Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"How about activating them separately? For example, using 'Discharge' to heal the Pokémon in batches?"

"There wasn't enough time. The police would be arriving soon, and there wouldn't be enough time to perform multiple first aid procedures. Besides, Telt testified that he connected the elves together before starting the first aid."

"Hmm... Electivire could use a skill like 'Charge' first, so it can compress more power into its next skill before discharging." Douzi, who was familiar with battles, came up with a good idea and immediately objected.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking about,” Azure said.

"Even if you use 'Charge' in advance to instantly activate all the Pokémon, it's still extremely difficult. Even top-tier Electric-type trainers can't guarantee success, so it's hard to imagine that trainer Talte could do better. Besides, Talte won't be staying at the scene for long. Officer Jenny will be arriving with her officers soon, and Electivire will need to move those Pokémon, so there won't be enough time for him to charge up the 'Charge' move."

"Ah, this..." Douzi opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

“There’s something even more suspicious, and that’s ozone, which Hugo considers the ultimate mystery!” Azure pressed on, her gaze sweeping over Douzi and looking directly at the detective.

"Back in Kanto, I also witnessed the aftermath of an extremely high-intensity electric shock—there was indeed the smell of ozone there, but it was definitely not so strong as to be offensive. A trace amount of ozone would only create a fresh and distinctive odor in the air, and it would disappear immediately with the airflow—but at the scene of the explosion, there was still such a strong odor lingering until the bomb arrived!"

"Thinking about this, I couldn't help but question the truth of the whole case again. Hugo, what exactly was that smell?"

Faced with his assistant's questioning, Hugo nodded in satisfaction: "It's already quite remarkable that you've been able to reason this far. Further solutions are beyond human capabilities."

"What's going on?" Bilan and Douzi asked at the same time.

"Let's get to the conclusion first. The strong smell at the scene is still ozone, it's still that Telt and Electabuzz rescued the elves who had escaped death, and the rescue took place in the short time before the police arrived at the scene—the nature of the case has not changed in essence."

"But that doesn't answer the questions I raised," Azure reminded her.

The shapes match, but there are many suspicious points.

It seems plausible but is actually wrong.

—Like a terrifying trough.

“If only the two partners were providing treatment, it certainly wouldn’t explain the problems you mentioned. However, Telt received assistance during the emergency treatment,” the detective said slowly.

"Help?" Even Douzi was dumbfounded. "At that time, apart from Mr. Telt who specifically ran back to the scene, all the factory workers were outside the factory being called by Manager William. Those colleagues who infiltrated the police station to create the empty coffin trick were also found by Telt afterward. At the time of the explosion, Telt couldn't have received help from anyone else!"

“Human help is useless,” Hugo replied. “The helpers are guys who can ionize high concentrations of ozone with lightning in an instant. I don’t believe there are such powerful trainers hiding in the power plant.”

"Not human..."

"This is just my guess, without any concrete evidence. Maybe it really was Telt and his Electabuzz that unleashed unprecedented energy at that moment—but there is another explanation."

The detective held up one finger, both to represent the number one and to point straight to the sky.

This action serves as both an explanation and a hint; for the detective's assistant, who is just one step away from success, this reminder is clear enough.

Azure's eyes widened slowly as she recalled her past experiences traveling through the Whirlpool Islands—a Zapdos had gone berserk on the sea, and as a top-tier trainer passing by, she had to do everything in her power to stop the commotion…

Once the floodgates of memory were opened, a natural flow of reasoning immediately swept through the girl's mind.

Legendary Pokémon.

Approaching mythology, indistinguishable from phantoms, like hidden legends, spirits roam the world...

They are called "Legendary Pokémon" because there are sighting reports of them in various regions, and it is not surprising that these mythical creatures appear quietly wherever they are.

The girl recalled the scene when she led her main Pokémon to fight Zapdos on the sea of ​​the Whirl Islands.

The enormous bolt of lightning at the time, and the peculiar smell in the air that I only recall now—weren't they foreshadowing the true truth of the explosion?

