The two men sat across the table, observing one another in silence.
"I'm a straightforward person, so I hope you don't take offense," Frobo began, his tone serious. "Regarding those three Pokémon, I don't believe your subordinates can successfully tame them. At least, not for several years."
Kashiwagi nodded. "True. You have a point."
As Frobo suggested, given the current capabilities of Otsuka, Naruhisa, and the others, relying on raw strength to tame a veteran trio like the Mightyena was an optimistic long shot at best.
Seeing Kashiwagi agree verbally but remain stoic in expression, Frobo continued, "Over several years, unless you personally dedicate yourself to training them, they'll have to stay in boarding. That is not a small expense."
"Correct," Kashiwagi agreed again.
"...So, if you understand all this, yet you still refuse to sell them... why? There has to be a reason." Frobo sighed, genuinely baffled by the young man's stubbornness.
"Why... it's actually quite simple. I want to find them a good home."
The youth spoke with a calm, composed air.
"Eh!?" Frobo's eyes widened, letting out a sound like a goose being throttled. "You said..."
"You heard me correctly," Kashiwagi replied. "I want to find a proper home for these three Pokémon. I don't want them to be sold from hand to hand, living a life of displacement."
He knew that in Pyrite Town, such words were incomprehensible to most. Even people from other regions might find it odd.
But that didn't stop him from holding onto the idea. Call it a lingering "Saint" complex or just a need to act when something felt wrong; these three Pokémon were both a burden and a motivation. They pushed him to keep rising. If he ever lost his edge and sank into the mire, the dream of recreating a sanctuary like Professor Oak's backyard would remain just that—a dream.
"..." Frobo looked at the composed Kashiwagi, his mind reeling. He couldn't help but ask, "Are you some kind of Pokémon Ranger?"
"What?" Kashiwagi blinked. He recognized the term as a specific profession he didn't quite understand. This was the downside of being "illiterate" in this world; sometimes a technical or obscure term didn't translate well into his internal logic.
"I suppose not," Frobo said, looking relieved. "I'm referring to those people dedicated to protecting Pokémon and the balance of nature. I don't think there are any in the Orre region."
Ah, Rangers. Kashiwagi made the mental connection. "You seem to know quite a lot."
"I just spend a lot of time on the internet," Frobo replied slowly. A look of realization crossed his face. "If that's your stance, then this is much easier. Principally, I shouldn't reveal my employer, but since he really wants them and you're being so difficult, I have no choice."
"Listen. The person who wants to buy the Mightyena and the others is actually one of the big bosses behind both us and Team Snarl. He's a Pokémon collector. He used to think very highly of Ken, and upon hearing of his death, he wanted to take in his Pokémon as a memorial."
"Wait..." Kashiwagi was confused. "A boss behind both us and Team Snarl?"
"Yes. You might have heard whispers, but originally, both Team Snagem and Team Snarl were security companies guarding the mines, each a subsidiary of a different corporation. Later, things changed, those corporations merged, and now we actually share a single ultimate financier."
Frobo explained, "You might wonder why we fight if we have the same boss. It's a long story, but just know that large corporations are never monolithic. The group only has one requirement for us: 'Volume and Frequency.'"
"Mines?"
"Exactly. As long as we provide enough ore, they don't care what we do."
"..." Kashiwagi's mind raced. He hadn't expected such deep insider information.
"Back to the topic." Frobo tapped the table. "This collector boss is incredibly wealthy. To provide a better life for various Pokémon, he built a massive ecological park."
He pulled out his phone and played a video that looked like a high-definition, real-life version of Professor Oak's backyard. Gentle hills, clear streams, and various Pokémon playing together. Rapidash and Dodrio ran freely across prairie-like plains; Politoed sang in a pond while Lapras napped nearby.
Vibrant Pokémon, beautiful nature.
"..." Kashiwagi felt a sudden wave of envy.
Just as a figure appeared in the bottom right corner of the video, it ended. Frobo tucked the phone away and continued smoothly:
"So, you don't have to worry about them going to a bad place. He has a specialized care team; they'll be well looked after. Furthermore, he's willing to take them through an exchange and paid adoption."
"Exchange and paid adoption..."
"You can choose one Pokémon from a specific list for an exchange, and you'll receive three million in adoption fees. These are incredible terms." Frobo's voice carried a hint of genuine jealousy. "If he didn't truly want them, he'd never offer such a deal."
