boyutpedia Chapter 106 Hugo's Portrait
Chapter 106 Hugo's Portrait
Following the Super Stone incident, Hugo Detective Agency entered a long holiday.
Early that morning, Assistant Blue, along with Eevee and Ditto, were busy trying to open up the heart of Archon Bird, attempting to help the poor little bird overcome its autism.
Hugo, quite unusually, took his Sinnoh starter Pokémon out for a walk.
Autumn is the best season when it doesn't rain. Detectives especially love the cool and dry weather at this time of year; a shirt and suit jacket are particularly comfortable to wear during this season.
Watching the little fire monkeys frolicking and playing under the golden shade of the trees, feeling the crisp autumn breeze, Hugo felt that there was no greater joy in the world than this.
Of the three little creatures, the grass turtle was the happiest.
Recently, Hugo gave it a very fun battle item called "Shell Bell". This fist-shaped bell, made of a pair of shells, will make a pleasant sound when shaken gently, and can also absorb the opponent's lost health remotely during battle.
Although it was just a trophy seized from the Aqua Team, the little turtle was very satisfied. He never expected that he could get a reward while staying at the office.
It's worth mentioning that during this righteous exploitation of Team Aqua, Azur Lane chose the "favorite scarf" that was originally worn by Crawdron and gave it to Ditto.
"A Ditto must wear its 'favorite scarf'!" The chestnut-haired girl declared emphatically at the time.
Ditto wearing a scarf does have a significant advantage in battles, and there's a common saying in the battle arena: "Speed contest? My scarf Ditto will win."
Ditto in Azur Lane has the "Transformer" ability, which allows it to transform into the opponent's Pokémon the moment battle begins, with all its abilities being identical to the opponent's except for its HP.
Therefore, the "Choice Scarf" which can directly increase a Pokémon's speed can help Ditto gain the upper hand. The cost is that it can only use the same move after entering the battle, but in battle, the first move is often enough to be fatal.
While reminiscing about his experiences on the whaling ship, Hugo found a bench on a street corner directly opposite the Feiyun City Art Museum. It was made of wood with red paint, practical and beautiful, complete with a backrest and armrests.
The detective's eyes lit up; the roadside bench was just what he wanted. So Hugo let the three main characters play around nearby, sat down on the bench, and started reading on his tablet.
Sometimes, the perfect amount of white noise from the street is more relaxing than the quiet of the office. Hugo's fingertips kept flipping through the corners of the electronic screen, his eyes sometimes half-closed, sometimes focused, completely immersed in the world of the book's structure.
About two hours later, Hugo let out a long sigh and slowly put down his tablet. It wasn't because he had finished reading the book, but because he noticed that the sounds around him were gradually becoming more and more noisy.
Frowning, the detective in the white coat looked up and saw a somewhat familiar figure in the distance. That figure drew the attention of the passersby, and the noise around him was coming from there.
However, while Hugo might recognize the other person, the other person might not necessarily recognize Hugo.
The tall, thin figure carrying a huge easel approached the detective from afar, walked straight up to him, and, as if they were old friends, asked, "My friend, do you like the scenery around here?"
They actually came looking for him? Hugo gave a wry smile—
"The scenery is beautiful, with clear skies and fluffy clouds, and yellow leaves fluttering in the air. The Feiyun City Art Museum has a distinctive architectural style, which complements the surrounding greenery. Mr. Yati, are you planning to sketch the scenery around here?"
The newcomer wore a green long-sleeved shirt and a red scarf, with meticulously styled brown curly hair, exuding an artistic aura. He was none other than Mr. Artie, the city's gym leader, known as the "strongest insect artist," and the Bug-type expert who held the Beetle Badge at the Flying Cloud Gym.
Hugo noticed the prominent painting tools behind him and immediately understood the other man's purpose. He then prepared to get up and leave, making room for the artist.
A few pedestrians gradually gathered around, chattering and forming a loose circle in the distance, watching what Master Yati intended to do.
