Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"However, judging from the live broadcast, King of the Oranges only remained expressionless and calm until the engine was turned on, causing the bets on the table to double, at which point he started to become arrogant," Naz said truthfully, expressing her observations.

"That's the exciting part of the game!"

This time, it was Douzi who chimed in. When it comes to acting skills and dramatic plot twists, this self-proclaimed director is the most qualified person to speak on Yuqi Mansion.

"The human face has more than forty muscles that can combine to form more than 1 expressions, of which 3000 have emotional meaning. Even a simple expressionless face has dozens of vastly different classifications, such as whether the corners of the eyes are downturned or upturned, whether the breathing is rapid or long, where the eyebrows are placed, and the tension in the cheeks—there is a lot to learn about how to use expressions to conceal one's emotions and how to convey the emotions one wishes to express to the audience through expressions!"

"Oh?" Sabrina's eyes lit up, and her gaze toward Touko turned respectful. Touko, on the other hand, stood tall and proud like a water otter showing off its shells, talking nonstop.

"The change in attitude after the stakes were raised is the highlight of the entire performance. Think about it, what kind of character is Yueju portraying in the gambling game? He is a profit-driven opportunist who straddles both the League and the Order. The fundamental need of this character is neither to win the game nor to defeat his opponent, but to drive Vio off the table, pass the scrutiny smoothly, and allow his Royal United to continue to parasitize Team Plasma, becoming a lawless place where it can freely enjoy gambling."

Only the girl, who seemed to know everything about movies, spoke with great confidence—

"Therefore, he had to put on a show of 200% confidence when the stakes were doubled. A person who is truly in control cannot be this arrogant. Vio would subconsciously see through Blueberry's bluff. And after Blueberry's previous expressionless hints, he would subconsciously rule out the possibility that Blueberry actually had something to rely on, and thus—confidently give it his all in the game."

Finally, as if using a "startle" move, the girl slammed her hand on the table in front of her. The three beginner Pokémon who were secretly watching outside the reception area were so startled that they shrank back behind the door.

"Indeed, that's roughly how it is. In short, King Cranberry has accomplished this phase of the task brilliantly."

Hugo nodded and said casually.

"In fact, all the mechanisms in a casino are designed to make people lose their rationality. From the flamboyant decor and color schemes to the ubiquitous alcoholic beverages and the highly revealing uniforms of the waiters—in terms of psychological warfare, Vio had already lost most of his game the moment he stepped back into the casino."

"This is even more terrifying than the 'hypnosis' spell of Psychic Pokémon," the Gym Leader exclaimed.

"Unlike Pokémon moves that induce sleep, human 'hypnosis' isn't as powerful as it seems, and it can't make the user do things they would otherwise oppose. The reason Vio fell into the trap of psychological suggestion is because these traps were created specifically for him."

At this point, even Hugo couldn't help but feel sorry for this sage he had never met. Just because he had a carefree time in the casinos thirty years ago, he was targeted by the "mega-shark" lurking in the dark trenches.

However, using the Seven Sages' past experiences as a weakness, and deliberately choosing to attack their most arrogant area, to drag the entire Plasma Group into a quagmire, is truly an ingenious trick.

That super gambler almost single-handedly destroyed the evil religion that had been entrenched in the Unova region for years. If he could coordinate perfectly with the Pokémon League, he might even be able to eradicate it completely…

It was all for naught.

"Alright, so there's one last obstacle left. I guess it's the sure-fire way to win the bet?"

The debriefing on the gambling game had reached its final stage, and the chestnut-haired assistant asked impatiently.

Surprisingly, Hugo shook his head: "I'm sorry, but I can't draw any specific conclusions."

Not only did Azure ask the question, but even Touko and Sabrina's eyes widened in surprise.

"Although the double dragon gambling game on the Royal Union was broadcast live, no video footage has been released to the public until now. Based on the current clues, I cannot pinpoint the truth as accurately as I would with the roulette mechanism."

The detective fell silent with some regret, taking a sip of his now-cold tea.

“That’s true.” Naza frowned. “I didn’t bring any on-site information with me. It’s really too naive of me to think I could uncover the elaborate scheme of the Time Traveler King just by reading his descriptions.”

"Huh? What did you say?" Hugo looked surprised. "I never said I couldn't expose the trick."

Two puzzled eyes met, neither knowing what the other was wondering about.

