Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 433 Declaration of War

Chapter 435 Declaration of War

"Boss, aren't you planning to kill that woman?"

Watching the Thousand-Faced Refugee slowly withdraw his arm under the cover of leaves, Ushio, who was on guard duty nearby, couldn't help but turn around and ask Mizugoro, who had planned this sniping operation.

A water-attribute "sniper" move, if unleashed at full power, could easily pierce a solid concrete wall. However, this move failed to create a bloody hole in the woman's chest—clearly, the Thousand-Faced Escaper had deliberately restrained the force of this attack. Chao knew that his boss was not one to hesitate to kill and shed blood; such an action must have a deeper meaning.

However, Archie ignored his question and silently returned the Pokémon, which he had bought for a high price from the Galar black market, to its Poké Ball without even glancing away.

He simply gave Chao a brief gesture, then turned and swiftly retreated along the predetermined route.

Only after traversing the entire forest and confirming that there were no pursuers behind them did the Team Aqua leader finally speak, "The other party was once a famous trainer in the Kanto region, and is no ordinary person, so we must not reveal any killing intent during the operation."

"Is it really necessary to be this cautious?" Chao followed closely, asking in confusion. "Didn't you take him down with just one 'sniper shot'? If he's really that troublesome, shouldn't we have eliminated him completely?"

Archie didn't stop walking, shaking her head: "Many psychics or intuitive trainers possess abnormal sensory abilities, which are especially evident when facing life-or-death crises, and they make no sense at all. We don't need to take such a risk now. Besides, this mission is just to cooperate with Team Plasma's operation; there's no need to jeopardize our own escape route for other people's grudges."

"But we came all this way to United States just to settle scores with that detective, didn't we?" The burly man, nearly two meters tall, scratched his head. "Now that we've chased him all this way, why should we care whether his partner lives or dies?"

"The social relationships a person can build can always exceed outsiders' imagination, so being cautious won't hurt. Besides, do you really think we left Hoenn just to get revenge?"

"Isn't that right?" Chao asked bluntly, his wide eyes showing no sign of flinching. He still clearly remembered the leader's furious expression when the United detective interfered for the second time.

"Okay, there is a bit of a competitive element involved." In the end, it was Shui Wutong, as the leader, who relaxed her stance.

Unlike the Lava Team, which obeys orders without question, Water Archie, who has always adhered to the pirate style, actually prefers his subordinates to make more use of their thinking abilities, just like they are now—which is exactly what Ushio, one of his subordinates, lacks most. So he stopped and waved his hand dismissively.

"But ultimately, it's due to strategic considerations—unlike Hoenn, where the alliance has already gained a complete advantage, the situation in the Unova region is far more chaotic. As a temporary safe haven, it offers us more opportunities to profit from the chaos. In this situation, keeping the organization hidden in the shadows and avoiding attracting too much hatred is the best strategy to maximize our interests."

Doing just the right amount of work is enough.

"That's true." Chao nodded in agreement. "Even just seeing that Blastoise from afar, you can feel the enormous energy hidden in its cannons. If a trainer like that were put on the battlefield later, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"Although I don't like those sanctimonious sages in the Plasma Cluster, I agree with one of their sayings: 'Even the best swimmers drown.'"

Recalling the assassination attempt that had failed not long ago despite his guidance, the notorious villain narrowed his eyes.

"Compared to the detective who always protected himself under layers of armor, his assistant, although the demon elf was more powerful and had better command skills, was completely bad at protecting his own weaknesses and was so weak that he was practically like a normal human being."

Immediately after Azure was attacked, her Ditto quickly transformed into a rough humanoid form and used her phone to contact Hatchku, who was located nearby.

When the Ice-type Gym Leader rushed to the sanatorium on the outskirts of the city, the girl had already been placed in the medical room.

A middle-aged female caregiver explained the situation to Hachiku: "To be honest, we didn't do anything special here. Although this young lady suffered a severe blow to the chest, fortunately she received timely treatment and is currently out of danger."

