Pokémon Detective Case Files.

He bought ships to open casinos, recruited members to evade internal investigations, and caused the suicide of a high-ranking official.

They lured him onto the ship, set up a blackjack table with obvious loopholes, and hosted a crazy double dragon duel.

In situations where winning is nearly impossible, repeatedly going all-in, adding cash at twice the inflation rate, and forcing oneself to invest a corresponding amount of real-world capital.

And the final card that was revealed...

Now, looking back calmly, all these elaborate schemes were actually traps designed to lure Vio into falling into them step by step!

And his momentary oversight could actually lead to the complete destruction of the cult!

"It seems that from the moment the sages first conceived the idea of ​​keeping a Heavenly King of the Unova, they had already stepped into the abyss."

To the sage's resentful questioning, the evil Heavenly King simply smiled and brushed it off.

"Of course, I also want to stay in your Plasma Corps, gradually climb the ranks as I accumulate merits, and finally play an important role in the mythology of your newly established nation..."

It refers to lurking until the very last moment, betraying and beheading the Seven Sages just as they are about to defeat the Alliance, playing the role of a dark hero with a bitter and vengeful heart.

“However, after joining the cult, I immediately realized that you could not give me such an opportunity. Just because of my status as the former Heavenly King of the Alliance, you would never be able to completely let your guard down against me. If I hadn’t used the connections I had when I was Heavenly King to set up the casino, I would still be treated as a high-ranking officer in your cult and be ordered around at will.”

It now seems that this level of wariness is far from enough... Vio gave a forced smile and responded just as insincerely—

"Your worries are just an illusion. I am willing to bestow upon you the position of one of the Seven Sages."

"Heh heh, you just gambled away an astronomical sum of the Order's funds, and lost it all. It's uncertain whether you still retain your status as a sage."

"Before being formally stripped of my rights, I am still one of the Seven Sages. Now is the perfect opportunity for you to demonstrate your loyalty..."

Cranberry sneered, launching a scathing attack before the other person could finish speaking—

"Stop joking! Are you still planning to stall for time with this nonsensical conversation? No matter how fast the Royal United Ship is, it's impossible for it to reach the desolate open sea in such a short time!"

Vio froze. After being hit so many times, he no longer had the luxury of feigning composure.

The Plasma Group's intentions were crystal clear—by leveraging its inertia and gradually deviating from its course, Lantana could sense its ship rapidly sailing downstream towards the open sea. Once there, the Plasma Group could use its unrestricted naval power to encircle and annihilate Lantana.

As long as the holders of the checks and bonds no longer physically exist, the massive earthquake that is about to occur in the plasma cluster's funding chain can be averted.

“You can’t hold me back.” Blueberry shrugged.

"In fact, from the moment your hand was revealed, your defeat was already a foregone conclusion. Neither this secret room nor the encirclement of the cruise ship poses any real threat to me."

"Sigh, I know that too."

Vio actually lowered his eyebrows and admitted it directly.

“You are facing a Dark-type Elite Four member with exceptional combat strength. Once you unleash your full power, no one on the ship can stop you. Furthermore, the ship's current internal structure was designed under your personal supervision. Even if we send out a large number of people to surround you here, you will probably find an unexpected way to avoid this predicament.”

Just like the last two cards in a gamble.

At this point, the old man's eyebrows stubbornly rose again—

“But I’ll still give it a try. You’re not carrying any Pokémon right now, and the Poké Balls that were placed outside the room have been secretly moved to a distant location by my men. I’ve also personally searched every corner of this secret room thoroughly. Even if I can’t find something as absurd as the money blower, I’m confident that there aren’t any mechanisms that would allow one person to enter or leave. Based on all the information I have at this moment, I think the plan to trap you in the room is worth a try.”

"Why don't you take this opportunity to kill me?" The Dark Elite Four member remained calm. "Wouldn't eliminating my physical existence now achieve your goal in the same way?"

“I am an old man nearing the end of my life. Even if I have the foolish courage to gamble away money at the gambling table, I still don’t have the courage to wager my life. Now, relying on my acting skills and words to stall you is all I can do.”

This guy is lying. The real reason is something else!

Out of the corner of her eye, Yueju noticed a reflection in the pile of banknotes behind her and immediately jumped up.

At the same time, a beam of icy blue light pierced through the spot where the Gambler King had been standing. The once abundant banknotes were frozen into a straight slide.

It's not that we can't launch an attack, but rather that a surprise attack is already being planned!

The situation is quite obvious from the outside—

A geometric shape composed entirely of ice crystals appeared in the fish tank where Water-type Pokémon were kept, floating freely within the water-filled walls. Just moments ago, this geometric snowflake pressed its body against the inside of the tank and unleashed a move towards Blueberry.

