Kashiwagi had visualized many scenarios of encountering Ken. But being "ambushed" caught him off guard.
Still, one thing struck him as odd: if Ken had confirmed his location, why didn't he attack immediately? Instead, he stood there casually, making small talk before sending the battle request.
Is he that confident in his strength?
Kashiwagi could only assume so. Humans are often incomprehensible; one can never truly peer into the depths of another's mind.
As the battle request was accepted, another confusing thing happened. Ken didn't move. He simply glanced at the Team Snarl member pinned under Kashiwagi's foot, their face pressed against the scorching ground. "Just one?"
"More than one."
Kashiwagi tucked his hand behind his back, subtly giving a downward gesture toward the shadow where Aron was lurking. The Pokémon understood instantly, silently burrowing into the earth.
"In that case, let's exchange hostages." Ken spoke with a strange, nonsensical tone.
Exchange hostages? Even putting aside whether Ken actually had one, in this region, the loser is at the winner's mercy anyway. Why bother with a pre-battle swap?
As Kashiwagi puzzled over this, Ken pulled out a blood-stained bandana emblazoned with a jagged, eccentric pattern.
This is—
"I think you recognize this? Hehehe... this guy had a real big mouth." Ken dangled the bandana, a smug grin plastered on his face. "I beat him for ten minutes, and he still wouldn't tell me where you were. I told him if he just made something up or said he didn't know, I'd let him go. But he just kept his mouth shut."
"So, I smashed his teeth, crushed his fingers, and snapped his legs. Hahaha! Did you know the guy actually started crying? Man, it was hilarious."
Kashiwagi: "..."
"He's still got a few breaths left in him, but under this sun? Who knows, right?" Ken tossed the bandana into the dirt and ground it under his heel. His malice felt tangible, overflowing like sludge. He barked out a laugh. "So, you want to trade? Hehehe..."
Stay calm.
Stay focused.
Kashiwagi fought to keep his emotions in check. He finally understood why Ken was doing this: Entertainment Value.
By using various means to break his opponent's composure, Ken created dramatic highlights for the live stream, ensuring a surge in viewers and donations. He was a clever man who knew exactly what the audience in Pyrite Town craved—violence, humiliation, hatred, and hysteria.
The "hostage exchange" was also a performance for his organization. It sent a message: Look, I'm saving our people! Don't I deserve a promotion for being so reliable?
Peeling back the layer of filth that was Ken's twisted personality revealed the true essence beneath: a ladder-climber consumed by power and greed. A maggot striving for status by any means necessary. What was worse was that in Pyrite Town, this behavior wouldn't be condemned; it would be cheered.
It was nauseating. Kashiwagi felt a deep sense of revulsion, perhaps for Otsuka, perhaps for Ken's arrogance... or for the town that birthed such scum.
"I think I'm going to puke."
Watching Ken play to the cameras, Kashiwagi suddenly raised his hand and clicked a Poké Ball.
Pop!
Vrrr—
The chaotic buzzing of wings filled the air.
"Watch the left!" Kashiwagi didn't look away from Ken, pointing decisively toward the shadows behind him.
The moment he spoke, a jet-black bird erupted from the shadows with shocking speed, diving like a dark arrow!
"Honk—!" Honchkrow let out a piercing shriek.
"Vibra!" The alerted Vibrava was a split second late, but thanks to the distance between them, it managed to beat its wings into a high-frequency blur.
A cyan shockwave that distorted the air hammered forward.
Bug Buzz!
Boom!
Acrid smoke billowed.
Did we get him?
No. As the sound subsided, Kashiwagi tilted his head to see Vibrava and Honchkrow spiraling into the sky. The two were locked in a high-speed aerial dogfight.
"Oho? The Admin's gift is something else. Honchkrow's got a playmate." Ken didn't seem worried at all. He spoke with the casual air of someone who had already won. "It's a shame such a good Pokémon is paired with someone like you."
Kashiwagi didn't respond. He recalled the panicked Chansey. Ken was a rare breed of vicious; he had hidden a Pokémon and feigned an opening. If Kashiwagi's senses hadn't been so sharp, he would have missed the Honchkrow entirely. His other two Pokémon were likely hidden nearby as well.
As for the intel, Ken had mentioned earlier that someone was feeding him info; it wasn't surprising he knew about Vibrava.
Kashiwagi reached for another Poké Ball.
Ken waved him off dismissively. "Enough, enough. I know you love Dig, and I know your Aron is already in the ground. Who are you trying to fool with an empty ball?"
