harleyscars Chapter 68. Even in their twilight years, do heroes still harbor lofty ambitions?
Chapter 68. Even in their twilight years, do heroes still harbor lofty ambitions?
Thanks to the excellent performance of the apartment manager and the long-haired dog, the six young people who tried to escape the apartment building were firmly locked inside, and they were never able to step out of the iron gate that they passed through every day.
Of course, the one who truly brought the battle to a close was Miss Azure, who ran out of the stairwell emergency exit, panting heavily. Before she even reached the first floor, she had already launched Eevee's Poké Ball into the fray.
Just like its usual commanding habits, the incredibly brave Eevee used "Quick Attack" the instant it jumped out of the Poké Ball.
This time, the opponent wasn't a Ghost-type, and the little guy finally got to use his signature move and hold his head high.
In an instant, like a billiard ball clearing the table in one shot, Ibrahimovic soared through the air in a complex and precise arc, like a geometric problem.
With several leaps, "Lightning Flash" was unleashed more than thirty times, each time accurately hitting its target. After the spiderweb-like zigzag pattern disappeared, all the elves, who had been on the verge of death in the previous battle, were knocked to the ground without exception.
With a graceful landing, Eevee wagged its fluffy tail, still wanting more, and used its hind legs to brush off the dust that clung to its body.
"Tsk, it's because there are always these incomprehensibly abnormal guys that I retired from the league."
The old man leaned against the thick fur of the long-haired dog, looking impatient, and complained while biting his nails.
Hugo climbed out of the mess of Pokémon scattered around him, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted to Eevee, "Hey, there's a cunning Krookodile playing dead here! Quick, give it a Swift!"
Seeing that the vengeful detective had badmouthed him, the black-eyed crocodile lying on the ground immediately came to life, spread its four legs, and got up to run away.
When Little Eevee looked up and saw that it was Hugo issuing the command, it immediately tensed up. It prepared to unleash its skill with a sense of impending doom, taking a deep breath, carefully aiming at the direction of the Black-eyed Crocodile, then raising its tail and sweeping out a large swath of sparkling light with an exceptionally precise movement.
“Swift is a guaranteed hit move, and the user is Azure Eevee, so there shouldn’t be any problems, right?” Hugo observed the trajectory of the move while tidying his messy clothes.
As expected, the accident happened—
Eevee's release of its move became the final straw that broke the camel's back. The gate, which had been maintaining a precarious balance at the connection point, finally collapsed with a crash, just in time to block Eevee's "Swift Strike".
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the black-eyed crocodile scurried out of the open gate and returned to the embrace of nature.
It seems it's not quite as good as Garchomp yet—the detective thoughtfully stroked his chin, lowering his assessment of Eevee's strength by one level.
.
"So, can anyone tell me why, while we were waiting for the elevator, six suspects suddenly appeared in this building who were willing to violently resist the police?"
Before anyone knew it, Officer Jenny had handcuffed all six young men who had been knocked to the ground, her eyes fixed on Hugo.
The detective glanced at the suspects' dejected looks and shrugged. "These are trivial matters that can be asked of the parties involved. I just want to get back to Yuxi Mansion and take a hot bath right now."
As an old acquaintance, Officer Jenny immediately understood what Hugo meant—
There are currently six suspects, and they all seem to be accomplices. If we take them back to the police station and question them individually, what information can't we get out of them?
With six sets of testimonies, there's no need for any tricks like the prisoner's dilemma. Just by comparing them, any lies and contradictions will be exposed in an instant.
However, if detectives reveal their reasoning here, it will actually give them the opportunity to organize false testimonies and collude with each other.
Having grasped the point, the policewoman readily agreed and, along with Sera and two officers of varying heights who had been conducting evidence collection at the crime scene, quickly began clearing away the signs of a struggle on the ground floor. They also dealt with the residents who had gathered nearby to watch the commotion from the fight on the first floor.
At that moment, Hugo saw a group of Sinnoh starter Pokémon, covered in sweat, running frantically out of the safety passage. The little guys immediately surrounded the injured detective and hugged their master's ankles with heartache.
