Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 283 The Burden of the Victor

Chapter 285 The Burden of the Victor

"The battle on the Tower of Heaven ended up like that, mostly thanks to the power of that Victini. However, even that mythical Pokémon that could bring victory collapsed from exhaustion at the last moment of the battle. It seems my brother really isn't destined for Pokémon battles."

The Sinnoh champion rubbed his temples and sighed, then turned to look at Officer Jenny beside him.

"As for the Unova region's championship title, perhaps things aren't as serious as you're thinking."

"It's not serious?"

Officer Jenny from the League's investigation department leaned forward, her eyebrows rising in sync with her tone. "Judging from Elite Four member Cattleya's description, Hugo's only real Pokémon right now are those three Sinnoh starter Pokémon you gave him, right? Just thinking about it makes me realize that when that detective truly inherits the Champion title and has to reveal his identity and strength, it will instantly ignite the outrage of all trainers in the Unova region. A former Champion's words of advice alone won't be enough to quell such a raging fire."

This matter was originally a problem in the Unova region. As an intelligence investigator for the Sinnoh League, Officer Jenny didn't really need to worry about the ownership of the championship titles in other regions.

However, perhaps because they had often worked with the detective in the past, Officer Jenny in the Sinnoh region generally maintained a friendly attitude towards Hugo. This Officer Jenny's somewhat excited questioning at this moment was indeed out of genuine concern for the detective.

Detective Hugo's sister shook her head and said, "Perhaps it's my current reputation in the Sinnoh League that has led you to have some overly high expectations for the title of champion."

But in reality, the situation in the Unova region is different from ours. There, Mr. Adeike, the former champion,

It's been several years since he's taken on championship responsibilities outside of attending challenge events. Now, he routinely fulfills the duties of the league's lead.

These are the four kings below the champion.

"Well, you could say that, but usually it's mainly Lian Wu and the others who do the work."

Cattleya on the other side of the screen nodded affirmatively.

"This also means that a large part of the rights and glory that should have been unified and concentrated on the championship title has already been subtly transferred to other places outside the championship. Just like the protagonists in ancient myths and legends that have been quietly replaced, in this case, people will no longer have a fanatical belief in the halo of the championship title, which is similar to worshipping gods."

"But there will still be people who are not convinced, right?" Officer Jenny asked rhetorically.

"Battles in a locked room, rented Pokémon, a handful of witnesses, unprecedented battle rules, tactics that can only be used under special circumstances—not just by Pokémon trainers, but even by an ordinary Unova player..."

Everyone would feel resentful about this result, and might have thoughts like, "If I were in their shoes, we could have won too." Furthermore,

That's Detective Hugo, after all. In a battle according to normal rules, even a novice trainer who has just embarked on their journey would have almost a 100% chance of defeating him soundly.

"No, for Hugo, as long as the opponent isn't pursuing something as incomprehensible and metaphysical as the glory of being a champion, the situation is much easier to resolve," the Sinnoh Champion corrected.

"That guy, when faced with a challenge he can't accept, he'll admit defeat without hesitation. That's just the kind of person he is."

'

Caldea in the light screen nodded in agreement, having witnessed a similar scene in the Sinnoh Battle Frontier before.

Zhu Lan continued, "Only those who are attached to titles will be bothered by the existence of challengers. As for Hugo, who has no desire to win, no matter how many people covet his championship title, he will not feel any pressure. I even suspect that Hugo may not have thought he could win the championship title at all. I guess until the moment the battle on the Tower of Heaven was decided, he didn't think he could really defeat Mr. Alder."

"But if that's the case, wouldn't becoming the champion severely disrupt Hugo's daily life in the Unova region?"

"Then all we need to do is hide our identities," Zhu Lan said dismissively.

"No matter what region the alliance is in, there are no regulations prohibiting title holders from concealing their identities or using aliases. Hugo himself should be able to come up with a more creative solution. Even if we take a step back and the United States really finds itself in a difficult situation, for Hugo, all he has to do is move again."

Just like before, back in Sinnoh.

When the topic of concealing their identities came up, Zhu Lan suddenly looked at the light screen projected by Rotom: "Speaking of which, this matter was supposed to be top secret, right? Gardelia, isn't there any potential problem with you calling us directly like this?"

The Unova region's Psychic King scoffed, "There's no one else around me, and I've used my psychic powers to create soundproofing. So, as long as you two don't tell anyone, there won't be a problem."

"That's good." In the basement of the Forest Mansion, Zhu Lan and Officer Jenny exchanged a nod. "Then, I'll leave Hugo in the hospital to you."

"Of course."

Seeing that Zhu Lan had a general understanding of the situation, Cattleya breathed a sigh of relief and then cut off the communication.

The light screen disappeared, and the basement suddenly became much darker. Officer Jenny remained speechless, staring blankly at Orchid, who was calmly operating the Rotom phone.

She couldn't understand why her older sister, Zhu Lan, could remain so calm in the face of the bombshell news that Hugo had become the Unified Champion.

Aside from a brief moment of surprise at the beginning, she seemed to have no other feelings whatsoever. The complex emotions she felt, as if a mouthful of blood was stuck in her heart, did not show on the face of this Sinnoh champion.

Seeing Officer Jenny still looking dazed, Orchid unexpectedly chuckled.

"Officer Jenny, you should know that I became the new champion of the Upper Sinnoh League by successfully challenging the previous champion in a public battle ten years ago, right?"

"That's natural," Officer Jenny replied.

In the Sinnoh region, the legendary battle history of this Battle Queen is known to all.

"So do you know what my younger brother, who squeezed next to me, said to me after I stepped off the podium?"

"It should be something like congratulations, right?" Officer Jenny deduced logically, since the detective at least had common sense in his interactions with people.

He did offer a simple congratulatory remark, but the second half of it was...

Congratulations on winning the championship! Have a good celebration—but please don't share this amazing achievement with anyone else.

The young girl Zhu Lan's response was even more merciless: "Of course, you don't need to tell me."

This hard-won title is neither due to the opponent's negligence nor to the help of others. Since you have won the game, be proud of it.

The young champion from back then now looked calmly at Officer Jenny. "Hugo winning the championship in Unicron is his business. He'll handle it himself when he wakes up. As for us, we still have work to do in this mansion. Let's go upstairs, Officer Jenny."