Ayato knew Shibata was stupid.
But he hadn't expected him to be this stupid.
He had a Pokémon on his side and still chose to lash out recklessly, completely ignoring his current predicament. Worse, his companions hadn't stopped him—they'd actively helped.
"Guess what goes around really does come around. Too bad my boys are the ones paying the price."
Crouched behind a bend in the tunnel, Ayato sighed.
Not far ahead, at the edge of the jade ore passageway, a wide chamber now teemed with menacing Pokémon. Shibata and his lackeys were trembling behind a Rhyhorn, pressed up against the narrow, suffocating corner of the wall. In their panic, they kept trying to push themselves even further back—like they could somehow squeeze through the rock and escape.
Several battered, unmoving bodies lay sprawled across the floor. Even in the dim mine, the bloodstains were unmistakably clear—enough to make Ayato's stomach tighten.
This might be the Pokémon world, but people could still bleed out or die from severe injuries. Right now, the Rhyhorn and the opposing Pokémon were locked in a standoff, but who knew how long it would last?
He had to get them out of there—fast.
But who in their right mind would step into that?
Ayato grimaced. He had his backup plan, sure, but it wasn't enough to guarantee everyone would make it out safely. And ideally, he wanted the whole group to pass the exam and strengthen their collective power.
What was that phrase again? "Crawl in quietly and fire a shot, no need to announce you're here"?
Yeah. Best case: a fight breaks out soon.
Then he could slip in during the chaos. At the very least, he could snag a chunk of jade and secure his own passing grade.
Ayato took a slow breath, waiting for the right moment.
The Rhyhorn wouldn't last much longer, he was sure. Sooner or later, one of the wild Pokémon would test the waters—like lions probing prey during a hunt.
"Guu."
A crisp little chirp rang out beside his ear like a thunderclap.
Ayato's heart nearly stopped. He stiffly turned his head and spotted a small, familiar figure just a few feet away.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed two Loudred near the jade passage look up at the sound, curiosity piqued as they began lumbering in this direction.
You. Me.
Ayato locked eyes with the approaching Aron, completely exasperated. With no other choice, he pulled a small purple ball from his pocket, hand poised to act.
But before he could do anything, the little troublemaker strolled right past him like it was out for a casual walk, calmly sauntering up to the Loudred.
"Guu."
"Bwuh?"
The two Loudred looked at each other, scratched their heads, and turned around with a shrug.
Thought it was a hiding examinee, but nope—just some harmless little guy. Lame.
Way more fun to bully those cowardly humans. Look at them—practically pissing themselves! Hilarious!
The two Loudred scampered off, hollering encouragement to the wild Pokémon further in, like they were cheering on a sports team.
The Aron watched them go, disdain flickering in its blue eyes. Then it turned and trotted back to where Ayato was hiding.
"Guu!"
"…"
Ayato didn't respond. His expression toward the Aron was… complicated.
Had it just saved him?
Why?
He cautiously edged away from the jade ore passage and waved the Aron over, testing to see if it would follow.
—It did!
Seeing the Aron follow like a puppy, Ayato's chest trembled with a strange emotion. He quickly moved to a far-off corner, safely out of sight of the wild Pokémon, and crouched down.
He didn't understand what this little guy was thinking, but it didn't seem hostile. Throwing a Poké Ball at it now felt… dumb. Better to try and talk first.
Removing his mask, he said softly, "Thanks for that. Back there."
"Guu."
The Aron stopped in front of him, raising its head slightly like a well-behaved dog—albeit one wearing an armored shell.
Ayato hesitated, then took out the iron ingot he'd kept close to his chest and gave it a little shake. "Is this what you want?"
"Guu?"
The Aron froze for a beat, clearly startled, and then after two seconds of visible hesitation—nodded.
A kind of I guess this is what I want? look plastered across its face.
Huh?
Ayato blinked. "You don't want this? Then why are you following me?"
"Guu!"
The Aron jabbed a little paw at the iron ingot.
Liar!
You looked totally confused a second ago—don't pretend this was your plan all along!
Still… Pokémon intelligence in the anime was wildly exaggerated. The fact that it understood what he was saying was impressive on its own.
Maybe this Aron really was special?
Ayato opened his mouth to ask more, but then—
A loud bang echoed from the direction of the jade ore tunnel. Shouting followed.
The fight had started!?
"Okay, look… Aron, I need a favor."
He quickly explained his request—he wanted Aron's help rescuing the wounded. He was willing to offer the iron ingot as payment, and even promised to buy more later if that wasn't enough.
Afterward, he realized he'd spoken too fast. Worried the Pokémon hadn't fully grasped it, he took a moment to calmly repeat himself.
"…Guu."
Aron met his gaze and nodded without much hesitation.
The two crept back toward the tunnel.
But when they reached the jade ore chamber, Ayato was shocked by what he saw.
Between the Rhyhorn and the wild Pokémon, a new figure had appeared: a stone tablet, etched with a red, monstrous serpent.
The serpent's head had broken off, a trail of dark material connecting it to the main slab. A strange, whispering noise echoed from the crack.
"Ssshhhhaaa…"
A Runerigus. From Galar.
Were they… negotiating?
Ayato glanced at Aron. The little Pokémon nodded, then scurried into the fray. It ran up to one of the fallen bodies, bit down on the person's shirt, and began dragging them backward with all its strength.
One of the nearby Pokémon glanced over, but then looked away like it hadn't seen anything.
The unconscious weren't fair game—that was the rule. Beating up the helpless was boring. Plus, they'd have to drag them out when this was all over anyway. Too much effort.
They didn't care.
And so, Aron dragged the person back to Ayato's side without trouble.
"You're incredible."
Ayato couldn't help reaching out and patting its head, overwhelmed with gratitude. Only after he pulled his hand back did he realize he might've been a little too forward.
Aron seemed startled too, staring at him wide-eyed with its big blue pupils.
But the moment passed quickly.
A faint groan from the rescued trainer shattered the awkwardness. Ayato rushed over to check his condition while Aron turned and went right back to help with the others.
It wasn't looking good.
People in the Pokémon world were tough, but Shibata's crew had clearly gone for maximum damage. The guy's vitals were stable, but he was completely unresponsive, hovering at the edge of consciousness.
All Ayato could do was check for a pulse and breathing, then perform basic treatment to keep him alive.
He prayed the others weren't in even worse shape. That would be a whole new level of trouble.
Ayato let out a long, heavy breath.
Then—he stopped.
Something moved behind him.
He turned sharply, spotting a shadow skulking near the edge of the light.
Another participant?
Whoever it was, they looked hesitant, headlamp off, flickering and twitching in the gloom like a ghost. Creepy.
Ayato squinted, trying to make out their features. After confirming that no wild Pokémon were paying attention—just Aron, still dragging bodies—he sharply flashed his headlamp twice.
The figure froze.
Then rushed toward him in total silence, so fast it was almost like it was gliding.
As it drew closer—within five meters—its face finally came into view.
Blood-smeared and hidden beneath a damaged mask. But the eyes… those eyes were burning bright.
"Ayato!"
"Hush!"
Ayato clapped a hand over Hiroyuki's mouth and shook his head firmly.