Due to the urgency of the situation, Yamamino abandoned any thoughts of formal hospitality for Steven and Drake. The moment he learned that Es Gan's forces had mobilized, he led the convoy racing toward Pyrite Town.
At a time like this, every second counted. The sooner they returned, the sooner they could unleash the two ultimate weapons sitting in his vehicle: a Regional Champion and an Elite Four member.
On the road, he didn't forget to try calling Kashiwagi back in Pyrite Town to deliver the good news. However, the moment he realized the signal was dead, he knew Es Gan's troops had likely already arrived and jammed communications.
The die was cast. Paradoxically, his initial anxiety vanished, replaced by a cold calm.
Even without a Champion and an Elite Four member, the original plan centered around Wes as the tactical core still had a high probability of success. Furthermore, the primary goal for Ryuka and the others was to stall Es Gan's forces in Pyrite Town, not necessarily to achieve a total military victory on their own.
Ultimately, the plan relied on Dinis and the other Orre locals in Phenac City to launch the crucial coup d'état, using that momentum to purge Es Gan's entire interest group from the top down.
However, with a Champion joining the fray, they might actually be able to ensure that not a single member of Es Gan's invading force escaped Pyrite Town. Yamamino had absolute faith in the power Steven Stone possessed.
Noticing his shift from agitation to composure, Steven and Drake couldn't help but feel curious.
"Before the enemy arrived, I wanted to get back as fast as possible. Now that they're there, I have no choice but to trust my companions," Yamamino explained in a low voice, a forced smile touching his lips. "Based on what I know of that man, a small problem like this won't bring him down."
The establishment of Team Rainbow had effectively thrust Kashiwagi onto the edge of the storm. Once Es Gan's troops arrived, they would undoubtedly target him as the figurehead first. Even if he only had to hold out for a short time, it would be a grueling test.
But Yamamino had faith.
"Who is this person you're talking about? Could you introduce me?" Steven asked, his interest piqued.
-----
Pyrite Town
Just as Yamamino had suspected, Es Gan's forces—or more accurately, the remnants of the original Team Cipher—had successfully arrived in Pyrite Town. They had already seized the station and other major transport hubs, completely severing the town's external communications.
However, they didn't flood the town all at once. Instead, they dispatched several small squads to the headquarters of the most vocal factions.
Naturally, Team Rainbow was on that list.
"Where is your leader! Tell him to get out here!"
A Cipher grunt swaggered into the Team Rainbow office building, radiating arrogance.
Following the plan, Kashiwagi stepped forward to face him. "That would be me."
The grunt looked at Kashiwagi's face and let out a sneer. "Pfft. A brat who hasn't even grown all his hair yet. I'll make this simple: in one hour, we want to see the Pokémon of every high-ranking member of this 'Team Rainbow' of yours. Including the underlings, we expect at least five thousand Pokémon."
The Cipher grunt named a number that was physically impossible to meet. "If there are fewer than five thousand, there's no reason for Team Rainbow to exist."
"Five thousand... isn't that a bit much?" Kashiwagi frowned slightly, playing along. "And handing our Pokémon over to you? That's absolutely impossible!"
"Don't agree? That's fine. Just sit tight and wait," the grunt said. He reached out, intending to pat Kashiwagi's cheek mockingly, but Kashiwagi dodged. The grunt didn't press it, merely cold-laughing. "Pyrite Town lacks many things, but it never lacks obedient slaves. In any case, if those Pokémon aren't here in an hour, you'd better weigh the consequences."
Heaven only knew what the Cipher commander was thinking. Demanding that Kashiwagi hand over his and his executives' Pokémon was a demand anyone knew would never be met. It was as if they were begging for a conflict to start.
"They want to use this method to test so-called 'loyalty.' You must understand, not everyone has a backbone like yours," Ryuka said softly, standing behind Kashiwagi.
The Cipher grunt's expression went cold. "Who gave you permission to speak!"
"Will many factions surrender?" Kashiwagi ignored the grunt entirely, turning to ask Ryuka.
"Definitely some, but not many. Most of these factions were cobbled together in a rush; they're full of internal friction. Executives will be worried that if they hand over their Pokémon, others will hide some away. In the end, they won't hand them over," Ryuka shook her head.
"Looks like a fight is inevitable then," Kashiwagi nodded.
Their blatant disregard for him sent the Cipher grunt into a rage. He immediately snatched a Poké Ball and released a Pokémon, shouting, "Shadow Rush!"
The several grunts accompanying him followed suit.
Yet, the members of Team Rainbow remained unmoved. They watched the Cipher grunts as if they were idiots, even critiquing the Pokémon they had sent out.
"So these are Shadow Pokémon?"
"Yes," Ryuka continued. "Under normal circumstances, you can't see it with the naked eye; you need special equipment. They possess a mysterious power that doesn't belong to any known type. They're quite difficult to deal with."
The Shadow Pokémon, now shrouded in a dark, flickering aura, lunged toward the group.
Suddenly, a wave of pink light surged forth.
A powerful burst of psychic energy acted like both a solid wall and a heavy sledgehammer, blasting the Shadow Pokémon backward. They crashed through walls and smashed office desks into splinters.
A sleek Espeon stepped out from behind the group, its twin tails swaying.
But the Cipher grunts, seeing their Shadow Pokémon knocked away, were completely unfazed. They smirked. "Ha! You think that's enough to defeat them? Get up! Use Shadow Rush again!"
The fallen Shadow Pokémon immediately scrambled up from the debris, howling as they prepared to pounce once more. The previous attack seemed to have dealt almost no damage to them.
The Cipher grunts expected Kashiwagi and the others to be shocked. Instead, an afro-haired young man stepped out from behind them.
"You're overthinking it," Wes said coolly. "I only let them stand up so it would be easier to throw the balls."
As his voice fell, several Snag Balls flew through the air, striking the Shadow Pokémon. They were instantly sucked inside.
Clatter, clatter. The Poké Balls hit the floor, sealing the Pokémon within.
The Cipher grunts' faces paled. "That's impossible!"
"Wait! Those are Snag Balls! You're Wes!" One of the older members of the group recognized him.
There was only one Snag Machine in existence capable of creating Snag Balls. Since Wes had stolen it, the operations of the Snag Team had came to a halt, forcing them to hunt the traitor across the entirety of Orre. Even if they hadn't seen Wes in person, the sight of a Snag Ball was enough to confirm his identity.
"Knowing now? It's too late!"
Kashiwagi and the others surged forward, quickly pinning the Cipher grunts to the ground.
Beside them, Frobo cleared his throat, his voice shifting to perfectly mimic the lead Cipher grunt. "This guy's voice is a bit raspy; it's harder to learn than most."
Then, a Ditto crawled onto his face, rapidly transforming him into the image of the man they had just captured.
"Being an undercover agent is never easy," Frobo sighed, much to the absolute bewilderment of the pinned Cipher grunt.