Before him, Detective Hugo had already opened the mobile version of the Pokédex—

No. 642, Thundurus, the Thunder Pokémon.

This Pokémon flies through the skies of the Unova region, causing thunder and wildfires, and is therefore disliked. It attacks with electric shocks from the spikes on its tail, leaving countless scorched marks in its wake. When it appears in the clouds, it can summon wind and rain, or even storms and lightning strikes. Legend has it that because it stirs the atmosphere, the seasons cycle endlessly…

"On the day the power plant explosion occurred, there was a torrential downpour, which is especially rare for winter..."

Chapter 164 The End of the Plasma Cluster

Returning to the Plasma Group's secret headquarters from Liyong City requires a boat trip, and N is currently aboard this private yacht bound for the base.

The overly decorated, bright silver yacht glided smoothly and quickly across the sea. After seven hours of sailing, it had passed Deer Town in the southeast corner of the United States and was now cutting through the waves towards the northernmost part of the region.

In the spacious cabin reserved for N alone, the green-haired youth sat on the carpet with his back against the wall, while Zoroark lay asleep beside him, curled up tightly like a large, dark red plush pillow.

This sleeping posture is a habit that Zoroark developed when it was still Zoroark. In the past, when it was surrounded by poachers and had to lie down in the sewers, it had to adopt this sleeping posture in order to maintain its body temperature.

"It is a misfortune for Pokémon to be in the hands of humans; they should be returned to nature"—whenever Zoroark lay sleeping like this beside him, the wise men's teachings, like the Blue Toad's "round singing," naturally floated into N's ears.

And he himself sincerely believes so too.

Just as the detective and Touko had predicted, N was relieved that the Electric-type Pokémon had "come back to life," but he didn't have any other thoughts. While it was touching to see humans helping each other with their Pokémon, wasn't it the indifference of the same group of humans that led Voltorb and the others to the brink of death?

Some sins can only be atoneed for, not washed away.

N's thoughts turned to the destination of this trip—that fortress that could not be shaken no matter how far the journey or how many friends she had.

N's castle, which belongs to him, was built for him, and is named after him.

The thought of that magnificent building, built on the ruins of an ancient kingdom and resembling an underground labyrinth, filled him with a sense of restlessness and depression—a cage that had confined him for almost his entire life so far, and where he would remain for the foreseeable future.

The young man did not tell his friend Touko the true location of the secret building, just as he did not tell the Plasma Team's higher-ups the true intentions of the gambling king. N harbored a natural distrust of groups composed of humans—even if one side had the support of his best friend, while the other side was urging him to become their leader and to carry out his ideals.

N must keep his distance from both, sometimes as an observer, sometimes as a sculpted idol.

This neutral stance did not stem from cowardly hesitation or hypocritical concern for one's reputation, but rather from N's exceptionally clear understanding of his identity as an anomaly among humans.

Currently, only N is an outlier with the ability to sense the thoughts of Pokémon, which means that apart from him, no one else can learn about a Pokémon's feelings and needs through direct conversation.

Therefore, N cannot rely on any force to support his independent thinking. He can only maintain a solitary and detached stance, like a true prophet in religious legends, preserving the happiness and dignity of the elves amidst the power struggles between various parties.

After all, one should never entrust one's ideals to others.

Good intentions gone wrong is a human's forte—whether it's the unwieldy Pokémon League or the extreme Team Plasma, both can confuse means with ends in their pursuit of victory, turning their original good intentions toward Pokémon into madness that will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

"Using any means necessary..."

N suddenly recalled the anger he felt when he was in the wilderness of Liyong City, preparing to lead wild Pokémon to attack the city—

Looking back now, was I really too extreme back then? Even if N could use his inner voice and commands to precisely plan the movement routes of each Pokémon, as that excellent detective assistant said, such a large-scale parade would definitely create a huge gap between the residents and the Pokémon... But would standing by and being indifferent to reality be a better choice?

Whenever N thinks about these problems, he feels as if he is standing on the edge of an abyss. Even the most complex mathematical problems seem like simple arithmetic compared to this game of fighting against the world.

