blogombal Chapter 439 A Storm is Brewing
Chapter 439 A Storm is Brewing
Chapter 441 A Storm is Brewing
"It seems Mr. Hatchku is out of danger for now."
In front of the Flying Cloud City train station, Hugo had just stepped off the business class carriage. Gazing at the night sky shrouded in heavy clouds, he slowly put away the communication terminal he was using to talk to the Snowflake City Gym Leader.
In the eyes of the two sages of Team Plasma, the gym leader should have already fallen into chaos due to the "Curse of 1" and the modified Dream Device—but they never expected that Hatchling was actually using this "disadvantage" to cleverly lead the main force of Team Plasma away from the battlefield on the other side of Snowflake Wetlands.
The "curse" of the Coffin of Death was indeed firmly locked onto Hachiku himself, and the backlash damage he suffered made Asura even more convinced that his partner's curse had taken effect. However, even if the move could take effect, it did not mean that it had hit the intended target correctly.
Indeed, Coffin's Ghost-type move bypassed the Mini Ice that was originally hidden in Hatchling's arms, hitting something further behind. However, the Mini Ice hidden under Hatchling's haori at that time was merely a coincidence—it happened to be there to launch a counterattack. The Ice-type Gym Leader truly relied on something else as his last line of defense!
The person casting the spell must personally confirm the target of the "curse" before releasing the spell.
Conversely, if the image seen by the caster simultaneously contains two targets, then it is a "curse".
Its effectiveness may then be deflected, confused, or even completely lost.
"As expected of a martial arts actor who has been in the film and television industry since childhood, his acting skills in simulating injury are truly lifelike. It even makes me wonder—is he really injured?"
Perhaps because it was about to rain, the air felt heavy and oppressive.
With a touch of admiration, Hugo recalled the scene he had just witnessed on the communication terminal. On one hand, Hatchling had to pretend to be affected by that strange device, showing signs of weakness, and use his dreamlike, kneeling steps and flawed commands to lure the enemy deeper into the territory. On the other hand, he also needed to maintain the strength of the battle line to prevent his Pokémon from being defeated by Asura and Yoggs in one fell swoop.
He maintained a seemingly forced but actually well-paced rhythm, constantly pulling the tide of the battle, neither giving the opponent a chance to stop and think calmly, nor letting them hold onto the illusion that "if we just drag this out any longer, victory will be ours."
Later, Hatchikage went against the grain, seamlessly integrating seemingly chaotic commands with stumbling movements. Facing the Land Cloud's fierce attacks, he actually used its force against it, employing feints to strike its own ground, thus intensifying Team Plasma's fear.
"Perfect timing, we've also thrown the only thing that might expose our identity, the 'mask,' onto the battlefield."
In a corner unnoticed only by those in the know, the blue eye patch that had almost become a symbol of Hachiku quietly fell off as he rolled and fell, and was left behind in the grass where the snow was deepening.
As Hachiku's figure receded into the distance, the originally azure blue headscarf-like eye mask silently changed color, first gleaming with a purple, mud-like sheen, then rapidly shrinking into an electric insect no larger than the palm of one's hand. It parted the grass under the snow and vanished silently into the vast wilderness.
It was the seventh Pokémon attached to Hatchling—Azure Ditto!
For the detective and the Gym Leader, this was a perfectly reasonable preparation—if it were merely to protect Azur, who was still unconscious in the sanatorium, the existing fighting force around her was already more than sufficient. Furthermore, Ditto's adaptability was difficult to fully utilize in a static defense. Therefore, given that the Trainer himself might also be attacked, Hugo naturally wouldn't allow Hatchling to face the enemy alone without any backup. Having this Pokémon, capable of freely changing forms, secretly follow and possess the Gym Leader became the most natural choice.
The mask covering Hatchling's face replaced his original appearance, making him one of the targets locked by Coffin. It was because of this deviation that Team Plasma's "Curse" failed to hit Ditto.
As for the strategy of using a counter-strategy and feigning injury to delay the enemy, it was proposed by Hugo through a communicator hidden in Hatchkull. However, even he did not expect that the curator would execute it so flawlessly.
"Mr. Champion, the Alliance headquarters has completed the evacuation of all personnel. Furthermore, as previously anticipated, the conflicts initiated by Plasma Group churches in various locations have been brought under control. What are the next steps?"
The "Silent Footsteps" who had previously disguised herself as a nurse had now changed into a neat secretary's outfit and stood quietly beside Hugo.
She held an information terminal that collected intelligence from various sources, and her two elf partners, Miss Skirt and Wind Fairy, followed closely by her, ready to deal with any attack at any time.
"We cannot let our guard down. What is the specific situation of the conflicts in various regions?"
Hugo turned his attention away from the distant rain clouds. He had been keeping a close eye on the battles in both the Giant's Cave and Snowflake City. Although he had made some arrangements for the situation in other areas, he still couldn't put his mind at ease.
"As you predicted, no signs of Plasma Group activity were detected in Hinoki City, Sanki Town, and Tateyu City in the southwestern region, thanks to Mr. Adek's personal presence. Although cult riots occurred in Fanba City and Fukiyo City, which were heavily guarded by the police in advance, the situation has been effectively controlled due to thorough preparation."
The chief agent of the intelligence department gently pushed up his non-prescription glasses, which he used as a disguise, and continued, "Double Dragon City, Raven City, Shippo City, and Trisolaran City were also targeted by Team Plasma, but the unrest was quickly quelled because the Gym Leaders of each city were still in their posts. In addition, the remote Mountain Road Town and Seiwa City were almost unaffected, as Team Plasma did not operate in these areas where there are almost no churches."
"The elite Plasma Team from Kagome Town should have been transferred out in advance because of the Giant's Cave operation, right?" Hugo glanced at the screen of the information terminal and asked casually.
"Yes." Luna Silvia nodded in confirmation. "Only a few bluffing thugs were causing trouble in the area, and the local police managed to suppress them easily."
"What about Ripple Town and Karasu Town?" Hugo asked, listing the major towns in the Unova region one by one. "Have these two places been targeted by Team Plasma?"
"It's true." This top intelligence agent rarely showed genuine admiration in his tone.
"Perhaps because the League's defenses in those areas were weak, Team Plasma even made these outlying towns the main targets of its elite forces. If it weren't for you, Mr. Champion, dispatching Ms. Homiga, the Gym Leader of Rikyu City, and Ms. Touko, the Champion's acting representative, to provide support in advance, these cities would probably have already fallen into the hands of Team Plasma."
"No, the Plasma Group's goal has never been occupation. Even if they were to defeat the Alliance in the area, they would probably only engage in some destructive demonstrations at local television stations and administrative centers. The current unrest is, in essence, just part of Smura's 'propaganda offensive' of 'Rift Mobilization'."
The detective's expression was grave, his voice low and clear.
"Local wins and losses have little impact on the overall situation. The true aim of that illegal organization is to drag the entire Union into a state of continuous turmoil and panic. Like carelessly scattering sawdust in a closed room, they are waiting for a spark that could ignite everything—"
"Once it appears, the pressure that the Plasma Cluster has been building up over the past decade on the land of Unova will explode instantly, plunging the entire Unova into a vortex of chaos. All we can do right now is to open a few windows in this room, deplete their strength in advance, and minimize the damage after this 'dust explosion'."
As if in response to his words, a thunderous roar—
A bolt of lightning suddenly ripped through the dark night sky of Feiyun City.
A fierce wind, carrying raindrops, rushed towards us, as if it were some kind of ominous omens.