As he spoke, Ken suddenly leaped backward.
Crash!
The earth shattered.
Aron burst from the ground, glowing silver, but missed its target. It looked up to see the white light of a Poké Ball opening.
Pop.
"Crunch!"
"Awoo!"
A dark, freezing maw lunged forward with incredible speed, wreathed in dark energy.
"Iron Defense!"
Snap!
Under the urgent command, the Mightyena's fangs clamped onto Aron's head. It didn't let go even as the energy flared, its feral aura enough to make anyone shiver.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard it bit, the teeth couldn't penetrate Aron's silver-white steel armor. Realizing its bite only left a tiny scratch, the Mightyena's eyes flickered with a hint of retreat.
Ken's command was instantaneous: "Withdraw!"
"Rock Tomb!" Kashiwagi shouted.
Aron slammed its front paws into the ground, sending a barrage of jagged rocks flying toward the Mightyena. But the wolf-like Pokémon was too fast; most of the rocks missed, and the few that struck its head and flank were too far away to do significant damage.
"Whew..."
Kashiwagi caught up to Aron. The moment Ken had jumped back, Kashiwagi had sprinted forward to ensure his Pokémon didn't get separated from him. If Ken managed to lure Aron away like he did with Vibrava, Kashiwagi would be left defenseless. Fighting a Pokémon with his bare hands? He could, but he'd rather not.
While Kashiwagi composed himself, Ken's face darkened. Though he had spotted the ambush, his Mightyena's Crunch had failed to take the target down. While Iron Defense played a part, Aron's durability and Kashiwagi's reaction time proved he wasn't just some random grunt.
"You're starting to piss me off!" Ken's arrogant smirk turned into a scowl. He clicked a second ball, releasing a Galarian Linoone.
"Maaa—!" The black-and-white creature flicked its long tongue, letting out a malicious cry.
Kashiwagi didn't dare lower his guard. He released Chansey to provide support.
"Lucky~" Chansey stood behind Aron, trembling but no longer trying to hide. It wasn't stupid; it could feel the raw malice radiating from the opponents. There was nowhere to run.
For a moment, the four Pokémon watched each other, the tension thick enough to choke on.
"Body Press the Chansey! Swagger to stall the Aron!" Ken barked his orders within five seconds. He had no patience and clearly understood Chansey's healing threat; he wanted to take her out first. To confuse Kashiwagi, he didn't specify which Pokémon would use which move.
Mightyena snarled and lunged toward Chansey, with Galarian Linoone following close behind.
"Gron!" Aron wanted to intercept, but Kashiwagi's voice stopped it.
"Back up! Get in front of Chansey! Rock Tomb!"
Hearing this, Aron abandoned the head-on collision and retreated to cover Chansey, slamming its paws into the earth.
Boom!
Whish-whish-whish!
Rocks flew at the Mightyena. The dog's body glowed with a dark red aura as it ignored the barrage, letting the stones strike its body with an arrogant, unyielding expression. Seeing this, a spark of indignation flared in Aron's mind, nearly making it lose its cool.
However, the flying debris blocked the Mightyena's path and obscured their vision, causing the Swagger to fail. But behind the Mightyena, the Galarian Linoone leaped high into the air, wreathed in red light. Its jumping power was terrifying; it sailed over Aron's head, narrowly avoiding the Rock Tomb.
"Maaa!" Its tongue flicked as it targeted the Chansey through the dust.
Wait.
Where's the egg?
Linoone hesitated as it landed behind Aron. It found itself staring at Kashiwagi, but the massive Chansey was nowhere to be seen.
It didn't waste time looking. It prepared to pounce again—if it couldn't get the Pokémon, it would get the trainer. Capture the king!
"I was waiting for you."
Kashiwagi had anticipated this. He covered his eyes with his arm and slammed an object into the ground.
FLASH!
A blinding light and a deafening roar exploded.
Even in the noon sun, the Galarian Linoone was blinded instantly, and its ears rang with an agonizing hum. Mightyena and Ken, being further back, were less affected but still disoriented.
This was the opening for Aron, who had been facing away from the Flash Bang and only suffered from the noise.
Headbutt!
The command Kashiwagi had given earlier flashed in its mind. Under the silver halo, its mask-like head shone with a deadly luster.
"Mightyena, get back!" Ken blinked his stinging eyes, stumbling backward. He hadn't expected the bastard to be carrying flash grenades.
When his vision cleared a second later, the Aron he expected to see charging him was nowhere to be found. It had spun around and slammed its head directly into the Galarian Linoone's flank!
BOOM!