Her gaze inadvertently swept over Clefairy, who was busy by the hospital bedside—this pink Pokémon had almost taken care of everything in the treatment, using "Moonlight," "Wish," and "Healing Pulse" in succession, and was currently using "Life Drop" to replenish the trainer's health.

"However, it seems that because the attack was too sudden, she still hasn't woken up," the nurse added.

"That's good, what she needs most right now is rest." Hachiku, a former martial arts actor who had suffered countless injuries, nodded. He looked at the blue Ditto beside him, his expression grave. "Does Hugo know about the situation here?"

"Yes, I understand the situation."

Ditto raised its purple, jelly-like tentacles, displaying a phone screen that was in the middle of a video call. The detective in the white coat nodded to Hatchling on the other side of the camera. "It seems Azure was about to report important intelligence about the League's underground to me before the attack, which is why Ditto contacted me later. I didn't expect those people to launch an attack so quickly; we should have had the League send someone else to handle the inquiries here."

"It was thanks to this gentleman who explained the situation in time." The nurse gave Hugo a grateful look—the sudden attack on a visiting guest in front of the sanatorium had indeed caught her off guard.

"Do you have any leads on the attack here?" After the nurse left the ward, the owner of Snowflake City asked Hugo in a low voice.

Based on her professional ethics, the detective answered immediately without hesitation: "There are water stains on the blue-clad woman's clothes. Judging from the attack power and the distance from which it was launched, it should be Thousand Faces' unique water-based move, 'Sniper,' and she deliberately restrained its power to ensure accuracy."

"Was it the plasma cluster that did this?" Hatchku's fists clenched involuntarily.

"No," the detective on the screen denied. "Judging from the modus operandi, it should be the work of Team Aqua, which has merged with Team Plasma. They have obviously been monitoring Azur Lane's actions for a long time."

"So, it's highly likely that Group Plasma has already obtained information about Soma's location in this sanatorium. Since Azure was attacked here, has our plan to lure them out been exposed?" Hachiku asked in a deep voice.

"On the contrary, if Team Plasma and Team Aqua realize this is a trap, they will stop such reckless attacks." Hugo shook his head.

"Those people have probably only just realized that the secrets of the Alliance's underground have been exposed, so they're planning to weaken the Alliance's strength in this desperate situation. Therefore, our operation can still proceed as planned for now. However, since Team Plasma no longer has the need to eliminate witnesses, we need to be more proactive in our provocations. Besides—"

Hugo's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the hospital bed.

"Azure is currently unable to move, and to prevent further attacks, her Pokémon must remain in this sanatorium. This leaves the League with only three Gym Leaders, while the opposing side faces a combined force of Team Aqua and Team Plasma..."

"It's not 'only'."

Hatchku interrupted the detective, his voice as calm as ice and snow.

"We have three dojo leaders here, which is enough to deal with any enemy attack."

"Sigh, I knew you'd say that." Hugo sighed, as if defeated.

"Alright, please also convey this message to Mr. Kiku and Ms. Fuyu who are lying in ambush—please do not push yourselves. I will try to organize other reinforcements. Before the reinforcements arrive, preserving our strength should be our top priority. By the way, the battleground must be far away from the Snowflake Wetlands. The opposing team has the Water Fleet, so be careful of their traps and schemes."

"I will remember this." With those words, Hachiku turned and disappeared down the corridor.

As evening fell, almost at the same time the battle began inside the Giant's Cave, thick smoke suddenly billowed from the church spire of Team Plasma in Snowflake City.

Splash!

With a sharp crack, Hatchiku, wearing a mask, burst out of the stained glass window on the front of the church.

His figure streaked across the sky, his feet treading on the swirling geometric snowflakes as he swept across the city bathed in the setting sun, speeding towards the designated battlefield in the east.

Behind them, shattered stained-glass windows rained down like a curtain of ice, yet not a single pursuer appeared. But at this moment, both the dojo leader and the lurking enemies knew perfectly well what was happening.

The war that will determine the future of the United States Alliance has silently begun in this blood-red twilight.