Nightfall.
Inside the Team Snagem headquarters, the high-ranking Executives were gathered around a conference table. To a man, their faces were etched with varying degrees of gloom.
"Thirteen people on the first day... these results are even worse than they were ten years ago."
At the head of the table, Joco—a man with silver hair and a white beard—let out a long, weary sigh.
Even as a second-rate power, Team Snagem was proving that each generation was weaker than the last. They were in an undeniable state of decline. One only had to look at the recruitment numbers for proof.
Out of over a hundred applicants on the first day, only an eighth had passed. Was the exam really that difficult?
"I think we should reserve judgment. After all, you know what happened down there..."
Chester, a lean man with long hair, offered a thin smile. "It's possible they were simply caught in the crossfire of that adult's temper."
The exam site had suffered massive cave-ins due to the Runerigus's rage. Plenty of unlucky runts had been buried alive and had to be dug out.
But regarding that matter, no one in the room dared to complain.
Who could blame them? The one behind it was their benefactor, the secret boss of the whole operation.
In the beginning, Team Snagem had been nothing more than a group of hired thugs funded to secure the mining veins in Pyrite Town—essentially "security." It was only because of the town's unique environment that they had morphed into a regional power. However, that didn't mean they could survive without their backers. If anything, they needed that shadowy support more than ever to prevent themselves from being swallowed by rival factions.
"Caught in the crossfire? Heh, I'm amazed you have the face to say that. The one who triggered it was one of your men, wasn't it?"
Across the table, a muscular man named Soshiro sneered. "Your lack of discipline is appalling. I'd like to see how you explain yourself to the Boss when he returns from Phenac City!"
Chester's expression stiffened. "That is none of your concern, Lord Soshiro. I will handle my own affairs."
"Hmph! For your sake, I hope so!" Soshiro turned away.
The relationship between the two was as bad as it appeared, teetering on the edge of open hostility, held in check only by the authority of the Snagem leader.
Half an hour later.
The unpleasant meeting adjourned. Chester returned to his office, only to find a man waiting for him with a look of deep anxiety.
"Lord Chester!" The man snapped to attention.
"Ishigaki..." Chester sighed. "Go home."
"But Lord Chester! My nephew is lying in the ICU! The doctors say that even if he's lucky enough to wake up, he won't be able to walk for years!" Ishigaki cried out, his voice trembling with emotion. "I have to settle this score!"
"Shut up!"
Chester hissed his rebuke. "Do you have any idea what you're saying? Your nephew, Shibata, brought this entirely on himself. Revenge? Do you have proof? Are you going to rely on mere speculation and the report of a Pokémon?"
"With the eyes of the higher-ups on this case, even I can't move against him! Not to mention, the Boss hasn't even settled the bill for your little 'backdoor' stunt yet! I'm already taking a massive risk just seeing you today!"
The weight of his words hit like a hammer. Ishigaki stared at Chester, dumbfounded. "But..."
But I was only following your orders!
The words died in his throat. He had a sudden, chilling intuition that if he spoke them aloud, he wouldn't leave the room alive.
"Enough. You're a veteran of Team Snagem and you've followed me for years. I won't let you hang out to dry. But the situation is delicate. Endure it for now. Do it for the greater good." Chester patted Ishigaki on the shoulder.
"The greater good..."
Ishigaki's expression was bitter.
"The greater good" was Chester's favorite catchphrase. He used it constantly to pressure people into silence and compliance. As Chester's subordinate, Ishigaki had always admired and tried to emulate that style. He never expected the hammer to fall on his own head.
But what choice did he have? That damn brat had caught the attention of the top brass. If a mere Squad Leader like him didn't want his entire family ruined, he had to endure.
His nephew was a vegetable? Endure it.
His Rhyhorn was severely injured? Endure it.
Ishigaki bit his lip so hard it bled. He turned and walked out of the office, his footsteps heavy. He didn't notice a Stunfisk with a malicious glint in its eye emerge from the shadows and then vanish again.
