A light drizzle fell over Celadon City.
The sky was a dull, oppressive gray.
Armin walked beneath an umbrella, following the address Ariana had given him, and soon arrived at Amber's grave.
Because of the rain, the cemetery was nearly deserted. Only an old gravekeeper sat near a small shack, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he squinted suspiciously at the newcomer.
Armin didn't hesitate.
To verify his theory, to unravel Amber's mystery—and to push forward the hidden quest—
He quietly grabbed a shovel leaning beside the gravekeeper's hut.
"Mimikyu, keep watch. If anyone comes, warn me."
Mimikyu nodded solemnly and hopped aside like a tiny sentry.
The rain had softened the soil.
One thrust of the shovel—
Clang.
Metal struck something hard.
In this world, cremation wasn't the norm. Amber had been buried in a small coffin.
Armin worked quickly.
Soon, he hauled the coffin up from the mud.
Taking a steadying breath, he pried open the lid.
He braced himself for the worst.
But what he saw—
—or rather, what he didn't see—
Made his heart sink.
The coffin was empty.
Completely empty.
Armin's expression darkened instantly.
One of his suspicions had just been confirmed.
The answer to the other lay somewhere inside Dr. Fuji's estate.
And then he remembered—
Dr. Fuji's words before leaving yesterday.
"The estate is large. Don't wander around—especially the basement. Amber is afraid of the dark."
The basement.
But just then—
Mimikyu shrieked a warning.
Armin spun around.
The gravekeeper was charging toward him, brandishing a wooden club.
"You little brat! Looking all decent on the outside but digging up graves?! Despicable!"
Armin jumped up.
"I'm not! I swear I'm not—don't accuse me without evidence!"
"Cut the nonsense!" the old man barked. "I've seen every kind of scum in my life. One look at you and I knew you were trouble! Good thing I followed you!"
He swung the club in one hand and pulled out a black-and-yellow Poké Ball with the other.
That color scheme—
An Ultra Ball?!
Armin's eyes widened.
Was this random cemetery NPC seriously pulling out an Ultra Ball?!
The old man's face turned stern.
"Old partner, come out! Let's teach this punk a lesson!"
He threw the Ultra Ball high into the air.
A flash of brilliant white light—
And a towering Tyranitar materialized before Mimikyu.
Two meters tall.
Like a walking mountain.
Armin's scalp tingled.
What kind of hidden boss was this?!
"Sir—please, you've misunderstood! I'm an investigator from the Kanto League! I'm looking into a stolen corpse case! Come check the coffin—there's nothing inside!"
The old man snorted.
"Enough talk. Beat me in a fair Pokémon battle first!"
Oh come on!
Armin grabbed Mimikyu and tried to retreat—
—but a massive shadow swooped down from above.
A Pidgeot landed in front of him, eyes sharp, beak gleaming.
He turned.
The gravekeeper's expression clearly said:
You're not leaving without a fight.
Armin sighed.
Fine.
If that's how it had to be.
He locked eyes with Mimikyu.
"Use Double Team and close in!"
Mimikyu darted forward.
Its tiny body split into a dozen identical afterimages, all rushing Tyranitar in perfect formation.
"Tyranitar, use Dark Pulse!"
The giant Pokémon roared.
Black energy condensed in its jaws before erupting outward in a sweeping wave of darkness.
"Left side! Use Destiny Bond!" Armin shouted.
The old man instinctively glanced to Tyranitar's left—
And that was the opening.
The real Mimikyu burst out directly in front of Tyranitar—
And leapt straight into the Dark Pulse.
Its Disguise shattered instantly.
But at that very moment—
A faint purple aura surged forward.
Destiny Bond connected.
The Dark Pulse continued.
Without Disguise to shield it, the attack slammed fully into Mimikyu.
Its small body trembled—
Then collapsed.
At the same time—
A shadowy curse coiled around Tyranitar.
Dark tendrils flickered across its massive frame.
It staggered.
Kneeling.
Then—
With a thunderous crash—
The mountain fell.
Armin's interface flashed.
Experience surged.
Level Up.
The HP boost from leveling yanked Mimikyu's health from zero back into positive numbers.
It didn't faint.
This wasn't Armin's first time exploiting the level-up mechanic.
He glanced at Mimikyu's panel.
Level 18 → Level 34.
Sixteen levels in one leap.
That Tyranitar had to be at least Level 60.
The old gravekeeper stared in stunned silence.
Then he chuckled.
"I've lived a long life, but I've never seen such a suicidal strategy. You're a bold one."
Bold? I was forced into it, Armin thought dryly.
Out loud, he smiled politely.
"You're right."
The old man squinted thoughtfully.
"But it has a clear flaw. If your opponent knows your tactic beforehand, it won't work."
No kidding.
This strategy only worked against people who underestimated him—
Like you.
Armin kept smiling.
The gravekeeper glanced at the empty coffin.
"You really are a Kanto League investigator?"
"Of course."
"I believe you."
Armin blinked.
Just like that?
Then—
Sirens wailed in the distance.
The old man glanced over his shoulder, scratching his head awkwardly.
"Ah… about that. I thought you were a grave robber, so I called the police. But since you're a League investigator, I'm sure you can explain things to Officer Jenny yourself."
"…No problem," Armin replied flatly.
The old man didn't even realize the sarcasm.
He stood there smiling warmly—
As Officer Jenny arrived.
And escorted Armin—
Straight into a police car.