Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 361 Interlude - The Poisonous Curtain Reopens

Chapter 363 Interlude - The Poisonous Curtain Reopens

After listening to the testimony provided by Segawa, a member of the Aqua Team, Hugo silently hung up the phone and stared blankly at the view outside the top floor of the Alliance Building.

"How did it go? Did you get the key clue you wanted?"

Champion Carlos's languid voice came from behind the detective. She had only knocked on the Champion's office door yesterday evening, yet she was already acting as if she owned the league headquarters.

"Um."

Hugo did not turn around, but simply replied.

"Although I heard your and Miss Azure's detailed account last night, to be honest, I still don't really have a sense of the serial poisoning you're talking about."

The actress, who had just finished her acting career, walked over to the detective and together they gazed at the scenery of the mountains surrounding the United States headquarters.

"Is this really a case that warrants the league champion's personal attention?"

She turned to Hugo and asked earnestly—

"Based on the information I have, the dead are all unforgivable criminals. At this rate, even if you find out the source of everything, you'll probably only discover a bunch of criminals fighting amongst themselves."

I agree with your point of view.

Hugo leaned on the railing, his gaze fixed on the distant sunrise.

"Given the criminal records left by Vudu and Servilik in their respective regions, their deaths don't exactly evoke any sense of mourning. However, setting aside their identities as criminals, both were renowned poison experts, and both had disappeared from the Alliance's sights for a considerable period. Considering their talent, abilities, and the time they each invested, the destructive power they may have accumulated during their disappearances could far exceed the value of their lives—therefore, even if it might waste some time and effort, this case absolutely must be thoroughly investigated."

"Is it your old economic theories again?" Champion Karuni laughed. "So, what were your survey results?"

"Incredible."

Hugo replied with a complex expression.

"As various clues were gradually pieced together, I realized that the scale of this incident was unimaginably large in every sense. As you who heard that phone call just now probably already know, not only Team Plasma in Unova, but even Team Aqua and Team Magma across the ocean have been involved in this incident."

"So, the reason you called me here is..." The champion lady narrowed her eyes slightly; she had already discerned the subtext in the detective's words.

Hugo nodded without hesitation: "At this point, this is no longer an ordinary case where all the problems can be solved simply by the detective opening his mouth and giving the answer. Therefore, I need your help."

Karuni blinked in confusion. "You should be able to freely mobilize the forces under the United Alliance now, even appointing the Heavenly Kings under the Demon Kings, right? You seem to have ample fighting power. Why are you asking me, an outsider to the Carlos Alliance, for help?"

"I don't like evenly matched battles."

Hugo leaned on the railing with both hands, his gaze fixed on the distance, as if staring at an unseen enemy.

"When facing an opponent with no scruples, of course you should gather all your strength as much as possible and not give your opponent any chance to create any unpredictable changes. Let's leave the dramatic stuff to Pokémon battles and TV screens."

"That sounds really heartless."

"There are two other reasons," Hugo said, holding up two fingers.

"The first reason is that the place we are going to is not within the territory of Unova, and the current Unova League still needs enough manpower to guard the homeland and prevent Team Plasma from making trouble, so it cannot spare more Elite Four trainers."

"Yeah, I can guess that, since they've already gotten involved with Team Lava." Miss Champion nodded, saying understandingly.

"Secondly, it is related to the enemy we are about to face. If they are only at the level of a Heavenly King, we may not be able to be absolutely certain of victory."

"Oh?" Karuni gave an exaggerated look of surprise, her black eyebrows slightly raised. "You really don't consider yourself a league champion anymore, huh?"

"After all, there's no point in deceiving yourself."

Hugo shrugged, looked at the champion Carlos beside him, and continued, "So, would you like to lend a hand? If you're planning to pursue a career change in film, I think what I've seen on this trip might be helpful."

"There's no need to try and seduce me with sweet talk," Karuni said, putting her arm around Hugo's shoulder. "Miss Zhulan's beloved younger brother asked me for help; how could I possibly refuse?"

"This isn't just sweet talk. You've probably noticed it yourself, haven't you?"

The detective gazed at the distant clouds, but his words struck at the deepest worry in Karuni's heart: "Movie audiences are becoming increasingly discerning. Those old-school art films that focus on inner turmoil, while still moving, are finding it increasingly difficult to stir new emotions in the increasingly noisy cinemas. Every new film seems to be climbing over the bones of its predecessors, trying to claim a place on the altar. Moviegoers need more dramatic plots, more dazzling fights, more outrageous fantasies, and more unconventional elements. They crave that movies can fulfill their original function, different from books, television, and video games, and open their eyes to new possibilities."

He looked at the actress beside him: "And you, you are not willing to be left behind by this wave, so you keep trying to change your screen image, just like an athlete warming up before the start of a competition."

"What does this have to do with the case you mentioned?" Karni didn't deny it, but simply followed the Unova Champion's gaze and looked at the same sky.

"Witness what is about to happen."

Hugo's voice remained calm, yet carried a subtle, almost imperceptible depth.

"This might change your perspective on choosing scripts in the future—although people often say 'reality is stranger than fiction,' which audience member would willingly step into a movie theater only to see a script that is even more bland and boring than reality?"

The air on the top floor of the Alliance headquarters seemed to tremble slightly. Karuni looked curiously at the horizon and saw a small black dot emerging from the distant clouds.

The black dot gradually expanded, transforming into a jet plane, its wings gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

"It seems our transportation has arrived," Hugo's voice rang in Karuni's ear.

The Carlos League champion then noticed that at the top of this long, narrow building built into the mountainside, there was actually a whole runway for jet aircraft to take off and land. The runway extended along the ridge, making clever use of the terrain, and was equipped with advanced navigation lights and deceleration devices on both sides to ensure that aircraft could take off and land safely in the limited space.

A moment later, the plane slowly landed on the runway behind the two men. After decelerating for about 100 meters, the roar of the reverse thrust engine and the friction sound of the landing gear gradually subsided, eventually returning to silence.

The cabin door slowly opened, and Fuuya, the leader of the Fuyuki City Gym, appeared in the doorway.

The pilot with long, ochre-red hair first waved to Hugo, then his gaze fell on Carlos Champion Karuni beside the detective, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.

"Just like yesterday's reservation, there are four passengers in total, including myself. Although there is an airport available for landing, we still need to be prepared for unexpected situations, such as switching to parachutes or parachuting in with Pokémon—"

Hugo stepped forward and confirmed the details of the flight with Fenglu. He seemed particularly concerned about the quality of the parachute, checking it several times to ensure it was in perfect working order.

"A reality even more bizarre than a script."

Karuni stood there, a strange tension rising within her, as if something irreversible was about to happen.

She looked up at the sky again and saw that, without her noticing, thick clouds had already obscured the sun's rays, like an invisible giant hand slowly pressing down, trying to shroud the whole world in its shadow.

Behind her, the discussion about the parachutes had ended. Feng Lu jogged off to check the plane's condition and fuel reserves, while Hugo turned and headed into the building. His footsteps echoed clearly in the empty corridor.

"I'll go and call Yueju and Pachira."

Hugo's voice came from deep within the corridor—

"It's time to uncover the whole truth."

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