The incident in Rikyu City has been resolved smoothly. Team Plasma has voluntarily claimed responsibility for attacking and destroying the power plant as punishment for William's mistreatment of Pokémon. Intimidated by Team Plasma's violent intimidation, the treatment of Pokémon in Rikyu City's industrial enterprises will undoubtedly improve in the short term. The only price to pay is his own negligible freedom...

But how many times can such a tightrope walk of compromise be repeated?

"Justice cannot be demanded or bargained for bit by bit. Justice must be seized at all costs, even if it means destroying the world!"

Beneath the black and white baseball cap bearing his lengthy full name, Quixote's resounding admonitions began to echo in N's mind once more. But now, does this statement seem open to debate?

……

Just as the opposing ideas were locked in a fierce battle in the green-haired youth's mind, N suddenly felt a physical dizziness.

N was as if he had been slammed against the hard bulkhead by a tremendous force, and then thrown to the center of the cabin by his own inertia, landing on his back. Fortunately, the carpet was soft and there was no furniture in the room, so he was not hurt.

Zoroark was also suddenly awakened. This sensitive and suspicious Pokémon instantly sprang to its feet and subconsciously used the "Illusion" ability, disappearing into the air.

It only breathed a sigh of relief when it saw N calmly stand up again, and then its red and black form reappeared.

What exactly happened? This is just a simple physics question.

The green-haired youth glanced at the scenery outside the porthole to determine his direction. Having already guessed the situation outside, he turned to Zoroark and said—

"The yacht we're on is turning around and speeding up; something must have happened."

N walked towards the cabin door without hesitation and steadily moved forward on the ship, which was clearly shaking.

The door wasn't locked from the inside, so it seemed there wasn't an intrusion. Otherwise, whether it was an intruder or Smura and his group, they would have sealed the door to this central cabin immediately—N felt a little relieved.

As he opened the door and stepped onto the deck, the first thing he felt was the ear-splitting low-pitched roar of the diesel electric motor. Looking up, he saw that the yacht, which had been sailing north along the United States coast, was now accelerating southward in the opposite direction.

What exactly caused Smura and the Dark Trio to change course? And what happened that led them to increase their speed without even giving us prior notice?

With doubts in mind, N, accompanied by Zoroark, arrived at the yacht's control room, where three modern ninjas dressed in black ninja outfits were busy at work, manipulating various instruments on the control panel with their six hands as if performing acrobatics.

Behind the Iron Triangle, in a corner of the control room, Smura, one of the Seven Sages, slumped to the ground, looking utterly dejected.

What exactly happened?

N was even more puzzled.

In his view, even if the total number of people in the cult were reduced by four-fifths overnight, this old man, as unfathomable as the coffin of death, would not be so distraught.

What could have possibly driven this sage in charge of "propaganda" to such a state of utter despair?

Could it be that something happened to Father Quixes?

N couldn't help but make such a rebellious guess, which startled even himself.

"It's N."

The old man raised his eyelids and saw the King of Plasma Clusters entering the control room. He struggled to stand up and made a gesture of respect.

"I apologize for not informing you in advance before accelerating. We just received some very serious news from headquarters. Given the current situation, we have no choice but to change course immediately."

"What happened?" N asked succinctly, staring at the old man in front of him.

"Your Majesty, a tremendous change has occurred. There is a cruel reality now, and if I could, I would gladly bear this truth for you, but I must tell you now..."

Smura's face looked older than ever before, and after a long pause, he stammered on, "..."

"Your Majesty, the Plasma Corps, which has been loyal to you for the past twenty years, will probably be disbanded soon."

Chapter 165 The Devil Never Abandons a Gambler

Money is what makes this world work.

Although the Plasma Group is an organization that brings together like-minded people based on shared ideals, what truly sustains its operation is the massive cash flow that circulates like blood between the group and its members.

