Pokémon Detective Case Files

Interlude 4 of Chapter 404: May the Superpowered Rest in Peace

Interlude 406: May the Superpowered Rest in Peace

"Young Miss, these tedious tasks can be handled by our servants. Why did you have to come personally?"

Butler Shi Lan followed closely behind the mistress, her tone tinged with helplessness.

As dusk settled in Ripple Town, bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun, Cattleya enthusiastically surveyed the cityscape of this seaside town.

This capricious Unova Elite Four member had just received a call informing him that his close friend from Sinnoh would be visiting during the off-season, and immediately insisted on coming to check the maintenance of the villa, despite the late hour.

"no."

The psychic-type Ultron lazily yawned, sinking into the soft body of the artificial cell egg as if he were reclining on a beanbag chair.

Floating leisurely in mid-air.

She gently tapped her chin with her slender fingers: "This villa isn't just for entertaining guests; I'm also going to have a chat with that guest here. Shi Lan, do you really want to see the host suffer a defeat because she's unfamiliar with her own territory?"

Shi Lan shook her head with a wry smile. Ever since the young lady became a Champion, her tongue had grown increasingly eloquent. However, thinking of the visitor's strength, the butler couldn't help but sigh inwardly—after all, he was the Sinnoh Champion. Even if she knew every single tile on the field, her young lady would likely be no match for him, suffering a crushing defeat.

"This is the villa owned by the family—hmm? Miss, what are you looking at?"

Shi Lan led Cattleya along the seaside path, where the white villas in the distance were already faintly visible in the twilight.

However, just as they were about to arrive, the butler suddenly noticed that the superpowered king behind him had stopped moving and was looking inexplicably into a deep alley.

Following Gadriya's gaze, one could see a simple apartment building standing at the end of the alley, and an exceptionally tall figure standing in front of the apartment door, seemingly raising a finger, as if wondering whether to knock.

The giant-like silhouette appeared blurry and strange in the setting sun, vaguely revealing a sense of incongruity.

"Are they enemies?"

Shi Lan's fingers instantly gripped the Poké Ball at his waist. Ever since his attack by Landorus at the foot of the Tower of Paradise, he had maintained an almost instinctive vigilance towards anything unusual around him.

"No, he's just an ordinary person." Gadriya shook her head gently. Her superpowered senses allowed her to vaguely perceive the other person's emotional fluctuations.

"Although that guy's appearance is a bit peculiar—his mood right now is as warm as snow melting in the sun." Superpower King slightly curled the corners of his mouth. "He's probably on his way to meet someone important."

Before she finished speaking, she looked away, as if she had already lost interest in the story that was about to unfold in the alley.

The artificial cell egg floated up silently, carrying the Heavenly King lightly past Shi Lan, drifting towards the villa.

The newly renovated holiday villa stands on the azure coast, with the undersea tunnel connecting to Bozhou, Qinghai Province, just steps away. Pushing open the outermost carved iron gate, a spacious courtyard comes into view.

In the distance, the fine white sand beach merges seamlessly with the shimmering blue sea, and the Elf Center of Ripple Town is just a short walk away. The sound of the waves is constant, and a few starfish lazily lie in the shallows. Trolls and Floaters appear and disappear among the waves, while high in the sky, elegant Swans spread their wings, tracing graceful arcs in the sunset.

Caldelia leaped lightly from the artificial cell egg, but after looking around, she frowned slightly. "Although it's close to the public battlefield on the beach, I don't like practicing in places where people are watching." The girl unconsciously twirled a strand of golden hair between her fingers, her tone somewhat critical.

"Of course not there." Shi Lan smiled and bowed slightly, taking out a gilded key from the inside pocket of her suit. "The villa's basement is equipped with League-standard combat facilities. If you and that champion were to fight at full strength in the open field, this entire beach would probably have to be completely rebuilt."

As the heavy door slowly opened, two carefully trimmed potted plants greeted visitors. The indoor air was fresh, completely free of the pungent smell of freshly renovated rooms.

Shi Lan reached out and turned on the indoor lights, and the dazzling crystal chandelier instantly illuminated the entire living room, making it sparkle brilliantly.

The polished marble floor is so shiny it reflects light, and the leather sofas curve around the central coffee table. The spacious living room is large enough to host a large salon for dozens of people at the same time.

At the end of the corridor, a half-open bedroom door reveals fluffy down comforters and soft pillows that seem to be silently extending an invitation.

Cattleya's pace slowed unconsciously. With her superhuman senses, she could even imagine the feeling of sinking into those cloud-like beds. She hesitated for a moment, wanting to experience the texture of the bed on behalf of her guest, but in the end, she did not forget her original purpose.

He could only cough awkwardly twice, a suspicious blush creeping up his ears—"Shi Lan, stop dawdling, take me to see the battle facilities first! If they're not professional enough, I'll get angry."

"Understood." Shi Lan adjusted her glasses and led Cattleya towards the spiral staircase leading underground. Her voice was steady and professional. "This underground training arena uses the most advanced isolation technology in the Unova region. Although it can't compare to the interchangeable arena system of the Pokémon League, it's in no way inferior in terms of size and sturdiness. Whether it's an Elite Four level trainer or a champion from any league, they can battle freely in this space. In addition, it's equipped with a complete health monitoring system and attribute simulation training devices, as well as various equipment for training Pokémon's individual physical abilities."

"Hmm, I don't really like using those things. Does Miss Zhulan use them for training?"

Cattleya and the artificial cell egg exchanged a glance, tilted her head, and lightly tapped her cheek with her index finger.

