pdf-ebookys Chapter 32 The Gambler King on the Train
Chapter 32 The Gambler King on the Train
"Why are we having Pokémon battles in a luxury train carriage?!"
On the speeding train, Hugo, the detective who usually appeared very intelligent, now had a look of utter despair on his face.
The staff member on the train, however, seemed to take it for granted: "Since this line is the longest railway line in the Unova region, the first-class carriages leading to Karakusa Town have been designated as battle carriages specifically for Grandmaster Trainers since the railway opened. Trainers in the carriages can be matched with fellow passengers according to the match schedule, and then engage in exciting fast doubles battles in the arena in the center of the carriage."
Seeing Hugo's devastated expression, the staff member continued to reassure him, "Dear passenger, you don't need to worry about safety. Although the competition area in the carriage is a bit narrow, it uses the most robust fully enclosed structure. There is also a complete medical team on board, which can treat Pokémon injuries at any time."
"So, is it possible to avoid fighting once we enter this carriage?" Hugo asked cautiously.
"Sir, I have worked on this train for five years, and to my knowledge, there has never been a precedent of anyone fleeing to avoid the battle. Such an action would likely be opposed by all the passengers."
Hugo instinctively sensed that the other person was seriously exaggerating and lying, but at the same time, he also felt the other person's determination not to give up.
Damn it, do they really want to embarrass him, the holder of the black ticket, in public? If Hugo hadn't already used his card to ride in the first-class carriage for free a few times before, he would have suspected that this was the railway company making things difficult for him.
However, more difficult to deal with than the staff and the railway company is this guy next to me—
"Hugo, Hugo, there's a prize in the first-class car competition! As your travel companion, I can participate as a doubles partner, right? Hugo, I remember you brought the three little turtles with you, now is the perfect time for them to show off their skills!"
Douzi, who was standing to the side, had her eyes shining. This landlady, who had no resistance to any competition with prize money, was tightly tugging at Hugo's sleeve.
"Wait a minute, Douzi, you should know what will happen if I participate in Pokémon battles, right?"
“It’s perfectly fine.” Douzi said confidently, “In a match of this caliber, even if Hugo is eliminated in the first round, I can still take on two opponents and defeat them.”
With his companion saying such things, what else was there to say? Hugo resignedly let the bulldozer drag him into the race car.
He didn't think that Douzi's so-called tactics were feasible at all, because the last time someone had put forward such a battle plan to Hugo with such enthusiasm was when he was a teenager and the current Sinnoh champion.
.
"Yu Yu Yugo, why do our opponents in this round look so familiar? Am I hallucinating because I'm too excited?"
Ten minutes before the start of the match, the contestant who received the match schedule was struck dumb, standing there with no fighting spirit left.
"That's not the case, Miss Touko. You think your opponent looks familiar because the person in the photo on the match list looks exactly like Mr. Yueju, one of the current Four Heavenly Kings of the United League. Not only do they look alike, but even their names on the match information sheet, which cannot possibly be faked, are written in big letters, Yueju."
Seeing that Douzi had encountered such an absurdly low-probability event, although they still had to engage in Pokémon battles, Hugo inexplicably began to feel cheerful, even thoughtfully comforting his partner in the double battle—
"It seems our opponent is indeed Mr. Yueju himself. Douzi, now you can have a chance to spar with an opponent of the Heavenly King level before stepping onto the league stage! Congratulations, congratulations!"
"But why would Mr. Lantachibana, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, be eyeing the prize money for a competition in a first-class carriage? Doesn't he think that's a bit unfair?"
Through the transparent battle space, in the distance, a man in a black tuxedo with an exaggerated hairstyle sat in a seat; it was none other than the King of Yueju.
"As a star trainer in the Unova League's high-level ball division, the strongest Greatsword user of the year, and a prize hunter who frantically participates in tournaments throughout the Unova region, Miss Touko, you have no right to criticize others," Hugo couldn't help but retort.
"But what should I do now? I would lose even in a one-on-one fight against King Yueju, let alone two of them."
Faced with this doubles match where even a loss wouldn't be shameful, Hugo, who was originally seen as a liability, became surprisingly relaxed, enthusiastically acting as the team's strategist, completely forgetting that he himself was also going to play—
"Douzi, you should think positively now. This is the perfect opportunity to defeat the United King. If you can defeat the King in a two-on-one fight, you can leave an immortal legend in this carriage."
Seeing that his partner did not answer, Hugo continued to advise, "As an Unova Elite Four member, everyone knows the Pokémon that Cinnamon uses. Think about it carefully, what Pokémon would this Elite Four trainer, who is famous for using violent Dark-type Pokémon, use in the cramped space of a train carriage?"
Douzi was naturally very familiar with the common knowledge of these league competitions. She counted on her fingers: "The Pokémon that Yueju has used include: Krookodile, Leopard, Drapion, Crowbarro, Sharpedo, Tyranitar, Houndoom, Absol... and..."
"There's also the smallest one, best suited for street battles, and the Pokémon that Cranberry uses most often in this season's Elite Four battles..." Hugo casually suggested.
"The bandana thug! He'll definitely use this Pokémon!" Inspired, the girl immediately realized what the detective meant.
Sometimes, the environment helps people make choices without them even realizing it. When people think they have their own destiny in their hands, the seemingly abundant options often only lead to a predetermined ending.
"Let's take a look at this star's doubles partner. This young lady has a neat short haircut and is wearing a school uniform. I remember the wing-shaped school badge on her chest, which represents her alma mater - Fukiyo High School."
"Fukiyo City, the city famous for its airport and Flying-type gym!" Touko's eyes brightened again.
"Bug and Fighting types can suppress the Dark type that this Elite Four member is so proud of. It seems that when this Dark Elite Four member was looking for teammates, he subconsciously chose teammates who could protect Dark-type Pokémon, such as a high school girl who can use Flying-type Pokémon. This is probably a habit that comes from the caution of being an Elite Four member."
Hugo irresponsibly displays his reasoning ability, which, although seemingly full of loopholes, actually contains some indirect evidence that is not readily available to outsiders in each step of his reasoning.
For example, the reason why it is inferred that Bilberry would use the bandana thug is not only because the bandana thug is short and suitable for fighting in the car, but also because Bilberry, who is sitting opposite him, would occasionally scratch his nose with his thumb - which is exactly the cool pose that the bandana thug likes to use.
Furthermore, the detective recognized the high school girl's school badge because Hugo had recently discovered that this was the school where the mother in the Warrior Eagle crash incident had officially started engaging in aerial combat.
While in the morgue, after hearing Azure's report, Hugo immediately went online to verify the mother's confession. Incidentally, Fukiyo High School continues to vigorously promote aerial combat in Unova, recruiting many talented aerial trainers into the Pokémon League every year.
At this moment, the high school girl was sitting next to the King of Lingchu, looking somewhat uneasy.
Her posture was a bit strange, and the reason was obvious—her backpack was bulging with something, which Hugo guessed was a folded glider suit. It seemed that the Pokémon this high school girl would use was most likely a type that could participate in aerial battles.
Skipping over lengthy reasoning and proof, Hugo went straight to the conclusion: "Now we can make a flawed assumption—in this fast-paced two-on-two match with no rotation allowed, the Pokémon that the two opponents will field are—"
Douzi, who was only interested in the prize money and saw the glimmer of winning a huge sum of money, took over the conversation excitedly—
"A Pokémon with the ability to fly, and a Champion-level bandana-wearing thug. We can use this to design our tactics and starting Pokémon! We'll definitely catch them off guard!"