“What Hugo meant was…” Azure broke the awkward silence, explaining to her boss—

"Reasoning does not cease to exist as the number of known conditions decreases; on the contrary, it will extend indefinitely due to the inability to converge. In layman's terms, it means that when the existing conditions are insufficient, there are too many means to achieve the goal, making it impossible to determine which one is correct."

"Huh?" Naz was still completely confused.

"Indeed, just as Azure said."

After being reminded by his assistant, Hugo realized what was happening and began to explain to Sabrina again—

“In Double Dragon Poker, achieving a perfect record is far too easy, and there are countless strategies available, so I cannot determine which one Blueberry used.”

Double Dragon Poker is a game that tests both a player's betting and card-guessing skills. To win, it's actually quite simple: always bet heavily when your hand is better than your opponent's; and fold decisively when your hand is worse. By repeatedly doing this and never guessing wrong, a player can win all the chips on the table and achieve victory.

"In other words, as long as the lychee uses a method that can see through all the folded cards on the table, it can easily control the game and win the final victory."

"Simple? Easy peasy?" Naz asked, her face full of confusion.

"The gambling equipment and referees were all provided by Team Plasma, and there was also live surveillance on site with no blind spots. Whether it was the superpower of precognition and telekinesis, or the ghostly ability of passing through walls and communicating with spirits, everything was strictly guarded against by them. Tell me how to overcome these obstacles and see through the numbers on the face-down cards in front of Vio, who is known as the legend of the casino."

“Just as I said.” The detective in the white coat remained expressionless.

"Miracles of this magnitude are easy to achieve."

Chapter 190 Solution Section - Saturation Solution

"People often try to find shortcuts when they encounter difficulties, which is actually a kind of thinking misconception."

Hugo cleared his throat and addressed the three girls present—

"First, we should consider the possibility of cracking the dealing pattern of Double Dragon Poker head-on. Although Vio's theory using the clock face algorithm has flaws, it doesn't mean that other mathematicians and gamblers can't find a smarter way."

"You mean you found a card-counting theory that's even more powerful than Vio's, and used it to defeat Vio head-on?" The client looked like he couldn't believe it.

“If a foolproof calculation truly existed, its master would naturally know all the cards face down on the table—a very boring answer, but such a possibility does exist,” the detective replied.

"Professor Fischer spent at least two months on the Royal United, and I don't think it would take that top mathematician so much time to decipher a 30-year-old paper. Combining the wisdom of a mathematical genius and a gambling king, they might actually be able to write the dream formula to crack the ultimate mystery of playing cards."

"Well, maybe he's just loafing around on the gambling ship?"

Naz recalled the first time she saw Fischer in the casino lobby. The old man mingled among a large group of drunken gamblers, chatting and squandering chips like any other customer. He didn't look like someone who was tackling a difficult mathematical problem at all...

However, according to updated intelligence, many of those "ordinary guests" appear to be surveillance agents from the business alliance. They were accomplices in Blueberry's scam, yet they mingled so warmly with Fischer. Could it be that they had already acquired a superior card-counting theory and were testing it in actual games?

No, no, no, there's no need to drink alcohol for testing experiments... Sabrina shook her long, dark blue hair violently, denying her wavering stance—

"That's it!" Naza found compelling evidence for herself: the testimony of someone involved in the incident—

"During the casual conversation before the roulette game began, Fischer said that according to the Double Dragon poker rules agreed upon by Lanju and Vio, no matter how sophisticated the calculation theory, it was impossible to lock in the outcome of a round of the game with 100% certainty, let alone perfectly manipulate the game. In addition, he praised Vio to his face, saying that although he ultimately lost the game, the theory he relied on was the closest to a perfect prediction algorithm."

However, as if he didn't need time to think, the detective immediately retorted—

“Fischers may have lied on purpose. If he and Blueberry really developed an algorithm that could suppress Vio, they would certainly not reveal the truth to outsiders for the sake of their long-term interests.”

Undeniable...

If the professor were here, he might be able to provide more evidence to refute the detective's suspicions—but right now, all that's in the Feather Residence is Natsumi, an observer with only a superficial understanding of the gambling game and its techniques.

“However, Hugo.” Seeing the client’s predicament, Azure offered yet another counter-argument—

"Calculating the hand must require very advanced mathematical skills. After all, King Lantau is not a professional mathematician. Even if he had mastered the relevant theories, he could not make a judgment as quickly as Vio."