"According to the early information we collected, Cynthia Champion started using various professional training equipment when she first participated in the League Tournament," the butler recalled. "Given Cynthia Champion's current level, such equipment may not be of much help to her, but we can't rule out the possibility that the guest might want to train Pokémon other than her main ones, so we still prepared them here."

"Hmm, that's quite thoughtful." Cattleya nodded. "I'll try out those training equipment when I have time."

When the two arrived at the final isolation pod, the villa's owner's eyes widened in surprise. The silver-white buffer pod resembled a transition chamber in a space station, surrounded by pressure sensors flashing blue light.

"Wow, that's really high-tech."

"This is the quadruple protection system for the combat zone." Shi Lan raised her hand and activated the biometric lock. "This buffer zone can not only absorb shockwaves, but also control the ventilation and air exchange of the underground combat zone."

The butler, his hand on the doorknob, was about to open the heavy iron gate leading to the battlefield when he heard, "Wait."

Suddenly, Gadriya raised her hand, her languid voice unusually sharp.

Her turquoise pupils narrowed slightly, and the perception of a superhuman spread out like ripples.

Shi Lan immediately stopped in his tracks; years of tacit understanding instantly put him on alert: "Young Miss, have you sensed anything?"

"Behind the door," Cattleya floated slowly into the air, her skirt fluttering without wind. "There is an uninvited guest."

The girl's voice turned cold: "Shi Lan, retreat behind the artificial cell egg."

The moment the words left his mouth, the air pressure in the entire basement changed abruptly. A dazzling blue light flashed in the eyes of the Superpower King—

"It seems this place isn't sturdy enough."

boom!!!!

The two alloy door panels, each half a meter thick, twisted and deformed under the girl's violent mental force, and flew out with a crash, like boards overturned by a giant wave.

Amidst the hurricane, Cattleya's golden hair danced wildly in the energy storm, each strand entwined with visible psychic ripples, resembling the deadly tentacles of a stinging jellyfish.

"Bang!"

The iron gate, which had been blown away, landed heavily on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust at the feet of a green-haired youth.

"There really is someone!" Shi Lan's pupils contracted, and then he instantly recognized the person's face.

"You are N from the plasma group? How did you get in?"

"In this world, it is not only humans who possess the ability to foresee the future."

A young man dressed in white emerged from the dust and mist, his tone calm and gentle: "I received help from a Pokémon. Based on the results of 'Foresight,' it told me the location where I could battle the last Unova League Elite Four member. So, I came here."

As the fog dissipated, a Pokémon figure reminiscent of a crescent moon appeared beside the young man.

The crescent-shaped headdress shimmered with a dreamy glow, and the pink circular ribbons moved swiftly without wind, as if weaving the trajectory of the future.

"I met this Pokémon at the Dream Ruins near Sanyo City. It recognized my dream and was willing to help me."

N's gaze passed through the flying blonde hair and landed directly in Cattleya's blue-glowing eyes.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment, and even breathing became clearly audible.

"You said I am the last Heavenly King, so does that mean you have defeated even Wu and the others?" Cattleya's tone was cold, just like the genius girl who fought against all the beings in the castle back then.

"I won a gold button from King Cranberry—and he was the third Unova King I defeated."

The king of the plasma cluster slowly opened his palm.

A worn gold button lay quietly in his palm, reflecting a faint light in the dim basement.

"Are you challenging the King of Fighters for the championship title?" the Super Queen questioned, her voice icy.

"Exactly." N's clothes fluttered in the mental storm, yet he remained calm. "I want to challenge Hugo. And defeating you is the ticket to face him head-on."

It was like touching a switch that shouldn't have been turned on—in an instant, the hurricane formed by the superpowers swelled several times over.

"I'm sorry, your ticket is invalid for today."

Cattleya's reply was swift and decisive—

"My castle does not welcome impolite guests, whether it's you—"

Her fingertips slid towards the elf beside N—

"It's still that thief with the superpower of 'teleportation' who jumps into other people's houses."

The pink light emanating from the elf beside N intensified, its crescent-shaped horn emitting dazzling particles of light. This usually gentle dream guardian was now ignited by this provocation, unleashing a fierce fighting spirit.

Seeing this, Butler Shilan took out a Poké Ball containing Empoleon and was about to join the battle when an invisible psychic force wrapped around his wrist, abruptly stopping his movements.

"Shilan," Cattleya's voice carried an undeniable authority, "your place is right there."

Her slender white fingers traced a line towards the referee's stand in the center of the arena. Her chin was slightly raised, and her long golden hair danced like a living thing under the stimulation of her mental power. "As one of the four Heavenly Kings of the Unova League, even if my opponent is an unruly thief or an arrogant thug," the psychic king's lips curled into a dangerous smile, "I will respond with basic courtesy."

N nodded slightly: "Thank you for your fairness."

"No need to thank me." Gadriya flicked her wrist, and a Poké Ball spun into the air. "After all, my soon-to-arrive 'guest' once told me—"

The moment Miss Gothic burst out of the sphere, purple light simultaneously emanated from the palms of the artificial cell egg.

In the next instant, two "spiritual powers" intertwined to form a massive energy barrier, splitting the entire battlefield in two.

"So-called 'basic level of etiquette'"

-

The Heavenly King's pupils suddenly contracted, and his raised arm swung down like a conductor's: "Crush your opponent with all your might!"

With her movements, the mental barrier collapsed like a colossal building, and her surging superpowers transformed into a raging torrent, rushing towards the green-haired youth!