Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 75 The Identity of the Hacker Master

Hugo answered the phone, and a hearty laugh immediately filled the living room of the Feathered Residence. 🐼♡ ❻9şĤǗＸ.ⓒόⓂ 🍮♪

"It's actually an elderly person?" Bilan, standing to the side, was somewhat surprised.

She had assumed the top hacker who had called would be an arrogant young man, but his carefree and unconventional demeanor, along with his slightly aged and hoarse voice, surprised her greatly.

"Hahaha, it's been years since a young man like you has dared to challenge this old man. Your name is Hugo, right? You want to settle things with me in Pokémon Rush 8?"

"Exactly," the detective replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"However, I am somewhat concerned about the first half of your statement. You must be lying, right? I am not the last person to challenge you."

The hacker was taken aback: "How did you know?"

"Since your voice sounds overly excited, and you're a little out of breath, you must have just had an intense gym battle, right?"

The hacker master was even more bewildered: "Did someone in the know let it slip? How did you know I'm a dojo leader?"

"Background checks are a basic skill for detectives, and what we'll be using this time is a very simple process of elimination," the detective said confidently into his phone.

"When I got your contact information, the person who introduced me mentioned that you had once built an entire city's Internet of Things system. There aren't many cities in the world with that capability. Logically, someone capable of undertaking such a large project must possess the credibility to earn the trust of the Pokémon League. Therefore, a relatively short list could be easily compiled. Coupled with your self-assured manner of referring to yourself as 'this old man,' I was absolutely certain I was talking to someone. Right? The Iron Spin Gym Leader of Mauville City, Hoenn."

The detective's deduction clearly hit the bullseye. The Mauville Gym Leader was silent for a moment, then burst into an even more deafening laugh. ♨🐚 ➅❾𝐒ʰ𝓤א.𝐂𝕆𝐦 🐝♗

"It seems the email was right; you really are a competent detective. Now that we know each other's identities, I just wonder what your purpose is in issuing this challenge to me?"

Hugo smiled calmly and replied, "Let's discuss it after the competition. If you're not satisfied, you're welcome to leave at any time."

"Great, that's perfect, just my style!"

In just a few words of conversation, this Electric-type Gym Leader of the Hoenn region, whom I had never met before, had already left an indelible image of a mischievous old man in Bilan's mind.

Tie Xuan declared loudly and arrogantly, "Let me make this clear beforehand, so you won't say I bullied you after the race. Although this is my first time playing 'Horse Racing 8,' I've earned a formidable reputation in the previous installments. Defeating a junior like you won't be too easy."

"Of course I know about your achievements, but I've also prepared a secret weapon," Hugo said to Iron Whirl with equal confidence, glancing at the little fire monkey.

The little fire monkey eavesdropping on the call looked quite proud. However, to Azure, this conversation didn't seem like a secret deal between a detective and a hacker; it looked more like two immature kids clumsily exchanging threats.

In the course of their conversation, Hugo and Tie Xuan quickly agreed on the time and specific rules for the match.

The time was set for Sunday evening, and the rules were slightly different from Azure's previous friendly match with Chimchar.

After all, the enthusiasm and fighting spirit of both sides have been so well-established that a short match lasting only two or three minutes would indeed be somewhat unsatisfying. However, running back and forth on a small map for more than ten laps would also become aesthetically tiring. 🔥🍮 ❻9ᔕн𝓾𝐗.匚Ỗ𝐦 💥💚

Fortunately, there is a suitable solution to this in a two-player game—

In *Horse Racing 8*, there's a massive map called the "Tour of Carlos Rally," which stitches together all the race tracks from previous games in the series that are related to the Carlos region. From the fragrant paths of Asaka Town to the luxurious and elegant manor houses of Oldwood Town, from the windmill-filled Windmill Town to the Prism Tower soaring into the sky in Miarei City, from the massive waterfall of Linked Town to the icy wonderland of Snowdrift City, from the jewel-studded Shining Cave to the championship road that witnesses glory…

This is a long journey in reality, with a total length of over 3000 kilometers. If you were to complete the race by bicycle, it would take nearly 20 days. The game condenses this grand scene into a giant map that takes about 40 minutes to complete.

