Kashiwagi reached out to snatch it back. "This was left to me by my father."
"Your father?"
The man froze for a moment upon hearing the response. The wooden medallion was swiped from his hand before he could examine it closely.
In truth, had he taken the time to feel the texture and inspect it properly, it wouldn't have been hard to notice that the piece was freshly made. It lacked the worn, polished sheen of an heirloom handled for years. Even though Kashiwagi had gone out of his way to artificially age it, a single month's work couldn't replicate a decade of wear. Pyrite Town, after all, wasn't exactly a hub for antiques; it lacked the necessary "tech tree" for high-end forgery.
But it was enough to bluff.
The man looked at Kashiwagi again, his expression becoming complicated. "Your father... he..."
"Passed away before I was old enough to remember him," Kashiwagi replied with practiced calm. He pivoted immediately. "Can you tell me what this is? I've always been curious."
The man let out a long sigh. "This? Well..."
"Kashiwagi?"
A voice suddenly called out from behind them.
Kashiwagi's heart skipped a beat. Masking his frustration, he turned around to see Yamamino, who had been missing in action until just now.
Interestingly, Yamamino looked utterly shocked, his gaze darting back and forth between Kashiwagi and the man behind him.
"You two know each other!?" the man blurted out, his tone laced with disbelief.
"You guys know each other?" Kashiwagi was equally stunned. He took a step back, scanning both the man and Yamamino. He never expected the person this "clue" pointed to would be connected to his rival.
The three of them stared at one another, completely baffled.
"...Before the auction starts, let's find somewhere to talk," Yamamino suggested, taking the lead.
The other two naturally had no objections.
At the same time, Kashiwagi felt immensely relieved that he hadn't explicitly claimed to be part of the "Dragon Clan" the man mentioned. By giving an ambiguous answer and pushing the mystery onto the previous generation—or even the one before that—he had left himself plenty of room to maneuver.
----
Kashiwagi expected Yamamino to borrow a private room from the organizers.
Instead, the three of them acted like fugitives, slipping through an unguarded door to the parking lot and piling into an off-road SUV.
"Who goes first?" Yamamino asked softly, looking at Kashiwagi and the other man.
The man raised his hand first. "I'll start. How do you two know each other?"
"We're acquainted. I'm the one who brought him here," Yamamino said honestly. However, his words seemed to spark the man's temper; he slammed his hand against the headrest.
"What were you thinking?! How could you bring someone into a place this dangerous? Especially someone who knows nothing about it!"
"I have my reasons." Yamamino seemed unfazed by the anger. He calmly introduced Kashiwagi, revealing his general situation to the stranger.
Hearing this, the man's rage dissipated, and he cooled down significantly.
"You came here to buy Pokémon?" he asked Kashiwagi, his tone now level.
Kashiwagi reacted instantly. "I had no idea these Pokémon were obtained illegally. Really! If I'd known beforehand, I wouldn't have come!"
While he didn't necessarily fear the man, it was better to clear the air. He didn't want to be associated with the black market trade if he could help it.
As expected, once he said this, the man's grip on the headrest slowly relaxed.
Yamamino added, "I can vouch for that. I tricked him into coming; he was completely in the dark."
"You—!" The man's anger flared up again.
"Alright, alright." Yamamino waved a hand to settle him down. Facing Kashiwagi's bewildered gaze, he smiled. "You must have a lot of questions. Let me explain everything."
"This is Takeshi, a Dragon Tamer from the Village of Dragons. He came to Pyrite Town to track down a stolen Deino. We happened to cross paths a few times back in the Kalos region, so I agreed to help him recover the Pokémon."
Kashiwagi looked at Takeshi. Though the man looked a bit awkward, he nodded in confirmation. Kashiwagi began to piece things together.
"You're probably wondering why, if we're doing something so important and secretive, I'd specifically invite you along..." Yamamino said calmly. "On one hand, I wanted to see your reaction to the 'stolen goods.' On the other, escorting you out provides me with the perfect opportunity to set a trap and establish an alibi."
"Yamamino!" Takeshi's face paled. "Don't drag an innocent bystander into this!"
"Let me finish, Takeshi." Yamamino shook his head and suddenly turned to Kashiwagi, bowing his head. "I'm sorry. I used you. But please believe me—I never intended to put you in actual danger."
"Regardless of whether you wanted to buy those Pokémon, I would have found an excuse to send you back safely. You wouldn't have been harmed. I'm also willing to compensate you for your trouble—name any condition."
Takeshi also hurried to apologize. "I'm sorry. Yamamino is an idiot for pulling a stunt like this. I'll make sure he gets you out of here right away. You really don't need to be involved in something this dangerous."
The apology was sincere.
The small amount of irritation Kashiwagi felt vanished. After all, he already owed Yamamino favors—the Soothe Bell, the help with his shop's popularity. The key was that Yamamino hadn't actually intended to screw him over; he just needed a cover story. Kashiwagi hadn't lost anything; if anything, he'd gained a glimpse into the underworld's inner workings.
If they truly planned to keep him out of the fallout, compensation wasn't necessary. Besides, they didn't even have to tell him the truth. They could have kept him in the dark forever.
But Yamamino told him anyway.
Why? Was it because Kashiwagi had shown genuine disgust toward the stolen Pokémon?
After a moment of silence, Kashiwagi said, "I still have one question."
"Ask away," Yamamino replied, looking like an open book.
"What exactly is this?" Kashiwagi held up the wooden medallion and looked at Takeshi. "I didn't get an answer earlier."
"That is a Dragon Medal. It's the symbol of a Dragon Tamer's status; every master Tamer is awarded one." Takeshi caught Yamamino's surprised look and continued, "The fact that you have one can only mean two things."
"One: your parents or ancestors were Dragon Tamers."
"Two: your parents or ancestors knew a Dragon Tamer personally. Personally, I believe you are a descendant of the Dragon People."
"Huh? Based on what?" Kashiwagi was floored.
"Your eyes and brows carry the spirit of the Dragon People!" Takeshi gave a reason so ridiculous it left Kashiwagi speechless.
Yamamino couldn't help but chime in. "Your ancestors were Dragon Tamers?"
"I don't know!"
"If your ancestors were Dragon Tamers, then your talent as a Trainer—and your other skills—certainly make sense." Yamamino nodded solemnly. "I see. No wonder I always felt you were out of place here. You aren't a native of Pyrite Town at all!"
What the...
Kashiwagi was at a loss for words. He hadn't intended to go out and find a long-lost lineage, but now both Takeshi and Yamamino seemed absolutely convinced of it.