Tyra's request caught Kashiwagi off guard.
"Where is Lady Ayana?" Kashiwagi asked, quickly clearing a path so the driver could find a place to rest.
The guard post wasn't large to begin with; with over a dozen enemies crammed inside, it was now incredibly cramped.
"She's at the Command Center—Kashiwagi, I know what you're planning. Go check on Lady Ayana's status for me, then it won't be too late for you to continue your evacuation."
Tyra saw right through his intention to cut and run.
The others in the room turned to look at him, their eyes filled with a mix of emotions. Hearing this, Kashiwagi didn't panic; instead, he frowned. "What's the situation in the mine right now? Did something happen?"
"Heh... clever."
Tyra gave a strained smile, letting the Team Snagem grunts treat her with an emergency medical kit. "The explosives Brother Ryuka planted in the machinery warehouse in advance went off. Gemat's—the Top Executive of Team Snarl—right-hand man was blown to kingdom come. That blast took out a third of their forces in one go. The rest of Team Snarl has gone completely feral!"
She twitched the corner of her mouth as if she'd found the punchline to a joke, but she quickly dissolved into a fit of violent coughing.
Kashiwagi was stunned.
Placing explosives in advance...
That was ruthless.
While it wasn't surprising to prepare for an enemy raid, blowing up the entire machinery warehouse was extreme. Weren't they afraid of friendly fire? The loss of equipment and the potential for a massive fire was staggering. How many people died in that blast?
Thinking of doing it and actually doing it were two very different things.
Was the Ryuka who acted with such cold-blooded efficiency the same person he thought he knew? Or was this simply how High Executives operated when the chips were down?
His mind was a whirl of confusion until Tyra's rasping voice pulled him back.
"The Command Center is a war zone right now. I can't get through anymore. I'm just worried if Lady Ayana can handle a two-on-one. Your strength has improved again, hasn't it? Go see—"
She didn't finish her sentence.
Following Kashiwagi's hand signal, the Aggron crouching by the door tossed Girard's limp body onto the floor.
"One High Executive is right here, and another just got launched into the sky. That means there's only one left in the mine... with Ayana's strength, she should be able to handle it. You know her best, what do you think?"
He looked at Tyra. She was staring at Girard, gasping for air as if she were suffering from oxygen deprivation, her face a mask of pure shock.
The other Snagem grunts were frozen. The man pouring disinfectant flinched, spilling nearly half the bottle onto the floor.
"Is he still alive?"
"Alive."
"You did this?"
"I got lucky."
"...Frobo was right. You really are a monster."
"Save the flattery for later," Kashiwagi cut her off. "When you were out there, did you regroup with the main force? How much defense is left? Where are the enemies?"
"The main force should be near the Command Center. Before the attack, everyone except the scouts was stationed there. As for the enemies, they're scattered, running around causing as much destruction as possible."
"Got it."
Kashiwagi turned to Naruhisa and his squad. "I'm going out for a bit. Stay here a while longer and guard my trophies."
"Yes, sir!" Naruhisa and the others replied instantly.
Under normal circumstances, Kashiwagi would never actively seek out a High Executive.
In a life-and-death battle, there was no such thing as a guaranteed victory. Why walk a tightrope over an abyss when you could just stay on solid ground?
But now, with one Executive captured and another blown up, only one remained—likely locked in combat with Ayana. By now, the outcome was probably decided.
Kashiwagi figured he could scout the situation.
If Ayana had successfully neutralized the third Executive, they could join forces and counter-attack the remaining Team Snarl grunts for a massive victory.
If Ayana had been taken down, the enemy Executive wouldn't be in top shape either. He could swoop in to avenge her or rescue her, which would also count as a massive contribution.
As long as he wasn't surrounded by twenty or thirty grunts at once, he would be fine.
"Sorry to work you so hard, let's do this one more time."
Kashiwagi climbed onto Aggron's back. Aggron had once again inherited Magnet Rise from Mawile. Chansey stood nearby, ready to provide defensive support.
"Roar!"
Aggron let out a low growl and burst forward. Within moments, it was skimming across the ground like a fighter jet with its landing gear retracted. Its speed was staggering, completely belying its massive frame.
The Command Center was in the southwest of the mine—a dilapidated two-story building made easy to spot by the thirty-meter tall signal tower beside it.
Just as Tyra had said, the Team Snarl grunts were scattered. Most were heading toward the machinery warehouse, where a massive fire still raged, sending thick black smoke into the sky.
Occasionally, Kashiwagi saw the forms of fallen Team Snagem members lying in the shadows, their fates unknown. He was in too much of a hurry to find Ayana to stop and check.
Before long, the Command Center was in sight.
To Kashiwagi's surprise, the fighting wasn't over.
"Hiding? Let's see how long you can hide!"
In the darkness, a shadowy figure stood before some rubble. Beside the figure was a strange, massive purple scorpion—a Drapion.
The figure screamed hysterically, though their voice sounded weak and strained.
"Hm?"
Sensing an intruder, the figure spun around. Seeing Aggron, they immediately barked an order: "PinMissile!"
Phew! Phew! Phew!
Countless glowing green needles shot into the air and rained down toward Kashiwagi.
"Chansey!"
"Lucky!"
Chansey deployed a large green barrier, intercepting the needles perfectly. Simultaneously, Aggron raised a claw.
"Rock Blast!"
Shards of stone and dust coalesced into sharp rock blades, firing toward the figure and Drapion!
Swish—swish—!!
In the dead of night, the sound of the projectiles cutting the air was sharp and urgent. Despite the faint glow of the rock blades, the darkness made them difficult to track, throwing off a trainer's judgment.
Furthermore, the enemy was clearly exhausted and seemed to have no other Pokémon left.
"Knock them down!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Drapion's claws, wreathed in dark light, shattered the incoming stones.
But the moment it finished, its body stiffened. Both Drapion and its trainer were suddenly hoisted into the air by a surge of eerie energy.
A powerful psychic force rendered them immobile—Ayana, who had been lying in wait, finally launched her strike.
From a pile of ruins, a torrent of azure water surged. The water moved as if it had a mind of its own, forming a long whip that lashed across the figure and Drapion, sending them both tumbling backward!
Splash!
The water dissipated. The figure let out a muffled groan and predictably lost consciousness.
Chansey released the Telekinesis. Drapion's resistance had been so fierce that, as a non-Psychic type, Chansey had almost lost her grip. Fortunately, Ayana's timing was perfect.
"Lady Ayana."
Kashiwagi jumped off Aggron's back. Soon, beneath her familiar, massive Quagsire, he found the battered and bruised Ayana. She looked like she was drifting in and out of consciousness.
"Can you hear me?"
He waved to her, and Chansey hurried over to pulse a Heal Pulse toward her.
While Heal Pulse couldn't instantly close wounds, it could stabilize a critical situation. This was a technique Chansey had struggled with before, but with her increased level and dedicated practice, the healing effect was becoming significantly more potent.