The dangerous light in Chester's eyes faded. The nerve of that man, coming here for 'justice' after botching the job so spectacularly!
If he weren't worried about alienating his other subordinates, he would have disposed of that incompetent fool long ago.
Useless trash.
The Hospital.
Kashiwagi, dressed in standard blue-and-white striped hospital scrubs, was staring listlessly out the window.
It wasn't until his check-up that he realized he didn't just have cuts and bruises—he also had a fractured leg. He was now confined to bed rest. Fortunately, the medical technology in Orre was quite advanced; a fracture was a minor issue that would be healed in a few days.
What surprised him was the news that Shibata had become a vegetable.
Even though he'd wanted to grind the guy into dust, Kashiwagi hadn't expected this outcome when he faced the Rhyhorn. He actually survived?
It was a shame. The Rhyhorn had been in such a blind rage that he hadn't been able to deliver a finishing blow. He felt a pang of genuine regret.
Even more baffling was the attitude of Shibata's uncle, Squad Leader Ishigaki.
The first time Ishigaki showed up, he brought a gang of thugs, snarling about how Kashiwagi would "die in this hospital." Kashiwagi had braced himself for an assassination attempt right then and there.
But the man had just turned and left.
The second time he came, he had a completely different face. He was all oily smiles, bringing gifts, chatting about family, and saying that "grudges are best forgotten."
I'd be a fool to believe that.
Why the sudden change from arrogance to humility?
From the moment Shibata tried to murder him, they had been locked in a life-or-death struggle. Ishigaki's initial murderous intent had been real. This new "friendly" persona was nothing more than a mask—a ruse to make him lower his guard.
Whatever Ishigaki's angle was, Kashiwagi knew he had to find a way to deal with him as soon as possible. And the comatose Shibata, too.
But was there someone even higher up behind Ishigaki? Perhaps an Executive he hadn't even met yet? He simply didn't have enough information.
Kashiwagi shook his head and glanced at the bed next to his.
Aron was fast asleep.
The little guy had been officially classified as a wild Pokémon. Shortly after being treated at the Pokémon Center, it had been sent here. Now, it was curled up in a large, nursery-like recovery tank, snoring away.
Its external injuries were healed, but the internal ones were still a question mark. The doctor had also mentioned it was somewhat malnourished and recommended a diet of high-quality iron or alloy steel.
A literal money-sink.
Kashiwagi doubted his meager savings could survive such an appetite, but with the stipend from being an official member, it should be manageable.
"Ku."
A faint cry caught his attention. Aron's eyes were fluttering open.
"You're awake? Don't be nervous. This is the hospital. Are you feeling okay?" Kashiwagi smiled and opened the glass lid of the recovery tank.
Aron blinked, startled. It jumped up to scan the room before its gaze settled back on Kashiwagi.
"Ku!"
In a single bound, it leaped from the tank and straight into Kashiwagi's arms, nuzzling him like an enthusiastic puppy.
"Oof!"
Kashiwagi let out a muffled groan. He felt like his ribs were about to snap under the weight. He nearly blacked out from the impact, but he was genuinely touched by the Aron's affection.
"As long as you're okay... as long as you're okay."
He had expected to have to work much harder to earn this little guy's trust. This was going much better than planned.
Is this my chance?
Kashiwagi stroked the Aron's head, thinking for a moment before speaking.
"Aron... would you like to be my partner?"
"Ku?" Aron tilted its head, not quite understanding.
Kashiwagi spoke softly. "If you don't dislike me, I'd like your help. No—we can help each other. We can support one another and survive in this land together."
"It might be sudden, but I truly need your strength. And more than that, I want you by my side."
He placed the Aron on the floor and crouched down, careful not to hurt his injured leg. He extended his hand. "If you agree, shake my hand."
Without a moment's hesitation, Aron lifted its front paw and placed it firmly in his palm.
"Ku-doh!"
As if you even had to ask!
It gave a solemn nod, as if answering the most obvious question in the world.
"Ah... thank you."
Kashiwagi couldn't stop the grin that broke across his face.