Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 471 The Destruction of the United States Alliance and Its Debunking

Chapter 473 The Destruction of the United States Alliance and Its Debunking

The following morning, Dr. Makomo's laboratory welcomed its most significant research subject since its inception—the "God of Dreams," Cresselia. However, Hugo and the four Heavenly Kings, who were supposed to be there, were absent.

Taking over this task are Mr. Artie, the Bug-type Gym Leader of Flying Cloud City, who is on-site as a monitor, and Ms. Azure, the second detective of the agency, who is replacing Hugo in investigating the Nightmare Invasion incident in Flying Cloud City—although the latter is still on the train from Snowflake City to Flying Cloud City and has not yet arrived.

The reason for this emergency deployment is simple—

That morning, the headquarters of the United States Union suffered an unprecedented and devastating attack.

At six o'clock in the morning, before the first light had dispelled the last vestiges of night, the plasma clusters, which had just ceased their uprisings in various places, seemed to be venting their anger at the setbacks, announcing the arrival of a new day in the most shocking way.

As a massive explosion echoed along the Path of Champions, Team Plasma's propaganda machine roared to life, activating all the media channels it secretly controlled in the same instant. The images from hell, like an irresistible law, forcibly covered every screen in Unova that could glow.

Countless residents were jolted awake from their sleep. They instinctively grabbed their phones from beside their pillows, and the moment the screen lit up, they saw Quixote's face, which had been endlessly replicated by electronic signals.

Behind him, the Alliance Hall was burning, collapsing, and wailing, with thick smoke billowing like a black dragon and piercing the just-white sky.

"My dear fellow citizens of United States!"

The muffled whisper of "fool's revelry" now seeped into everyone's eardrums with an eerie clarity, like a probe probing into their brains.

"Today, our sharp blade has finally severed the first joint of the shackles!"

"Look! This collapsed palace, what a high wall it was that oppressed humanity and life! They bound the earth with the iron chains of 'order,' and blinded the sky with the lies of 'peace,' turning the gifts of the gods into playthings in the hands of a few!"

"For a hundred years, those in high positions have told us: ideals must be confined within the cage of reality. For a hundred years, those pampered and privileged have taught us: life must forget the measure of dignity. But today, let this burning dome bear witness—they are lying! Those lies, those constraints, those shackles, can be shattered! Shattered with our own hands!"

"Look! Before our great war began, they fled, like frightened bubble squirrels hiding in their burrows, like cowardly peep mice burying their heads in the sand. For they finally understood—the indomitable spirit of this land of Unova is awakening! From the coast of Hinoki City to the walls of Kagome Town, from the neon lights of Raven City to the glaciers of Snowflake City, every heart yearning for truth resonates at this moment!"

"This is not an attack, but a punishment in accordance with fate!"

"That league accused us of dividing the world? No! They are the ones who are truly creating the rift! They are the ones who used Poké Balls to tear apart life and dignity, they are the ones who used Gym Badges to forge the ladder of exploitation! And we, Team Plasma, the Church of Mutual Aid, the Liberation Front, and all those who fight for freedom and dignity—we have gathered here to smash this shackle called 'order'! We liberated Pokémon from false taming, just as today we will completely liberate Unova from a century of corrupt rule!"

"My compatriots! Listen! The flames of Reshiram are roaring in the depths of history, its white wings were not born for imprisonment! The thunder of Zekrom is flowing in its veins, its black ideals are not for enslavement!"

"Lift your chests, all those who are still awake! Let every hand that has ever held a Poké Ball clench into a fist that will change the world. Open your eyes! Let every child who has been blinded by the myth of the champion see the true dawn of heroes!"

"From this ruin, the United States will regain its wholeness—not the scars of left-right division, but the truth of black and white fusion! This should not be a backyard kept by the Alliance, but a promised land where all life can resonate freely!"

"Today, we have not only destroyed a decaying building."

"We have also ignited the sacred flame to rewrite history!"

"Dawn will no longer belong to the wealthy and elite hiding in their castles—dawn will belong to every heroic individual who dares to confront reality!"

The words were spoken, but the image on the screen did not stop.

In the suffocating silence, from the depths of the ruins beneath Quixote's feet, a sickeningly loud metallic tearing sound and the roar of shattering rock suddenly rang out.

At the summit, a massive crack instantly spread like a spider web from his center, causing the entire foundation to shake and sink, as if swallowed by an invisible giant mouth, revealing the underground structure of the Alliance headquarters.

In this earthquake-like upheaval, the first to be hit was the headquarters hall, already teetering on the brink of collapse in the explosion—its dome, adorned with reliefs of past League presidents, was completely ripped off, twisting and collapsing like a broken spine. The adjacent building—the burning archives—also crumbled completely, its vast collection of technique manuals, League history books, and trainer journals scattering like ashes. Scattered holographic devices rolled and shattered, projecting fragmented images of past champions that flickered silently in the dust. Deeper still, several massive chambers storing energy and backup generators were exposed, the League crests on the walls peeling and curling in the flames. Most shockingly, however, lay the underground training ground, not yet completely collapsed—where chaotic holographic projections stubbornly flickered with a false forest and clear sky, creating a bizarre contrast with the surrounding real apocalyptic landscape.

And deep within this ravaged "wound," a cold light began to shine through.

It began with subtle, rhythmic pulses of blue light, accompanied by a deep, humming sound that seemed to emanate from the depths of the earth. Then, a massive metal platform, etched with intricate geometric patterns, broke free from the rubble and began to slowly rise. The platform's edges precisely pushed aside and crushed the Alliance's remains, like a giant clearing away irrelevant debris.

