detective and her assistant—

"Arno, female, 32 years old, electrical engineer at Liyong Power Plant, joined the company in the second year after the power plant was established and has been employed for five years. Two years ago, she was involved in a major production accident that resulted in death, but the accident was later proven to be caused by the employee's distraction and negligence, so she was not held responsible. Until the explosion, she was still working at Liyong Power Plant, but she was frequently transferred to other positions. The most recent assignment was to the electrical machinery maintenance department."

"It seems that the guitarist wasn't lying." Azure hugged her sun hat to her chest and nodded. On the way to the Pokémon Center, she had already learned about the inside of the power plant from Hugo.

Detective Hugo stared at the ID photo on the tablet. The woman in the photo, with her braided hair, had the stiff expression often seen in ID photos. He pondered and said, "This ID photo hasn't been updated in a long time, has it? A thirty-two-year-old engineer wouldn't look this young and plain."

Officer Jenny happily twirled the capacitive pen: "I knew you'd say that. Actually, I've already found a recent photo of this person."

"How so?" Hugo raised an eyebrow.