Because of the special properties of the one-way mirror, Lanju was unable to see the location of the attacker. When he looked at the source of the "freezing ray", he could only see his own figure wearing a dark blue suit.

"It took a lot of time to make the skill able to penetrate the glass."

Vio also stood up at some point, placing his feet on the black and white dragon gambling table.

"The main Pokémon you brought on board have been taken to a secluded room in the distance by officers disguised as staff. They have no way of knowing what's happening here. Alright, Blueberry, if you still have any ways to turn the tide, use them now."

Just like the last gamble before.

"Heh, I wield Absol from the Pokémon, its sensory abilities are..."

Before Lingju could finish speaking, another round of "freezing rays" shot out from the wall.

But this time, there were six beams of icy blue light—the old man and his men were so ruthless that they put six fully-woven geometric snowflakes into the water tank that made up the wall!

The light emitted an icy, bone-chilling aura; if struck head-on, even if one didn't turn into an ice sculpture, one would immediately lose the ability to move!

Without hesitation, Lingju slid under the double dragon gambling table where Vio was standing, using Vio and the gambling table as cover, burying herself in the pile of banknotes.

"What? The Elite Four member who lost his Pokémon is even worse than an old man? He's hiding under the table, trembling like a newborn deer?"

The old man arrogantly taunted, trying his best to induce his opponent to take irrational actions.

Because the Geometric Snowflakes will coordinate with the trainer's movements, as long as he remains still, the scattering "Ice Beams" will never hit Vio. And as soon as Blueberry shows its face, it will be subjected to a concentrated barrage of attacks!

Without a doubt, Vio in the secret room has taken the initiative and gained an absolute advantage in terms of strength; Yueju, who is currently unarmed, has completely lost the opportunity to fight back - even if he wanted to kidnap Vio who is also in the secret room, he would not succeed, because the skills of the geometric snowflakes are hidden by the one-way mirror and it is unknown from which angle they will be shot.

At this very moment, if the Pokémon aim at the area beneath the gambling table buried under the ten thousand yuan bills and unleash another volley, the Unova Elite Four member, Blueberry, will be frozen solid and unable to move.

Then he will be able to recover those valuable financial certificates, destroy them completely, and thoroughly absolve himself of the heinous crimes he committed.

"General."

The purple-robed sage said coldly.

He wouldn't kill Lanting immediately, otherwise he would have to face multiple berserk Elite Four level main Pokémon. Taking them hostage would be a better option.

However, the green thing rising from the pile of banknotes made his eyes widen again the next second.

Chapter 182 is titled "The Scales of Fortune"

Emerging from the pile of banknotes were emerald green leaves.

The edges of the leaves, seemingly floating weightlessly, glowed with a faint blue fluorescence, rising from the gaps in the banknotes.

Like a missile that can automatically track targets, these blades hover and actively choose their targets. After locking on, they aim at the old man standing blankly at the gambling table and suddenly accelerate!

Without a doubt, this could only be a move used by a Pokémon.

Grass-type move "Magic Leaf".

Vio instinctively sensed danger and hastily raised his arm to protect his head, waving his heavy purple robe in an attempt to block the attack from the unknown.

Although the Plasma Group's Sage's Robe was magnificent, it had absolutely no defensive capabilities. The "Magic Leaf" easily pierced through the robe and struck Vio, bullying the weak and vulnerable.

The skill pierced the old man's body without hindrance, and blood and fragments of internal organs flowed out—but no bloodshed occurred.

The reality was quite the opposite. Perhaps the Pokémon that used the move was too weak; Vio, though knocked into a pile of banknotes by the impact of the move, did not lose consciousness.

However, with this level of power, if the Pokémon were hit instead of a human, it probably wouldn't even leave a scratch.

Just as he was about to fall into the water, the wise man grabbed the edge of the table and briefly unleashed a vitality beyond his years, struggling to climb back onto the relatively stable gambling table.

At the same time, the "Frozen Ray" that the geometric snowflakes were gathering was fully charged once again and was unleashed the moment its master left the danger zone.

Six beams of ice-blue light shone from different corners of the water tank, each sweeping across the area beneath the gambling table in a fan shape.

After the skill was unleashed, the spot where the King of Blueberries had been hiding was completely covered in frost. The soft and valuable banknotes, after being processed at low temperatures, became thorny, sharp, and rigid fragile objects.

Blueberries can't avoid it.

Humans could not possibly survive such an offensive. Even if Lanting somehow found a helper Pokémon, it would be impossible to completely defend against this all-encompassing area-of-effect attack...

Vio slumped onto the table, still shaken, and thought to himself.

The next step is to find those tickets. As long as those documents with your signature and the Plasma Group's seal are completely destroyed, the worst-case scenario can be avoided.

Just as the old man was about to relax his tense nerves, he heard a faint meow behind his ear.

Then the old man felt an unusual itching sensation in the area where the "magic leaf" had hit him.