There was no denying it—the offer was perfect. They had even used the term "paid adoption" to appeal to his sensibilities.
Honestly, Kashiwagi was tempted. His only hesitation was the authenticity of it all. It felt a bit too much like "pie in the sky." Usually, people would be ecstatic, but he felt a nagging suspicion.
They seemed... too eager. If the collector boss had waited a month until Kashiwagi realized how expensive and difficult boarding was, he could have driven a much harder bargain. Coming back on the very same day suggested a strange urgency.
Either the guy truly doesn't care about money and loves those Mightyena, or...
"Hold on." Frobo suddenly stood up, walked outside to make a quick call, and returned half a minute later. "I know what you're worried about. I asked if you could receive short videos of the three Pokémon periodically after they move. They agreed."
Damn! Now it's even more suspicious! Kashiwagi felt a knot in his chest. Why were they going to such lengths?
To scam him? Three drugged Pokémon were worth maybe a million each at most—he'd checked the shops in the Underdome yesterday, and many wouldn't even touch Pokémon with "history." A three-million-dollar fee plus a trade was a massive win for Kashiwagi.
Did these Pokémon have a secret he didn't know about? Or was he just being paranoid?
He realized he couldn't realistically refuse. If this person really was Team Snagem's benefactor, snubbing them after such a generous offer would be suicide. Everything he had worked for could vanish in an instant.
"Sigh..."
He looked at Lairon and Chansey playing in the backyard. "What Pokémon can I choose from?"
At that concession, Frobo let out a huge sigh of relief and beamed. "There are quite a few good ones. I was drooling over some of them myself. And don't worry, we both work for Master Ryuka—would I lie to you?"
He slid the phone toward Kashiwagi. The screen was filled with Pokémon icons; tapping one revealed details.
"There's an app for this?" Kashiwagi asked.
"Most large Pokémon shops use them. It's common," Frobo waved it off.
Kashiwagi gave him a deep look before looking down. "I want something with the capability for flight."
The key to the fight with Ken had been the Vibrava that drew away the Honchkrow. Without an aerial unit, Kashiwagi and Lairon would have had zero chance. A strong aerial unit was essential.
He flipped through the list. Some icons had red tags—recommendations. He ignored those and looked for Pseudo-Legendaries; none were there, predictably.
Looking specifically at Flying-types, he found a Skarmory that looked decent, but the rest were mediocre. Clearly, the exchange list didn't include anything truly legendary or ultra-rare.
"If you're looking for flight, you have other options," Frobo suggested helpfully, tapping the screen to filter the results. "Flight through moves, Abilities, or special powers. There are plenty; it's just a matter of speed."
Kashiwagi nodded and kept scrolling. Suddenly, he paused.
"This Mawile?"
On the screen was a Mawile icon with a red recommendation tag. He tapped it, and a wall of text appeared.
"Need a translation?" Frobo asked, seeing his slight struggle with the professional descriptions.
"Please."
Frobo began to read:
"First, the reason for the recommendation: This Mawile possesses extraordinary physical strength. Although its level isn't exceptionally high, its destructive power far exceeds the standard for its species. It can shatter large boulders with a punch, and the massive jaws on its head can bite through steel like marshmallows. It possesses a freakish level of raw power.
"It also has the rare Ability Sheer Force, which significantly boosts the power of moves at the cost of their secondary effects."
"Essentially, while Mawile are common, this one is an 'atypical' individual, which is why the boss collected it. The only drawback is that long-term pampering has made it a bit spoiled. It's hard to command if you don't cater to its whims."
"And it can 'fly' using the move Magnet Rise. Apparently, it's quite fast—the breeders often had a headache chasing it across the facility."
Frobo followed with a list of its moves.
Kashiwagi went silent, then looked back at the Skarmory before turning to Frobo. "I'll take the Mawile."
The Skarmory looked good on paper, but it had the Ability Keen Eye. More importantly, it was small—only 1.5 meters—and was already twenty-nine years old. There was zero chance it would grow further, and it wouldn't be able to carry Kashiwagi's 1.8-meter frame comfortably. At best, he'd have to hang from a bar, which sounded exhausting.
Kashiwagi was only sixteen and might still grow taller. He wanted a "flight vehicle" that was large—a Boss-sized frame of two or three meters was the goal.
"Done. Don't worry, I guarantee it's exactly as described." Frobo smiled, seemingly afraid Kashiwagi would change his mind.