Kashiwagi: "..."
Ryuka: "You are an exceptional young man. To ensure that more youths like you emerge in Orre, we must work toward that goal."
"But I..."
"You were born in Orre, and you were raised in Orre. You are a person of Orre. This land is your home; that has nothing to do with bloodlines." Ryuka seemed to know exactly what he was going to say.
"Moreover, having a heart of gold while living in the muck isn't something achieved through lineage alone."
Hearing this, Kashiwagi couldn't help but feel his mind descend into a bit of a haze.
Even though he had long suspected many things, hearing it with his own ears was different. He understood now—Ryuka, Frobo, and the others truly intended to do something world-shaking, something massive enough to directly transform the entire Orre region.
And he was standing at a historical turning point, about to decide his own fate.
Should he do nothing and silently wait for it all to end? Or leave early to avoid the fallout?
Or should he bravely dive in and strive to be a pioneer of the era?
"Yamamino... is he one of yours too?" Kashiwagi asked softly.
Ryuka responded calmly, "If you're asking about the International Police organization, no. But if you're asking about saving Orre, I can give you an affirmative answer. He left Orre to travel the world, and he returned at this critical juncture specifically to contribute to changing this region. He is a comrade of the same mind."
A comrade of the same mind!
Kashiwagi felt a jolt in his heart, his emotions becoming incredibly complex.
"The day isn't far off. We've made all the preparations, and what needed to happen has already happened."
Ryuka looked at him. "I know you've been thinking about heading to other regions. Please, endure it just a little longer. It won't be long before you get your wish."
"Would leaving now cause you trouble?"
"I wouldn't call it trouble, but to a certain extent, it would affect the smooth execution of the plan. You're very famous now, and too many eyes are on you. It would be dangerous for you as well."
"..."
"If you need to check on Deino's condition in the future, just bring it here. We have a Pokémon Transfer System that can send data to the outside world."
Ryuka patted Kashiwagi on the shoulder, sensing the turmoil in his heart. "Let's leave it at that for today. Don't let it weigh on you too much. I'm not telling you this to make you do anything; I'm telling you so you know what we are doing. You have the right to know."
It was hard to respond.
Kashiwagi could only nod, standing up to head outside. He even forgot to say goodbye to Frobo and the others as he silently walked out of the small office building.
Frobo and the rest watched his retreating back, unable to stop themselves from commenting.
"Didn't you tell him too much all at once?"
"Better sooner than later. We're moving in a few days; I was worried I wouldn't get another chance to tell him." Ryuka sighed.
Frobo and the others couldn't help but chuckle. "It's only just beginning and you already think you're a dead man?"
"I never said that, you vultures!" Ryuka smacked Frobo's forehead. "I said I wouldn't have time!"
----
That night.
Kashiwagi suffered from insomnia.
He realized he didn't need to stress over planning an escape anymore. As soon as Ryuka and the others made their move, Pyrite Town—and even the whole Orre region—would be thrown into chaos. Opportunities to leave would be everywhere.
For now, all he could do—and all he needed to do—was wait.
One move affects the whole board. Since they had already played Team Snagem and the Team Snarl against each other, Ryuka and the others were definitely going to take it a step further. The Mayor, who usually acted as the mediator, had left Pyrite Town; now was the perfect time for them to make a big move!
Kashiwagi suddenly understood what Yamamino had told him before. He knew that, quite likely, another major event was about to occur—one that would inevitably sweep him up in it.
"...Sigh."
He let out a long breath.
Part of his insomnia was the shock of what Ryuka's group was planning, but the other part was his own uncertainty.
Initially, he felt that Pyrite Town was worse than a septic tank. It only turned people into illiterate fools like Ken. He had been desperate to escape, the further the better.
But hearing that Ryuka and the others were about to launch a comprehensive reform of the Orre region—and were already in motion—left him feeling a bit lost.
Leaving was a necessity.
Experiencing more of the wonders of the Pokémon world was one of the things he wanted to do.
However...
In what capacity should he leave this place for other regions?
What kind of person was he?
A descendant of Dragon Tamers? An Orre native fleeing environmental instability? A traveler from another world? He could have transmigrated anywhere; why did he end up in Orre?
And then, there was what he craved deep in his heart.
Looking back at his past life, the memories were vivid. Kashiwagi realized he actually missed the land where he used to live. Despite its various problems, the sentiment of "homesickness for one's native soil" was clearly etched in his heart.