Seeing this, the detective, unusually tender, knelt down and stroked the little ones' heads: "I heard from Officer Jenny that you behaved very well upstairs..."
Seeing the detective in the white coat interacting intimately with the elves, the elderly apartment manager actually stepped forward and struck up a conversation: "Do you keep these elves?" His tone carried a hint of admiration.
Upon hearing that it was about raising Pokémon, Hugo's attitude became noticeably more perfunctory. While helping Piplup up, who had almost fallen flat on his face, he replied without turning his head, "Yes, I've been raising it for over a month."
"These Pokémon are quite well-trained. Judging by their talent alone, they are even comparable to that Eevee." The old man chuckled dryly, rubbing his hands together. The experienced and calm demeanor he had displayed during the previous battle was completely gone.
“Of course I can see that too.” Hugo rolled his eyes, then asked casually—
"What? You want to bribe me? You think I can talk to the police and you want me to help you get credit and rewards so you can continue working part-time as a rental agent here?"
Having his secret exposed, the administrator just continued to smile awkwardly, while the long-haired dog beside him glared at Hugo with great arrogance.
The old man finally spoke again: "Hayok has evolved, and the evolution stone it usually wears is no longer useful. I think it's fate that I'm fighting alongside the detective today, so I'll entrust this item to you as a kind of inheritance."
"Giving me this inheritance is the end of it all." Hugo glanced at the old man with disdain.
"I'm not exactly Pokémon battle material. I only trained these little guys because I had no other choice. You can rest assured about one thing: as promised before, I will keep your part-time job a secret from the police. Besides, Officer Jenny has already seen your excellent performance in apprehending suspects, so I don't need to say anything good about it. You'll probably receive a banner from the apartment management company soon."
"Then I'm relieved." The old man breathed a sigh of relief, feeling completely at ease, but he didn't put away the prop he had handed to Hugo.
The detective looked at the ancient evolution stone in the old man's hand, and suddenly, as if he had figured something out, he let out an "Oh"—
"Since you say this stone is inherited, then that means this long-haired dog was someone else's spirit before?"
The old man nodded, looking at the detective with some appreciation: "Hayok is an elf left to me by one of my juniors, who had to leave the arena forever due to illness."
“That’s why, as a seasoned battler, you still have Pokémon that are not fully evolved.” Hugo sighed knowingly. “Throughout Hayok’s career, it must have been carrying this Evolution Stone, constantly battling opponents much stronger than itself, right? No wonder it was so brave in the situation just now.”
"The detective has keen insight."
"If that's the case, how are your other Pokémon? Why don't you bring them to work? They should be stronger than this Hayok, right?"
A look of melancholy crossed the old man's weathered face as he gave a self-deprecating laugh: "If they could leave the sanatorium, they could be of use here."
At this point, the detective promptly shut up. He now knew the reason the old man was so diligently engaged in this illegal part-time job—
The keeper's old partners are much older than this long-haired dog. Now, having experienced more competitions and injuries, they are like elderly people in their twilight years, needing to rest in the hospital to prolong their lives as much as possible.
The gaunt old man before me probably didn't want to see his beloved companions pass away before him. That's why he worked so hard to earn money to send them to high-end nursing homes, ensuring these companions received the best medical care...
"Hey, Hugo! The taxi's here."
Behind her came the assistant's energetic voice; she couldn't wait to return to the Feather Residence and hear the detective recount his deductions from today.
"Then I shall take my leave..." Hugo was about to say goodbye when the apartment manager was nowhere to be seen. In his place stood a long-haired dog with a majestic beard and a large face.
The old dog, carrying a purple evolution stone, approached Hugo.
Hugo glanced at the little guys at his feet, who seemed to be wondering what was going on, then looked at the long-haired dog and sighed, "I just can't do anything with you guys."
Hugo reached out and took the Evolution Stone, stuffed it into the pocket of his white suit without any hesitation, and then turned and left.
Seeing this, Chimchar, Torkoal, and Piplup quickly followed. The three starter Pokémon, who could outmaneuver the murderous Corsola, lined up like soldiers in a battle formation, obediently following behind the detective.