Artie is undoubtedly a local star in Flying Cloud City. Her paintings have won numerous awards in contemporary art exhibitions around the world, and she is especially popular among people in the Carlos region.
He himself is a living advertisement for Feiyun City. He has decorated the dojo in Feiyun City like an art gallery, filled with his personal artworks. Tourists from afar often travel long distances to Feiyun City just to see the artistic treasures created by this master artist.
This honor is unparalleled among living artists.
It seems that Mr. Yati is going to paint on the street, and the crowd is naturally full of anticipation, hoping to witness the birth of a masterpiece.
“My dear friend!” Artie pressed down on Hugo’s shoulder with excessive enthusiasm, preventing him from getting up from the bench, and continued speaking passionately—
"Empty street scenes are soulless, lifeless art, no different in essence from images captured by a camera. Just as I was about to sigh and lament my lack of inspiration, you appeared before me!"
"Me?" Hugo stared blankly with lifeless eyes, as if preparing to shoot himself, pointing his index finger at his disheveled black hair like a gun. "What inspiration did I give you?"
"Here stands a traveler from afar, a humble sage, a troubled youth! I seem to see a sculpture, imbued with classical aesthetics, engrossed in reading an e-book! Please remain seated here and serve as my sketching model!"
Are all artists this crazy?
"Sorry, I was so engrossed in my book that I didn't notice how many travelers and wise young men were around. But the statue is a large and heavy object, so transporting it might not be easy. You might be able to catch up if you look around," Hugo replied insincerely, glancing around.
When the chosen model started to play dumb, Yati had a headache. However, he then saw the grass turtles that had just finished playing and returned to the detective's side, and another plan came to mind.
"These three adorable little guys are your Pokémon, aren't they? How about you sit on the bench with your trainer and appear together in the sketch? I always consider myself an artist, but I actually enjoy the creative process more than the result. I'm just a gamer playing with a paintbrush. If you're willing to help me complete the sketch, I'm happy to give you the finished painting!"
Hugo still wanted to refuse, feeling that the current situation was rather strange and that Mr. Artie's enthusiastic attitude was full of oddities.
However, at the same time, the discussion among the Sinnoh starter Pokémon has already reached a conclusion. What an interesting event! I definitely have to participate!
The grass turtles became excited and stared intently at the detective.
It's safe to say that Gym Leader Articuno truly lives up to his reputation as a Bug-type Pokémon master. Trainers who can utilize Bug-types in such diverse ways are no ordinary individuals. This "cutting off the fuel supply" move was truly swift and decisive...
Hugo sighed and finally agreed.
The crowd of onlookers grew larger and larger, blocking the street opposite the art museum and gradually escalating into a serious traffic disruption.
Mr. Atti set up the huge easel, placed a piece of cardboard on it, and then—
It sent out a babysitter insect whose entire body was covered in emerald green leaves.
The nanny bug, dressed in a gown made of green leaves, appeared in the red light emitted by the Poké Ball and bowed gracefully to Hugo.
Then, the babysitter worm used its "silk-spitting" technique, spitting out threads of different colors onto the palette that Yati had taken out.
"These are my paints!"
The art master said to the detective with great enthusiasm, "By feeding the babysitter different plants, it can produce threads of various colors. Compared to traditional paints, these threads have no odor, are not easy to fade, and feel very comfortable to the touch. They are the art supplies I have been using since the beginning of my career!"
Next, Mr. Atti used a special pair of tweezers as a paintbrush, picked up a brown silk thread from the palette, and began to paint on the canvas.
With just a few strokes, space appeared on the blank canvas: blue sky, yellow leaves, streets, benches, a young man looking down at a book, and Pokémon affectionately surrounding him. One by one, they appeared on the paper. Although there were only a few lines, the things in the draft each had their own expression, lively and vivid.
"Well? This is the draft of the sketch." Mr. Ayti turned the drawing paper toward the detective, letting him check its contents. "Now please sit here quietly for forty minutes, and I will finish this sketch as quickly as possible."