The wealth gathered from the treasures excavated and converted from the ruins of the ancient kingdoms, the monthly donations from the outer followers of the Plasma Group, and the regular public fundraising organized by various elven liberation organizations—all these resources are entrusted to Vio and Rhodes, two of the Seven Sages, and then reinvested in the financial markets.

Of these two wise men, Vio is a high-performing investment expert, while Rhodes is a world-renowned economist; they specialize in short-term and long-term investing, respectively. When they reach a consensus on a particular financial decision, reality will inevitably unfold exactly as these two experts predicted.

These two financial masters, based on insider information obtained by the Plasma Group from various unsavory sources, select suitable debt and assets for investment and acquisition, and then reinvest batches of funds in a way that maximizes returns.

Under this information asymmetry and near-cheating financial manipulation, Plasma Group's investment in each round can achieve a stable net return of almost 50%, while the risk is almost zero—a ratio that is enough to make any financial investor question their existence. If any of them could accomplish such a large-scale investment in their lifetime, they would be able to achieve financial freedom ahead of time, retire gloriously, and lie on their laurels to boast to their descendants for the rest of their lives.

Such incredible miracles are nothing more than routine occurrences within the Plasma Cluster.

If it weren't for the fact that the Plasma Group needs to spend a lot of money every year to expand its military, develop scientific research, and win over followers, and that the sociological law of diminishing marginal returns is still stubbornly in effect, the Plasma Group would have already ruled the world with this tried-and-tested economic means.

However, this once powerful and unstoppable financial bond has now become a noose around the neck of the plasma group.

.

"The Plasma Group's funding chain has broken down—no, to be precise, more than half of it has evaporated out of thin air. This change has caused a chain reaction in the financial market. Companies that had sold us high-quality assets have caught wind of this and have begun to demand the return of their assets from the cult at bargain prices. Companies that were originally afraid to default on their loans due to the power of the Plasma Group have also become shameless and have put forward many harsh repayment demands."

"The total investment of the cult is too large, and it is impossible to hide our current predicament. Moreover, these companies that are making things difficult for us have had some conflicts of interest with the cult in the past. Now, their kicking us when we are down is mostly driven by personal grudges, and they cannot be easily dealt with."

Smura, reporting the situation to N, said with a bitter expression—

"If the crisis in the funding chain cannot be resolved in time, the cult's assets will shrink to the point where it cannot maintain its current size. And if we consider the chaos caused by a sudden weakening, it is not impossible for it to collapse directly. After all, there have been too many forces in history that have been swallowed up by the times because they lost their order."

"How did the cult's cash flow evaporate?" N calmly countered.

The green-haired youth was surprised to find that he had no emotional change whatsoever, as if he were just casually asking about a topic that interested him, and that the survival of the Plasma Group was none of his concern.

It was clearly the organization that had nurtured me for over twenty years.

Before him, Smura remained silent for a long time, then squeezed out two words from between her teeth, which were thinning with age—

"Bilberry".

.

The story begins on the day Cranberry joined the group.

The price this notorious evil-type king paid to join Team Plasma wasn't excessive; at least his demands seemed reasonable compared to his status and value.

He made no pact with the cult, nor did he ask for any position within the organization. All he wanted was a large sum of money—or rather, a large sum of gambling money.

The reason this gambler, who had always portrayed himself as a reformed prodigal son, chose to betray the alliance seems to be because he could no longer tolerate the rules and regulations within the system.

Like a megalodon thirsting for blood, he lurked in the dried-up riverbed, his claws growing impatient, always dreaming of diving into the deeper, darker ocean.

In Unova, only the lawless Team Plasma is qualified to give him everything he wants.

"Since we still cannot confirm whether Blueberry is sincerely pledging allegiance, even after the museum incident and the complete break between Blueberry and the Pokémon League, the Order still insists on providing Blueberry with only the bare minimum of additional funding—just one-tenth of the funds they requested, which is 50 million yuan."

Smura explained this to N, glancing repeatedly at the electronic chart indicating the yacht's direction of travel, seemingly quite concerned about the ship's operation.

The Yuan is the standard currency unit used by the Pokémon League worldwide; it is not a large-denomination currency.