"Clown!"
"Attention seeker!"
"Who does he think he is?"
"He'd never dare. No one has that kind of guts!"
Whispered exchanges rippled through the crowd.
In Team Snagem, talk is cheap. Threatening to take everyone down with you is a common performance. After all, trash-talking is the easiest thing in the world—words are free.
But facing Kashiwagi, who remained poised and composed as if he hadn't just made a suicide pact, they found themselves wavering. Even as they told themselves he wouldn't dare, or that he'd never get the chance, the seed of doubt began to grow.
Wasn't he supposed to have no background? Then why did Lady Ayana pick him up personally? Why did she stop Otsuka for him? What if he's serious? What if he's not just barking?
They say the Poochyena that bites doesn't bark, and this guy looked exactly like a hound ready to sink its teeth in.
Ultimately, did they really have a conflict of interest with him? The guy just wanted to be left alone. Why target a lunatic who was ready to blow everything up? Once the match was over, they'd never have to see him again anyway.
After a few glances were exchanged, the hostility in their eyes began to fade or hide.
Nothing happened. The atmosphere returned to its original state.
Among them, one pair of resentful eyes also veiled themselves. If a plan wasn't feasible, pushing against the wind would only expose oneself. There would be another day to crush that brat.
Kashiwagi put an arm around the shoulder of the pale-faced Otsuka, glancing around. He was surprised by how effective his words had been.
The results are incredible. Are they all "smart people" now?
Honestly, he had always thought the thugs in Team Snagem lived only for "face" and bravado, with no regard for the future. Today was an eye-opener.
Fair enough. It saved him more talking.
"Let's battle, Otsuka. But remember to tell your Pokémon to be gentle. I only have this one Aron. If something happens to it, I won't be able to participate in the match, you know?"
Kashiwagi patted the boy's shoulder.
"Why should I!" Otsuka gritted his teeth, indignant.
"Why? ...Aren't we best friends, Otsuka?" Kashiwagi looked at him with feigned shock. "If you act like this, I'm going to be very unhappy!"
Who the hell is your best friend!
Otsuka's face twisted into a mask of pure agony. Yet, faced with Kashiwagi's low-level threat and after much internal struggle, he chose to comply, allowing himself to be led away by a weak tug.
He looked like a grade-schooler being bullied out of his lunch money by a senior.
The surrounding gazes toward Otsuka were filled with pity. No one liked to yield, but reality was often unforgiving. Better you than me! Good luck, Otsuka!
Although Aron had joined him five days ago, Kashiwagi hadn't been able to give it a proper battle due to its leg injury. Today, by chance, he had found a perfect sparring partner.
Compared to fighting the weak Pokémon of grunts like Naruhisa, this was a much better opportunity for experience. At what level does Aron evolve into Lairon?
Kashiwagi couldn't remember.
In truth, there was no need to remember. Pokémon evolution here relied more on opportunity and flashes of insight—like the Bulbasaur festival in the Mysterious Garden, or the mass evolution of Cascoon in the Petalburg Woods.
Timing mattered; level was a factor, but not the absolute rule. That said, catching that "timing" was the hardest part.
"Let's go, Aron. This is our debut." Kashiwagi cheered it on. More battles meant more practice, which would eventually lead to evolution.
A short distance away, Otsuka stood with a long face, holding two Poké Balls. He shouted crossly, "Hey! Which one are you picking?!"
"Show me both of them! How am I supposed to know what you have? Hurry up!"
"You—"
Otsuka's teeth itched with rage as he popped the two balls.
Pop! Pop!
In a flash of light, a sharp-eyed Graveler and a hunched Sandshrew appeared. They looked healthy and spirited—a stark contrast to the neglected Pokémon held by many other Snagem members.
"Hmm... why haven't you trade-evolved your Graveler? Are you waiting for something?" Kashiwagi asked curiously. "Or would Golem be harder to sell because it's too expensive?"
"Who's selling Pokémon?! And what kind of weird term is 'trade-evolve'?!" Otsuka barked back, only to meet Kashiwagi's gaze, which was filled with blatant disdain.
"Eh? You don't even know about trade evolution? What a failure of a Trainer!"
"You... I... mind your own business! Are we fighting or just talking?!" Otsuka's face flushed between green and red.
Kashiwagi waved his hand. "Fighting, of course. Let's start with Graveler."
Otsuka must have been a Trainer for quite a while, yet he didn't know about trade evolution. Team Snagem definitely had trading machines. Perhaps it was just Otsuka's lack of knowledge.
Under Otsuka's command, the half-human-sized boulder rolled to a spot not far from Aron.
"I'll let you move first!"
As the battle began, Otsuka seemed to regain some confidence, speaking with an arrogant air.
"Fine."
Kashiwagi didn't decline. This was his first time formally commanding a Pokémon in battle, and he wasn't yet familiar with the flow. "Iron Defense!"
"Ku!"
A deep silver glow instantly coated Aron's body, and orange-red energy flared up from beneath its feet—the sign of a stat increase.
The opponent was a Ground-type, which dealt four times the damage to an Aron's Rock/Steel typing. A direct hit could mean instant defeat. Using Iron Defense to boost its physical bulk at the start was the only way to feel even slightly secure.
Seeing this, Otsuka laughed. "Hahaha! You can't win by hiding in a shell! Graveler, use Defense Curl and Rollout!"
"Graveler!"
The Pokémon roared, tucking its thick arms tight against its body. The moment the orange energy flared, it began to spin forward violently!
Graveler had clearly practiced this combo many times; the execution was seamless.
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
The ground vibrated under the high-speed rotation, but Kashiwagi didn't panic.
"Dig! Wait for your moment!"
Scritch-scratch!
Sand and soil flew everywhere as Aron vanished into the earth as if diving into water. It disappeared just in time to let the rolling Graveler pass over the spot. A narrow miss.
Kashiwagi breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Rollout was a Rock-type move and not very effective against Aron, the momentum alone could do massive damage.
He was about to give the next order when he saw Graveler maintain its momentum—and roll straight toward him!
In a panic, he threw himself to the right. He ended up covered in dirt, but he successfully dodged the rolling attack.
"You're having Graveler attack me? Seriously?" Kashiwagi looked at the gloating Otsuka, his expression becoming stern.
"Gah!" Otsuka's smile froze. His heart hammered in his chest for some reason, and he looked away, refusing to meet Kashiwagi's eyes. "You just happened to be in Graveler's path! Is that my fault? Besides, this is what a real battle is like—it doesn't care about the Trainer. If you get hit, it's just bad luck!"
Look him in the eye when you say that, you coward! the secret onlookers cursed in their heads. They wondered why Otsuka, who used to be so arrogant, was acting like a Rattata facing a Meowth.
"...Fair enough. My mistake."
Kashiwagi's stern expression softened. Since the Trainer was also on the field, being caught in the crossfire was inevitable. Thinking back, his positioning really had been in Graveler's direct line of travel. He had only assumed it was intentional because he was already on guard against Otsuka.
He turned his head just in time to see Graveler making a massive, aggressive U-turn, sparks flying as its edge ground against the chain-link fence.
It was picking up speed.