This is undoubtedly the best venue for the two to compete against each other.

Just as Hugo and the Iron Whirlwind Gym Leader were about to finalize the details, the Gym Leader suddenly asked the detective a strange question, as if it were a premonition: "Can we bring in outside help for this competition?"

"Oh?" Hugo asked in a surprised tone, "Is it possible that a Hall of Fame player in Hoenn Horse Racing 3 and the annual champion in Horse Racing 4 can't personally participate? I thought I would have a chance to witness your gaming skills!"

On the other end of the phone, the gym leader seemed momentarily speechless, seemingly provoked by the detective's words. But before he could speak, Hugo quickly added, "However, as a precautionary measure, I also agree to this 'can call in outside help' rule. After all, none of us want the game duel to turn into a boring one-sided stomp due to unexpected situations on either side, right?"

The owner of the Iron Spin Pavilion nodded in agreement without hesitation.

Azure clicked her tongue in amazement: Hugo was clearly the one who wanted to ask Chimchar for help from the very beginning, so how come he's become the one who compromised and backed down now?

As the call was about to end, Hugo still had a nagging feeling, so he couldn't help but ask the Mauville City Gym Leader the question he'd asked at the beginning: "Mr. Iron Whirl, it's the weekend today, why are you still at the gym preparing for a battle?"

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"Well," the cheerful old man chuckled, "a dojo leader from the same region asked me to test his daughter's fighting abilities, so I made a special trip to my dojo today to accept her challenge. I think that girl's name is Haruka."

"I see." As if a discordant note in a musical score of deduction had been erased, Hugo relaxed, his doubts resolved.

The assistant suddenly nudged the detective's shoulder. She had another concern, one that no trainer could afford to ignore.

Hugo immediately understood Azure's concern and reluctantly continued, "So, did that trainer succeed in the challenge? You seem to be in a very good mood; did the gym ultimately win the match?"

"No, actually, it was I who lost. That strong chicken used its skills perfectly, ending the match beautifully with a brilliant double kick."

The old man on the other end of the phone said nonchalantly, "Kid, the gym leader isn't that petty. The fact that the challenger was able to defeat a defending team of similar level is enough to prove that she's qualified to receive the gym badge. The regret of losing a mere match is nothing compared to the joy of witnessing a rising star trainer grow! Hahaha."

Amidst the laughter, Hugo sensed a hint of insincerity in Tie Xuan's words. However, seeing Bi Lan beside him looking deeply moved, he decided to remain silent.

The call, which came in with a menacing tone, surprisingly ended in such a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

"By the way, why did that old man Tie Xuan take the initiative to request outside help?"

Azure looked at Hugo, who had put down his phone, and asked with some confusion, "Wasn't he the champion of the previous generation of that game's competition?"

"His external assistance is probably some kind of electronic device," the detective said without hesitation, as if he already knew the answer.

"Esports is a game for young people. Older people like Tie Xuan probably can't keep up with the pace of the game anymore. A super hacker like him must have used some means to achieve those achievements in the game. By the way, the year Tie Xuan won the 'Horse Racing 4' championship, the game competition in Hoenn was moved online due to the earthquake, so his championship was very questionable."

Seeing the incredulous look on Azure's face, Hugo promptly added another piece of evidence—

"Furthermore, there is another point that corroborates Mr. Tie Xuan's use of cheating techniques in the game: after playing 'Horse Racing 4,' he lost interest in the game and did not continue to try the subsequent new installments. This is very unnatural for a player who loves games and worked hard to reach the Hall of Fame. Of course, this is also quite easy to explain; if someone cheats repeatedly in a game, he is very likely to lose the enjoyment of playing the game itself."

Hugo heard the sound of the image of the Mauville City Gym Leader collapsing in Azure's mind.

"Hackers are generally like this: arrogant and unruly, they love to attract attention, and their online persona is completely different from their real-world personality. In this case, the old man Tiexuan embodies the duality of a dutiful dojo leader and a lawless cheating hacker. However, I think this behavior pattern is still normal; at least he's not a psychologically twisted sabotager. I wouldn't dare invite that kind of hacker to be our ally."

The detective in the white coat shrugged, casually commenting on hackers around the world as if he were criticizing the taste of a restaurant dish.