Early morning.
Kashiwagi rubbed his groggy head and got up to wash. Chansey had already risen, having prepared the breakfast ingredients in the kitchen so they were within his easy reach.
"Thanks", he whispered. He moved to the kitchen to cook, his mind drifting back to the dreams of the previous night.
For someone like him, who was still gradually shedding the label of "illiterate," trying to decode ancient texts and learn ancient scripts all at once was proving to be a bit overwhelming. I'll switch to Smeargle's painting memories tomorrow, art sounds a bit more relaxing.
Once the food was ready, Kashiwagi shouted toward the rest of the house, "Breakfast time, everyone! We've got big things to do today!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Deino came sprinting out of the bathroom. Behind it, Chansey stood with a toothbrush in hand, looking helpless as she abandoned the arduous mission of brushing the new partner's teeth. Mawile yawned as she floated out of her room, her limbs dangling limply like a zombie.
"Lucky!" Chansey blocked Mawile's path. The latter blinked groggily, changed direction, and went back toward the bathroom.
Aggron walked in from outside. The big fellow had woken up extra early to water the trees and flowers, the Pyrite Town sun was ruthless and the soil bone-dry, so it required constant effort.
At the table, Kashiwagi rested his chin in his hand, recalling his excitement from the day before.
Between the fixed and optional rewards, he had accumulated ten levels for his Pokémon (up to the Lv. 70 cap). As for moves, he now had access to String Shot, Roost, Psychic, and Thunder.
Aggron could learn Thunder, but since he had just taught it Surf, he didn't feel like cramming more into its movepool just yet.
The most important reward was the "Clue." He had already used one for a high-potential Pokémon; now he had one for a specific attribute and one for a specific Base Stat Total (BST).
If it hadn't been for the fine print excluding Legendaries, Mythicals, and Ultra Beasts, he would have closed his eyes and picked the highest number possible or a standard Sub-Legendary BST of 580. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option.
Kashiwagi had to set his sights on other Pokémon, like Pseudo-Legendaries. After the initial surge of joy, he realized he didn't actually remember the exact BST of most Pokémon. Everyone knew which ones were powerful, but who knew their numerical totals off the top of their head? In the games, you could reverse-engineer it from stats; in this world, that was impossible.
However, this reward had a hidden perk: choosing a high-BST Pokémon likely meant getting a fully evolved form, saving him the long growth period. I think once you get above 520 or 530, there aren't many "ordinary" Pokémon left...
Kashiwagi finished his meal. Once Aggron and the others had polished off theirs, he said, "Same as always today—I'm counting on you guys!"
"Gron!"
"Mawile!"
"Lucky!"
Three crisp cries rang out. Then, four faces turned toward the confused Deino. The little dragon let out a reflexive bark.
"Deino!"
"Good! Let's move!" Kashiwagi recalled them all into their balls.
----
Late morning.
Kashiwagi led Otsuka and the others to rendezvous with Ryuka's squadron. Seeing these Sand Unit members again, the men whose equipment and bearing were far above average, he felt a strange surge of emotion.
"Kindred spirits..." he murmured.
He had learned from Frobo earlier that some of these Sand Unit members were actually undercover International Police or collaborators. Most came from the various districts controlled by Team Snagem, they were outer-circle members who refused to live under oppression. Ryuka's help had allowed them to become official members, gathering strength to eventually tear through the gloom of Pyrite Town.
Beyond them were countless outer-circle supporters and even commoners from the bottom rungs of society, including people from Iridium Street. When Kashiwagi asked why he hadn't heard a whisper of this, Frobo told him that his conflict with Shibata had been too high-profile, absorbing them then would have ruined their cover.
But they did have members from the Salvation organization. When Frobo mentioned a name to Kashiwagi, the latter was genuinely surprised. The person was the most honest, quietest member of their group. Although he had failed the promotion exam to become an official member, he had stayed in touch, Naruhisa and the others often went drinking with him.
To think that old friend had such a hidden identity. He must have been keeping a low profile on purpose.
As he was reminiscing, Frobo approached to distribute earpieces. "You're on a solo mission this time. I know you won't be reckless, but just in case, I have to remind you: don't throw your life away. Live to fight another day."
"Got it", Kashiwagi nodded. His performance in the last mission had proven his worth to Ryuka, so he no longer needed Frobo to act as his shadow. Consequently, he would need to focus more on directing Naruhisa's group.
"Kashiwagi, if you finish this mission, you'll be promoted to an Executive, right?" Otsuka's voice crackled in his ear.
Kashiwagi turned his head. "Not sure."
"I bet you will! With all this territory we're seizing, someone has to manage it, right? They won't give it back to the Snarl guys. There's definitely a spot for you!" someone else chimed in, their voice thick with envy.
"Alright, enough talk. Switch to the tactical channel", Kashiwagi interrupted. "This mission won't be easy. Don't underestimate them just because their top brass isn't around, their mid-to-lower level members are still a force to be reckoned with. And let me be clear: focus on securing territory. Don't let your eyes glaze over at the sight of money. There will be enough for everyone afterward, understood?"
"Understood!" the group responded in unison.
A few days wasn't enough to change a person's core mindset. For people like Naruhisa, born in the slums, money wasn't everything, but life was impossible without it. Expecting them to have a grand revolutionary vision after a single speech was a pipe dream. Thus, Kashiwagi didn't reveal the whole plan. He intended to show them through action what should and shouldn't be done.
Before long, more than half of the Sand Unit had gathered. Just like last time, they left some members behind to guard their own base, but everyone knew that seizing territory meant a massive influx of cash. Danger brought opportunity, and many Sand Unit members were desperate to be part of the raid. Those left behind watched with envious eyes as their comrades rode off to loot Team Snagem's turf.
"You should be grateful you're staying", Kashiwagi thought as he felt those gazes. He knew this operation wouldn't end peacefully.
According to his theory, something was bound to go wrong within Team Snagem during this mission, especially with the Rock and Crystal Units. Having suffered zero losses in the last mine raid, their inflated size would inevitably put pressure on the weakened Sandal Division. Internal chaos was coming.
Chester was ambitious. Even if the Boss was keeping him in check for now, he wouldn't miss a chance to weaken the Sandal group. This, he suspected, was where Ryuka's strategy came in.
In the name of greed, lure the enemy into the trap.
"Move out!" Ryuka's voice rang through the earpieces.
Kashiwagi twisted the throttle, leading his team as they sped toward Team Snagem's territory.