Looking down, he noticed that his tattered purple robe had somehow become covered with several pale yellow plant seeds. The seeds were growing rapidly, sprouting tiny vines that had already wrapped around Vio's body.

This is "Leech Seed." The Blueberry Pokémon hides the seed generated by its move under the leaves of a Magic Leaf, using it to attack itself.

The old man identified the type of move, but it was too late.

Unlike the previous wave of weak attacks, these vines exhibited extremely strong control, and even with vigorous pulling, they could not break free, with more and more branches and leaves growing from the seeds.

Perhaps the other party deliberately reduced the power of "Magic Leaf" in order to conceal the existence of "parasitic seeds" in the leaf.

The vines continued to grow, and despite Vio's constant struggles, the sprawling branches and leaves trapped the old man's hands and feet within ten seconds, rendering him completely immobile.

The Pokémon that unleashed its skill remained hidden among the piles of money, its small size allowing it to nimbly roam the room, meowing as it moved about.

Judging from the Pokémon's cry, it was most likely the Pokémon that was perched on Lanting's shoulder before the betting began, and it was the Grass-type beginner Pokémon that was adopted from the Padilla region through the Order's channels.

It's no wonder he's called the Dark-type Elite Four member; he's only been trained for less than three months and already possesses such power.

The geometric snowflakes inside the surrounding walls had stopped attacking for some reason, which was also very strange.

Being bound by "parasitic seeds" should have panicked them and caused them to attack indiscriminately, so why is it so quiet inside the reflective glass wall?

Were they quietly dealt with by Blueberry's underhanded tactics? How did that Uranus, who was already frozen in frost, manage to do that?

The next moment, a long-awaited, even somewhat nostalgic, click sound rang out.

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to echo throughout the entire glass-enclosed room, making Vio's heart sink even further.

That was the sound of the door lock being opened.

.

As the glass door leading to the gambling room opened, a torrent of ten-thousand-yuan banknotes surged toward the doorway with the force of a landslide. The figure standing at the doorway, however, was prepared for this, remaining firmly steadfast amidst the surging cash.

The person who opened the door to the secret room from the outside had an exaggerated hairstyle and wore a dark blue suit; he was none other than the cranberry that should have been sealed under the frost inside.

Behind him were the turbaned thugs who were part of the Heavenly King's main force and were meeting with their master.

The thug with the turban had loose, disheveled hair like a rooster's comb, and looked menacing. His orange-red fingers seemed to have just unleashed a skill, with faint scorch marks between them.

Seeing his opponent's expression, Vio instantly understood why the geometric snowflakes arranged in the water tank on the wall had all failed to fire simultaneously.

The clear water stored in the tank is not only a stage for Water-type Pokémon to swim in, but also an excellent conductor for electric current. If a powerful Pokémon uses an Electric-type move at the water's surface, all the Geometric Snowflakes in the tank will be attacked simultaneously, with no room to dodge.

It now seems highly likely that this bandana-wearing thug used "Lightning Fist" repeatedly on the water's surface, and the fluffy rooster-like hair was caused by the electric current dissipating into the air...

Vio's mind was filled with meaningless thoughts, so much so that he hadn't realized the simplest of facts.

As Lanju re-entered the casino, a small green cat, like a wild elf by the roadside, jumped out from the pile of banknotes and affectionately climbed onto the shoulder of this gambling king.

"You lost, Vio."

The gambler raised the object in his hand: checks and securities sealed in a specially made transparent document bag.

The signature is clearly black and white, and the seal is as red as blood.

The outcome is obvious.

The old man, bound by the "parasitic seed," looked lost and dejected, and lowered his head.

In a chess endgame, a king in check can still survive for a while, and may even have a chance to use the remaining pieces to threaten the opponent's king, but that's about it.

A hasty counterattack is often too impulsive. No matter how desperately one tries to survive, it is impossible to defeat an opponent who has the upper hand, especially when the opponent is well-prepared.

Now that they've reached the end of their rope, even their last struggle has failed.

At this moment, Vio was completely checkmated.

.

After dealing with the commotion on the Royal Navy, Yueju finally found a moment to rest. Just as she was about to return to her cabin for a short nap, she turned around and saw the Kanto Gym Leader sitting on a sofa in the corner of his office, staring at her with a forced smile.

"Miss Naz, is there anything I can help you with?"

Sensing an unfriendly atmosphere, Universal Heavenly King cautiously asked.

"Although I said I was willing to play a supporting role in this performance, isn't the position I've been assigned a bit too peripheral?"

Naz rested her cheek on her hand, her tone full of dissatisfaction.

"Oh?" Yueju feigned surprise. "I thought the powerfully inspired Magic Queen had already foreseen this future."

"The Magic Queen is just a character I played in the movie. In reality, I'm just an ordinary girl with superpowers."