"—One more round!"
Yoshioka snapped out of his daze, refusing to accept defeat.
This loss wasn't just about losing his teeth. If he failed his first mission and couldn't reclaim the lost territory, he would have absolutely no future in front of Master Chester!
"Let me smash your teeth first."
Kashiwagi bypassed the request entirely, locking onto his target with no intention of letting go.
Yoshioka's teeth ached with suppressed rage. If he let Kashiwagi smash his mouth now, how much combat effectiveness would he have left? Who would lead the next round of betting?
The group of lackeys behind him who could do nothing but cheer? Forget it!
Wait... if it was subordinate vs. subordinate, there might be a chance to win!
Kashiwagi's team was made up of those "crooked melons and split dates" fresh out of the training camp. They had zero combat experience—Yoshioka knew that much.
His thoughts raced like a man falling off a cliff grabbing at a lifeline. He seized onto this single point. "You have to promise me one more round first!"
That was it! He had to find a way to make Kashiwagi agree to a squad battle!
"Are you trying to go back on your word?"
Kashiwagi frowned. Seeing Yoshioka's bloodshot eyes and heavy breathing, he figured the man had mostly gone mad with rage. He replied slowly, "We didn't say anything about a rematch before the game. You want to break the rules?"
"In Copper Solder Street, the Crystal Unit is the rule!"
Yoshioka had completely discarded his dignity. Ignoring the boos from members of other units, he clenched his fists. "Are you going to battle or not? If not, I'm leaving—and you can kiss your boss's reputation goodbye!"
What a moron.
By going back on your word in public like this, I've not only secured Ryuka's reputation, but you've single-handedly trashed your own boss's face.
Kashiwagi insulted him inwardly. With so many onlookers and a clear victory in hand, Yoshioka was the only clown being laughed at right now. But the man was clearly desperate to get the territory back, resorting to any means necessary. To Yoshioka, the laughter of others was probably just "seasoning" for his eventual revenge.
It was beyond ridiculous.
Kashiwagi couldn't help but let out a strange smile. "Really? But these rules were set by the Boss himself. Are you saying you don't even respect the Boss?"
Driven by a temporary insanity, Yoshioka roared:
"The Boss? Aside from Master Chester, everyone else is just some bullsh—"
Before he could finish, two of his lackeys stepped forward with terrified expressions, frantically covering Yoshioka's mouth.
"Boss! Shhh! You can't say that!"
"He's setting a trap for you!"
Yoshioka struggled for a second before it clicked. The "Boss" Kashiwagi referred to wasn't Soshiro or Ryuka—it was the man at the very top.
Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
Yoshioka looked around and saw several people eyeing him with bizarre looks. Their whispers undoubtedly mentioned his disrespect toward the Boss. In Team Snagem, the Boss was a god. The reason they could engage in internal power struggles while maintaining their dominance over other factions was entirely due to the Boss's overwhelming strength and his terrifying network of contacts in Gateon Port.
Even the Mayor of Pyrite Town had to show the Boss respect.
Trash like them only had a life because of the Boss. Anyone in Team Snagem who dared speak a word against him would find themselves in a world of pain.
"You! You're setting a trap for me!" Yoshioka vented his anger on Kashiwagi.
"Don't go slandering an innocent man. Everyone heard you. You're the only one throwing a tantrum and refusing to honor the wager. Who heard a 'set up'?"
Kashiwagi tilted his head and smirked, waving a hand dismissively. "Alright, I'm done wasting words with you. Mawile."
"Ma-wile!"
A sharp cry.
Mawile blurred into a shadow, appearing instantly in front of Yoshioka. She didn't use a move; she simply slammed her iron fist into his cheek.
BANG!
"Boss!"
Yoshioka and his two closest lackeys didn't have time to react. The Shuckle that had saved him earlier was still fast asleep. Yoshioka hadn't expected a direct physical assault. His head snapped to the side as half his teeth were pulverized, falling from his mouth in a spray of blood.
"Pfft!"
His head hung low, his mind becoming a hazy mess from the neurological shock.
"Remember to tell Yoshioka for me: I'll take half his teeth today. I'll come back for the other half when the opportunity arises."
Kashiwagi looked at the resentful yet fearful members of the Crystal Unit and gave a nonchalant smile. He glanced at the trembling business owners, patted the returning Mawile on the head, and said to Naruhisa's group: "Let's go."
Naruhisa and the others traded glances.
"Let's go!"
"A total victory!"
"Someone's gonna have a bad time tonight!"
As they cheered and shouted, the business owners' faces grew paler. Things had developed in a way they never wanted to see, but the die was cast. Kashiwagi looked young, yet he was incredibly violent and decisive. They couldn't play both sides anymore.
Thinking back to the terms Kashiwagi had set—
Double the tribute.
They couldn't help but shudder.
----
After the group disbanded.
Kashiwagi warned Naruhisa and the others that members of the Crystal Unit might try to stir up trouble lately. He told them not to handle it alone; they had to inform him immediately.
"They might use some underhanded schemes. If you delay, they might actually succeed."
"Understood!"
"Got it, Boss!"
Ignoring their jovial responses, he hopped onto his motorcycle while Mawile hopped excitedly into the sidecar. "By the way, take these and split them."
Kashiwagi tossed over the envelopes he had taken from the business owners earlier. The group looked at each other; no one stepped forward.
"What's wrong? Take them! You want to keep my arm hanging here awkwardly?" He shook the envelopes and finally shoved them into Naruhisa's hands.
Naruhisa scratched his head awkwardly. "We were all saying we should give you a kickback. We were planning on handing the envelopes to you in a bit, but here you are giving your share to us."
"Don't worry about it. I don't need these couple hundred thousand, but you guys do."
Kashiwagi scanned the group. "A month of training wasn't cheap, was it? The bonus you got for leveling up is probably mostly gone. Take this money."
"Use it to improve your lives or strengthen your Pokémon. But I don't want you wasting it on pointless things—playing around is fine once you have a real surplus."
The "dazzling world" could be blinding; for people with few entertainment options, the things they'd seen today were enough to spark an obsession.
"I will be periodically testing the combat strength of you and your Pokémon. That's all. I'm heading to report in."
Kashiwagi didn't linger. He revved the engine and sped off toward the Sand Unit headquarters. Behind him, the young men gathered around the stack of envelopes and began discussing how to divide the cash.
The Underdome.
The familiar office.
Kashiwagi saw Ryuka and Gliscor again. Before he could even speak, his "big brother" took the lead: "Good job. The territory in Sectors 1 and 2 is officially stabilized."
"...As long as you're satisfied."
Kashiwagi nodded. It was normal for Ryuka to know "ahead of time." Who didn't have a few eyes on the surface? Mastering information without leaving the room was a basic skill for a big shot. Whether or not one could judge which information was fake was another matter entirely.
"Don't worry about Yoshioka. It's not his turn to come looking for revenge," Ryuka said nonchalantly, taking a sip of tea. "It's been too long since I moved. Some people must think I'm dead. Take a rest for a while and just watch."
Kashiwagi's eyes widened slightly. "—Understood!"