The competition grounds weren't massive in terms of raw mileage, but the fact that they encompassed a desert canyon made the terrain infinitely more complex.
With the radar currently disabled, Kashiwagi had to rely on a compass to seek out his enemies. His current position was still perilous; before the map shut down, it had shown a single blinking red dot closing in on his location.
Unless something unexpected had happened, that person was coming straight for him.
Was it Ken?
I hope not.
"Access to this area is restricted. Please change your course."
Suddenly, the Drone Rotom descended, providing Kashiwagi with a crucial piece of intel.
This meant a teammate was nearby—and not very far at all. Otherwise, the drone wouldn't have bothered to block his path.
Would the enemy red dot run into this teammate? Kashiwagi hoped his ally was strong enough to handle it; the logistics system for this tournament was nonexistent. Once you were in trouble, you had to manually use the wristband's emergency function to call for help. If you didn't call, no one came. The Drone Rotoms would simply fly away once a participant was defeated, leaving them to their fate.
Outsiders couldn't interfere, and with the rule forbidding surrender, the organizers were proving to be worse than beasts.
Kashiwagi exchanged a look with the ever-vigilant Aron and decided to investigate the location where the battle had just taken place. If his teammate had won, the worst that would happen was the drone stopping him again. If the opponent had won, he could assess their state and strike while they were weak.
Of course, he had to make sure he wasn't being followed by other enemies drawn to the commotion.
"Let's go," he whispered, heading in the direction he remembered.
From a high vantage point, the desert canyon was almost majestic. Rugged, towering rocks stood like ancient sentinels, weathered by eons of wind and sand, guarding the desolate earth. Unfortunately for Kashiwagi, he preferred the vibrant greens of life. Every time he looked at this barren landscape, he couldn't help but miss the lush mountains and rivers of his previous life.
"Do you like sand? Or maybe rocks and iron?" Kashiwagi asked Aron. His low voice was nearly drowned out by the constant buzz of the Drone Rotom.
Aron clearly heard him. The Pokémon lowered its head in thought for a few seconds, looked around, and then scampered off as if it had discovered something. Kashiwagi's eyes followed its movement and soon found the target—a patch of greyish-yellow weeds. It was unclear if they were withered or just naturally that color.
"Gron!"
Aron looked back at Kashiwagi with sparkling eyes, like a puppy who had found its favorite toy. If it had a tail, it would surely be wagging furiously.
"You like... grass? Plants?"
Kashiwagi looked at it in surprise. As a Rock and Steel-type Pokémon—a member of a species often branded as industrial pests for eating iron—his partner didn't care for delicious iron ore; it liked insignificant weeds.
A hobby, perhaps? Seeing Aron nod enthusiastically, Kashiwagi began to wonder if he should get a potted plant for Aron to look after. Or maybe a flower?
They continued forward. To conserve energy, he avoided climbing whenever possible, finding ways to circle around dead ends.
Finally, as Kashiwagi rounded a bend, the sound of the wind was joined by a faint cry for help. He stopped and pricked up his ears; the cries grew louder and more desperate.
So close...
Not a companion?
He glanced at his Drone Rotom. Seeing it remain passive, he crept forward and peered cautiously around the corner.
About two hundred meters away in a dust-swept canyon passage, a naked young man was clinging for dear life to the top of a needle-like rock spire, wailing incessantly.
"He lost?"
Kashiwagi frowned. This was undoubtedly one of his fourteen teammates. Though they weren't close, seeing him in such a miserable state was jarring. Stripped naked, and judging by the ball-sized swelling on his ankles, his legs were broken. Stranded at that height, it would be nearly impossible for him to reach his wristband to call for help.
More importantly, where was the Team Snarl member who did this?
Kashiwagi looked at his Drone Rotom again. The drone wasn't moving, but the whirring of its four small propellers felt incredibly loud to him. Even with the wind, an observant enemy might hear it. Worried he might already be exposed, he pointed toward the ground.
Aron understood instantly and used Dig to vanish beneath the surface.
Kashiwagi gripped a Smoke Ball in his left hand and a Poké Ball in his right, steadying his breathing as he scanned the area. If the enemy doesn't move, I don't move.
There were only ten minutes left until the next radar sweep. By then, he'd know for sure if he'd been spotted. Of course, the enemy might be waiting for the radar too.
As he was thinking, a new sound came from the teammate's direction—the scraping and tapping of hooves on stone. Kashiwagi peered out again and saw a Team Snarl member sitting atop an Arcanine at the base of the spire.
The billowing dust behind them suggested they had just arrived. A second Drone Rotom followed behind the rider, circling like a persistent fly. The newcomer circled the rock twice, looking upward and then scanning the surroundings. Kashiwagi ducked back immediately, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Surprisingly, the opponent didn't notice him, nor did they hear the whirring of his drone. The rider slid off the Arcanine and commanded, "Arcanine, find a way to get him down."
Wait, what?
Did this guy not do the deed? Or did he see that no one was biting his trap and decide to give up?
Regardless, the fact that this person had shown themselves meant there were likely no other Snarl members lying in ambush nearby. He had been playing mind games with thin air.
Kashiwagi lay flat and tapped the ground. Aron's head popped out of the hole, and Kashiwagi handed it the Smoke Ball. "Dig deeper and move in quietly," he whispered. "Stay far enough away so you aren't detected. When I shout 'Battle,' bite the pin off this thing and pop it right in front of that guy. When you're in position, nudge the dirt up a bit."
"Gron."
Aron nodded and vanished back into the tunnel.
I hope this works.
Kashiwagi shed his backpack to lighten his load. He watched from afar as the Arcanine paced, looking for a foothold or a way to bring the naked man down. No flying Pokémon?
That was excellent news. A Smoke Ball's effect could be cleared by a Flying-type with a few flaps of its wings. Its primary purpose here was to disorient the trainer and briefly interfere with the Arcanine's keen sense of smell.
Two hundred meters. Without the Drone Rotom, Kashiwagi would have tried to close the gap. Even though people in the Pokémon world were physically extraordinary—capable of becoming Olympic-level sprinters with basic training—two hundred meters was still a long way to run.
He needed a perfect opening.
As he watched, a small mound of dirt suddenly bulged up right next to the Team Snarl member's feet.
Dammit!
That's too close! He overshot the position!
Kashiwagi nearly threw his Poké Ball in a panic, but fortunately, the opponent was too focused on the Snagem member atop the rock to notice the slight disturbance in the soil.
Just then, the wind surged, kicking up a veil of sand and stone that blurred everyone's vision.
The opportunity had arrived.