"When reasoning, one should avoid preconceived stereotypes, Azure. I do not believe that a skilled gambler's calculation ability is inferior to that of a mathematician. Moreover, even if your view is reasonable, you lack actual evidence to prove the counter-argument."

Hugo's rebuttal left the assistant speechless.

The existing evidence is insufficient—so much so that even such seemingly absurd reasoning cannot be refuted.

"The second guess is that Blueberry used some kind of method to achieve genuine cheating."

Seeing everyone fall into an awkward silence, the detective finally handed out the second answer sheet with satisfaction—

"Due to the presence of comprehensive surveillance and the glass enclosure, two methods of cheating can be ruled out—stealing chips and switching cards. If Lan Tachibana were to use either of these methods, she would be discovered instantly by Team Plasma."

“Physical tricks leave behind traces of cheating that cannot be concealed, which is also dangerous for business alliances that invest in bilberries.”

Azure tried to redeem herself for her earlier slip of the tongue, speaking before the detective could.

"That's right. In a game of cards, Team Plasma will always be keeping an eye on the amount of chips held by both sides, so such obvious cheating is impossible. A skilled cheater can switch cards in the blink of an eye, but Double Dragon Poker is not a game that requires repeated play, and Vio, who has excellent card counting skills, would not allow such a situation to happen. Therefore, no matter how powerful Chow Tachibana is, he will not find an opportunity to perform card magic to steal the day."

"These are truly hellish conditions," Naz sighed.

"Really? I think the conditions are as lenient as paradise."

The detective shrugged.

"First, Lantana can manipulate the referee in the gambling game. He can have his subordinates infiltrate Team Plasma pretend to be clumsy and inept at gambling, thus leading Vio into a trap of reverse thinking. The Team Plasma member who is promoted to dealer, while pretending to be clumsy, is actually manipulating the flow of every card on the table. He carefully manipulates the outcome of each round of gambling according to the rules agreed upon with Lantana. In this way, Lantana will naturally know when to go all in and when to withdraw decisively."

"Oh, so it's teamwork between undercover agents."

As the topic turned to familiar territory, Douzi shook his head and commented, "If this kind of plot appears repeatedly in movies, it will make the audience feel a bit tired of it, as if there aren't many truly bad people in the villainous organization."

The assistant chimed in, "Besides, Vio should be a pretty smart guy. He wouldn't stoop so low as to hire a mole to infiltrate him in a life-or-death gamble like this."

“I guess so,” the detective said noncommittally, “but we can’t rule out that possibility.”

Here we go again… Naz, her head aching, propped her cheek up with her hand. She finally understood what the detective meant when he said “miracles of this magnitude are easy.”

Generally speaking, the person making the inference must present sufficiently detailed evidence to support their conclusion. But nowadays, detectives and clients often lack any evidence, leaving the inference to remain mere speculation, and the truth to stand ambiguously between falsehood and reality.

Conversely, the detective in front of us is indeed using a reliable reasoning method—since the conditions are insufficient and the conclusion of the reasoning cannot converge, we might as well list all the possibilities one by one. Once all the possibilities have been analyzed, the real answer must lie among the listed conjectures.

Over-reasoning—the "saturated solution" of "better safe than sorry," a barrage of guesses.

"Besides turning the dealers against Vio, there are other ways to fool him."

Hugo's voice rang out once again.

"One method is to use off-table assistance to find out the suit and rank of the cards dealt to the table before the cards are revealed."

"Off-field assistance?" Naz asked, somewhat surprised.

"But it's an airtight glass room, thoroughly inspected by Vio both inside and out. There's no way it could have any connection to the outside world. Given its special location on the top floor of the casino, even if I tried to use my superpowers for telepathy, it would just be intermittent static, unable to transmit even a clear word, let alone manipulate the game. Besides, how would the assistants outside the game know the information from the face-down cards?"

"It was precisely because it was a one-way reflective glass chamber that a certain trick was able to be carried out."

The detective cupped his hands into a pyramid shape, looking like a wise sage like Vio who had the upper hand in a gambling game.

"In the mirrored chamber, the two duelists, wary of each other, concealed their cards. The dealer, even more cautious, carefully placed the deck on the table, dealing with unwavering focus, fearing that a mistake would reveal the community cards and void the round. In the live broadcast, the spectators in the casino hall shared the same perspective as the duelists, unable to discern the card values ​​hidden in the darkness—but wasn't the elaborate design of the gambling room a deliberate attempt to conceal some hidden secret?"

"what do you mean?"