And in this life...
The experiences of living in Pyrite Town, the memories worth both joy and pain, were not fake. They were even clearer than those of his previous life.
Was Orre "home" to Kashiwagi?
Yes.
He knew this very clearly. No matter how bad Pyrite Town was, he had grown up here, so he naturally held a sense of attachment.
Humans, like many Pokémon, live by treading upon the earth.
"Kashiwagi" had also once been indignant. Before merging with his self from the other world, "he" had thought about resisting those oppressors, making sure everyone around him could eat their fill and receive wages that matched their labor.
Ultimately, what made him give up was a product called "reality."
He didn't have that kind of power, so he could only endure it—enduring and enduring until the other Kashiwagi arrived, until he became a brand-new person.
And yet, he still had to endure.
The more he knew, the more he understood how much power was required to overturn a society. It wasn't something he could do, and he couldn't shoulder such a heavy responsibility.
Continuing to lay low was the only way.
But at this moment, he suddenly discovered a massive army marching gallantly toward that peak he never dared to climb, proudly telling him that the mountain was about to fall beneath their feet.
They were even going to topple mountains higher than that one.
So, standing at the crossroads of his life, how should he choose?
Should he go with them to topple that mountain, and the higher mountains beyond? Or should he walk toward the other path he believed to be brighter?
Either was fine.
Kashiwagi knew that no matter which path he took, he could lead a glorious life. As for regrets... no life is entirely without them. No one can perfectly predict a "better" or "more correct" path.
It was time to make a choice.
He looked at the ceiling and imagined a coin in his mind. He flipped it into the air, the two sides representing the two paths.
The moment the coin took flight, the choice was made—
He would participate in the reformation of Orre.
There were many reasons.
For example, taking advantage of Orre's transformation to secure a place in the "New Orre," creating a place where he belonged, and creating things that were hard to get in other regions but belonged solely to him.
For example, his strength was increasing rapidly. It wouldn't be long before he had the strength of an Executive, or even surpassed them.
For example, the "Fifty Steps" he had already taken—the food and care for Aggron and the others, and that massive string of numbers in his bank account. Aside from his legitimate earnings, how much blood and tears of the commoners of Pyrite Town were hidden behind that 30 million reward from Team Snagem?
This was a responsibility he should shoulder.
For example, the neighbors of Iridium Street who had raised him. It wasn't that he had to be responsible for their entire lives, but shouldn't he at least let them live a normal life? Without them, how could an orphan like him have survived to adulthood?
For example, Naruhisa, Otsuka, and the others—he really couldn't just abandon these people and run away alone.
Yes.
Ryuka and the others were about to bring a brand-new world to the commoners of Pyrite Town, but a revolution is not a dinner party. There would inevitably be sacrifices. Could Naruhisa and Otsuka stay out of it?
Of course, the most important point of all:
Kashiwagi decided he was done enduring.
Endure for a moment and the more you think, the angrier you get; take a step back and the more you think, the more you've lost.
He had endured since he was a child. What did he want to do most? To crush those who bullied them! To crush those bullshit unspoken rules, the money laundering, and the protection fees!
He wanted to ensure the elderly are cared for, the young are nurtured, everyone has food to eat, and everyone can stand tall!
He wanted the good to be rewarded and the evil to be punished!
As he grew older, this thought became clearer and clearer.
Other regions could do it, so why couldn't Orre? Why did Orre have to be the world's trash can?
If this wasn't successfully realized, Kashiwagi would surely feel stifled every time he thought back on it in the future.
Only by ruthlessly trampling those villains under his feet, making those oppressors wail in agony, and sending those who abuse their power to the Spirit World or to prison could he truly find peace of mind.
Ultimately, looking down on them from a moral high ground and then destroying them using the very power they took pride in brought him immense pleasure.
Kashiwagi simply couldn't bear the thought of looking back on this experience when he was old and regretting that he hadn't given those bastards a good, hard kick when he had the chance!
Thinking of this...
He clenched his fist tightly in the air and made his decision.
He would leave.
But he would leave Orre with style and dignity. One day, when he stood at the World Coronation Series among a crowd of Champions and Elite Four members...
When the announcer shouted his name, "representing the Orre region"...
Only then could he face any powerful foe with the utmost confidence!
The path of the strong is definitely not found by running away!