The castle revealed its foundations.

Its entire body is a cool silver-white and a deep blue that symbolizes plasma clusters. Its structure is not traditional brick and stone, but a combination of futuristic alloy and electrical energy crystals.

As the main structure rose, countless sharp, trident-like or bird-wing-like decorations, iconic of plasma clusters, extended from the building's surface, reflecting a cold luster in the dawn and firelight. The castle's form combined Gothic sharpness with ultramodern streamlinedness, resembling a mechanical behemoth born from steel and data, brimming with religious fanaticism. Its sheer size almost completely covered and towered over the ruins of the former Alliance headquarters, as if proclaiming the annihilation of the old order and the arrival of a new faith through its absolute size and presence.

On the various platforms, terraces, and newly raised connecting bridges of this "temple," countless members of the Plasma Team were already lined up in neat rows.

They wore uniform gray-blue and white uniforms, their faces obscured by hoods, like mindless clones, silently yet fanatically gazing at the burning world below. Beside them were equally well-trained Pokémon—a swarm of Hydreigon perched around the highest spire, their three pairs of scarlet eyes scanning the sky, emitting intimidating growls. Lizard and Bisharp formed an elite square, standing on the front platform, their eyes sharp, their claws and blades gleaming coldly. Eelking and Toad King led their respective groups, guarding the energy conduits near the castle's base, electricity and moisture subtly pulsating around them. Countless Vulpix and Valkyrie swarmed above the castle, weaving a black, moving canopy, emitting piercing cries, like a living air defense net for this nascent fortress.

These people had clearly not just arrived, but had been lying in wait for a long time, underground within the Alliance headquarters, in this meticulously prepared mobile fortress. The very existence of this legion proved that the rise of this castle was not merely an engineering marvel, but a long-planned, showcasing ceremony of military might.

Until the image cut off, Quixote's figure remained standing on the same high point of the original ruins.

But at this moment, the background behind the sage was no longer thick smoke, but rather something he had personally created.

A cold and imposing plasma castle.

The old man's figure appeared extremely small against the backdrop of the massive building, yet he seemed immense because he controlled everything.

The shadow of the castle slowly covered more of the Alliance's ruins, as if it were about to engulf the entire Unova region.

However, just as the declaration of the leader of the Seven Sages concluded and the Alliance regained control of cyberspace, an official announcement from the United Alliance, along with images left behind by Ghetsis, appeared on media channels—

"The Unova League police have determined that the contractor responsible for the renovation of the Unova League headquarters was recently kidnapped by an illegal organization and coerced into carrying out unauthorized structural alterations to the newly completed Unova League building during the League's employee leave. This organization illegally buried a large amount of flammable material underground and scattered special props on the surface to create the illusion of a collapse and instill fear. Although no one was injured in the incident, we strongly condemn this egregious act that sacrifices public safety and confuses the public. Protecting the well-being of Pokémon should always be based on rational dialogue and legal means; any resort to violence and deception is a betrayal of genuine rights. We urge the public to remain clear-headed and not be misled by performance art-like incitement. The League will pursue full legal action against the relevant organizations and individuals and will do everything in its power to ensure regional safety and stability."

The announcement lists as many project-related documents and further evidence as possible below it.

In a dry, almost academic report-like manner, it listed the engineering permit document number, the compliance test report of building materials,

The documents also outline the legal approval process for the planned demolition by blasting. The documents all took effect several months ago at the latest, and are all freely available for review on the official website.

Immediately after the attack, the League Chairman and former Undisputed Champion, Ardek, appeared together to assure the public of the truthfulness of the incident. They stated that the League's renovation plan had been in preparation for years, and that Team Plasma's farce was nothing short of attention-seeking. Their swift reaction clearly indicated that they had been alerted by a detective long ago.

The most damaging element, however, came from the "witnesses" who followed closely behind—hundreds of construction workers wearing reflective vests and hard hats, appearing on camera looking haggard as they were escorted by police. They denounced the Plasma Group's shameful behavior of forcing them to work through the night and even withholding their wages.

At the same time, a large number of alliance staff and security forces quickly arrived at the scene and set up a tight cordon around the now unrecognizable "new headquarters". They announced that the area was under emergency control due to a "major security incident and illegal occupation case" and stated that they were in formal negotiations with the illegal organization occupying the building.

All counterattacks were carried out in an orderly, well-documented, and aboveboard manner.

More importantly, the publicly disclosed project documents were not forged, but genuine records. Team Plasma needed manpower outside the Order to advance such a massive project, and the transportation of various materials could not bypass the League. They had simply used corrupt officials infiltrated within the League to circumvent scrutiny under various pretexts. Now, reopening old wounds, simply changing the names of these projects back to their original forms would be enough to appease anyone who scrutinizes details. As for the protesting workers, while they didn't participate in the League's secret underground renovations, their exploitation by Team Plasma was real—albeit at the time, it was for the construction of the Order's so-called "Pokémon Release Zone." Even if discovered later, it could be explained away as a reporting oversight.

Thus, amidst the same deluge of information, all the residents of the United States, awakened by noise and torn between going back to sleep or getting ready for school or work, simultaneously witnessed two juxtaposed "truths."

And what they will trust without a doubt is the United Alliance, which will give them a greater sense of security.

After all, people will always see what they want to see.

On this battlefield of cognition, where there is no gunfire but it is even more crucial, the United Alliance is demonstrating, in its unique way, a chilling power rooted deep within the order.

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