Naz instinctively realized that the trick the detective was now telling was completely different from the previous outlandish reasoning—this solution had a chilling feasibility.

"What would you do if you wanted to hide the cards in your hand from the person in front of you?"

Hugo shook the business card holder he had somehow gotten back into his hand, tapped it lightly with his knuckles, and two business cards from his firm popped out.

"Miss Naz, imagine you are in Vio's position. When the dealer has just dealt you two hole cards and you want to check your score, what would you do?"

The detective, acting like a real dealer, placed two business cards on the table like frisbees and presented them to Natsume.

The proprietress hesitated for a moment, recalling the usual practices of patrons in casinos, and then imitated them verbatim—

First, cover the business card with both hands, carefully move it in front of you, then transfer the paper from the table to between your palms, making your palms and shoulders form an impenetrable fortress, and only peek at a corner of the business card by the reflection of light shining on your palms.

"Not bad, the motion simulation is incredibly lifelike. If I were your opponent at the gambling table, I would never be able to peek at your cards."

The detective offered praise that was anything but pleasant, then predictably changed the subject—

"But this is only airtight to your opponent. If someone stands behind you and observes carefully from the top left corner, they can still see your cards. In fact, as long as you try to examine the cards in your hand with your eyes, you will always leave enough gaps for others to peek."

Naz performed the action again, this time calling Blue to check behind her. Sure enough, they found a gap large enough to see the contents of the business card.

"Light travels in straight lines and is everywhere. Wherever the eye can see, there will naturally be other rays of light that transmit information to the outside world. This is why Blueberry went to great lengths to create a one-way transparent room."

Looking at Azure, who had sat back down on the sofa, Hugo began to explain—

"When inside the gambling room, the mirrors around the room give participants a sense of security. This makes Vio subconsciously believe that as long as he avoids the gaze of Blueberry and the reflections on the walls, the information of his hole cards will be safe and secure—however, this is a false sense of security, because the secret room that reflects the interior is actually completely transparent from the outside. Blueberry's accomplices can simply set up high-precision telescopes in various corners of the casino to peek at the contents of Vio's hole cards while he is reading his hand."

Don't underestimate the power of telescopes—humans can use astronomical telescopes to observe faint planets five thousand light-years away; with proper preparation, it's not too difficult to see one or two numbers tens of meters away, with the cover of your hands and shoulders.

"Even so, how will Yueju's accomplices pass the information to Yueju?"

Naz asked again, saying that the idea of ​​off-site surveillance was indeed feasible, but the ones participating in the gambling were not the accomplices behind the binoculars, but rather the raccoon under heavy surveillance.

Before entering the tenth-floor gambling room, he and Vio both underwent full-body metal detection, making it impossible for them to be carrying any communication devices.

“That makes it even simpler,” the detective replied calmly. “We’ll just use light.”

Like the roulette wheel, it's also a magic trick of light and shadow.

While one-way glass is remarkable for its ability to transmit light outwards while reflecting it inwards, this phenomenon only works when the internal light level is significantly higher than the external light level. When the internal and external light levels are roughly equal, the so-called "magic glass" is simply an ordinary glass panel.

"What the accomplices of the blueberry were doing wasn't complicated. They waited at a distance, received information about the gambling game from the observers on their phones, and then quickly encoded the suits of the cards into a short-line code. They then shone a laser pointer at the glass mirror facing the blueberry. The mirror, exposed to strong light, lost its reflective function and naturally displayed the black sky outside the room."

The detective put the business card that Sabrina had handed back back into the card holder and said in a concluding statement—

"Therefore, just by glancing at the frequency of the black dots flashing in the corner of the eyeglasses, one can know the opponent's trump card—no matter how talented Vio is, he cannot discover such a trick in advance."

"A telescope and a code... what a massive cheating scheme." Sabrina sighed; she was starting to lose interest in continuing this game of deduction.

As the detective said, miracles of this magnitude were easy to pull off. If Blueberry had intended to cheat from the start, he would have been doomed the moment Vio joined the game.

"You can do it without a password, but that requires the Pokémon's cooperation," Hugo said casually.

"Although you claim that Vio carefully examined every corner of the gambling room, shouldn't the double dragon gambling table used for two-person games be a standard black and white design?"

Seeing the client nod, the detective continued—

"If that's the case, then it must be a table carved from two pieces of black and white rock. Even if Vio is insane, he wouldn't smash the whole table to examine it, would he?"

"That's natural, but what's the problem with that?"