Kashiwagi knew Shibata was a fool.
But he hadn't expected him to be this moronic.
Despite having a Pokémon as backup, Shibata was so fixated on venting his spite that he completely ignored his own precarious situation. Even worse, his lackeys hadn't lifted a finger to stop him; they had become active accomplices in their own doom.
"As you sow, so shall you reap. Too bad my old crew has to suffer for it," Kashiwagi sighed, leaning against the corner.
Not far off, the wide cavern housing the jade deposit had been overrun by a pack of menacing Pokémon. Shibata and his cronies were huddled trembling behind a Rhyhorn, their backs pressed so hard against the jagged rock wall it looked as if they were trying to phase through it to escape.
The ground was littered with several other mangled, motionless bodies. Even in the dim light of the tunnel, the dark patches of blood were unmistakable, sending a chill through Kashiwagi's heart.
Even in the Pokémon world, excessive blood loss or severe trauma could be fatal. Right now, the Rhyhorn was in a tense standoff with the wild Pokémon, but there was no telling how long that would last.
He had to get them out—and fast.
But who would be crazy enough to step out there? Kashiwagi was stuck. He had prepared a backup plan, but it wasn't enough to safely extract everyone. Plus, he still intended for his whole team to pass the exam to bolster their collective strength later.
Crawl in? Stealth mission? Or wait for the fireworks?
Actually, waiting for them to start fighting might be his best bet. He could slip in during the chaos, grab a piece of jade to ensure his own passing grade, and see what he could do for the others.
Kashiwagi took slow, deep breaths, waiting for the spark. He knew the Rhyhorn wouldn't hold out much longer; sooner or later, the wild Pokémon would launch a probing attack, much like a pride of lions surrounding their prey.
"Ku."
The crisp cry rang out like a thunderclap right next to his ear.
Kashiwagi's heart nearly stopped. He turned his head with mechanical stiffness, only to find a familiar, small silhouette standing nearby.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two Loudred in the jade cavern perk up. They had heard the cry and were now curiously lumbering toward his position.
You! Me!
Kashiwagi and the Aron stared at each other. With a look of utter resignation, Kashiwagi reached into his pocket for a small purple sphere—a smoke bomb.
But before he could act, the little troublemaker simply strolled past him. With the nonchalance of someone taking a walk in the park, the Aron walked right up to the two approaching Loudred.
"Ku!"
"Gompu?"
The two Loudred looked at each other, scratched their heads, and turned around.
They had expected a hiding examinee, but finding just a stray little Pokémon was a total buzzkill. Bullying the terrified humans was much more entertaining anyway; they were almost wetting themselves!
The Loudred hurried back to the main group, shouting encouragement to the Pokémon at the front of the pack like rowdy sports fans.
The Aron watched their retreating backs with a flicker of disdain in its sky-blue eyes, then turned and trotted back to Kashiwagi's hiding spot.
"Ku!"
"..."
Kashiwagi remained silent, his gaze toward the Aron becoming increasingly strange.
Did this little guy just cover for me? Why?
He quietly retreated further back into the shadows and beckoned the Aron, testing if it would follow.
It did.
As the Aron padded after him like a loyal puppy, Kashiwagi felt a stir in his chest. He moved to a secluded corner far from the main cavern and crouched down. Whatever this creature's motives were, they didn't seem malicious. Throwing a Poké Ball now would be a clumsy move; he decided to try communicating first.
He pulled down his mask. "Thanks for the save back there."
"Ku."
The Aron stopped in front of him and tilted its head slightly. Its behavior was remarkably dog-like, save for the fact that it was encased in a suit of organic steel armor.
Kashiwagi thought for a moment, then pulled the iron ingot from his vest and gave it a little shake. "Is this what you're after?"
"Ku?"
The Aron blinked, hesitated for a good two seconds, and then nodded. It had a look on its face that suggested, "Yeah, sure, I guess I want that."
Wait, what?
Kashiwagi was stunned. "If you don't want this, then why are you following me?"
"Ku!" The Aron immediately pointed a small claw at the iron ingot.
Liar! You looked totally confused a second ago. You just made that up on the spot!
Still, the intelligence of Pokémon in this world—reminiscent of the animated series—was staggering. It understood him with ease. Or perhaps this specific Aron was just exceptionally gifted?
Before he could probe further, the sounds of a scuffle and several sharp cracks erupted from the jade cavern.
The fight's started!
"Listen... Aron, I need your help with something." He quickly whispered his request, promising the iron ingot as a reward—and more once they got out if that wasn't enough. Concerned he was speaking too fast, he took a breath and repeated the plan more clearly.
"...Ku."
Meeting Kashiwagi's expectant gaze, the Aron didn't hesitate for long before nodding its agreement.
The two of them crept back to the edge of the tunnel.
The scene in the cavern, however, took Kashiwagi by surprise. Standing between the Rhyhorn and the wild Pokémon was a strange stone slab etched with a red, serpentine mural. The head of the "snake" had broken off and was floating separately, connected by a shadowy, black substance. It emitted an eerie, ghostly wail.
"Desssss!"
A Runerigus... Are they negotiating?
He locked eyes with the Aron, which gave a firm nod. The small Pokémon scurried into the cavern on its four stubby legs, grabbed the clothing of one of the unconscious men on the ground, and began to drag him backward with all its might.
One of the wild Pokémon turned its head to look, but seeing it was just a small Aron moving a "fainted" human, it turned back. There was an unspoken rule: you don't keep attacking humans who are already down. It wasn't fun, and besides, someone would have to lug the bodies out later. They couldn't be bothered.
And so, the Aron successfully dragged the first man back to Kashiwagi.
"You're amazing."
Caught up in the moment, Kashiwagi reached out and patted the Aron's head, only realizing how reckless that was after he'd already done it. The Aron seemed startled too, its blue eyes widening into perfect circles as it stared at him.
The awkward silence lasted only a second.
A soft groan from his colleague broke the tension. Kashiwagi hurried to check the man's pulse while the Aron went back to fetch the others.
The situation was grim. Despite the naturally sturdy constitutions of people in the Pokémon world, Shibata's crew had clearly intended to kill. The man was drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to wake up fully.
All Kashiwagi could do was check his vitals and provide basic first aid to ensure he didn't die right there in the dirt.
I hope the others aren't in this bad a shape, or things are going to get very complicated.
Kashiwagi sighed deeply.
Suddenly, he froze. He turned his head and spotted a shadowy figure lurking in the darkness behind him.
Another examinee?
The figure seemed to be debating whether to approach. They hadn't turned on their headlamp, making their movements in the gloom look rather ghostly.
Kashiwagi squinted, trying to make out the silhouette. He glanced back at the cavern—aside from the hardworking Aron, no one was watching. He decided to take the risk and flicked his headlamp on and off twice in a sharp signal.
The shadow paused.
Then, it rushed toward him with silent, frantic speed—moving with the intensity of a vengeful spirit. As the person got within five meters, their face came into view.
A blood-stained face behind a torn mask, eyes shining with desperation.
"Kashiwagi!" Naruhisa whispered urgently.
"Shh!"
Kashiwagi clamped a hand over Naruhisa's mouth and gave a stern shake of his head.