Late night.
Kashiwagi lay flat on his bed after returning from the group dinner, staring blankly at the mottled ceiling.
Aron, stuffed from the meal, curled up obediently against his left calf, closing its eyes for a nap.
"I've got a lot to do..."
He glanced at the simulator's countdown: nearly two days left.
Among the rewards he had already obtained, the "Clue" had likely been fulfilled. What remained were two "Level Up (Under Lv.30)" rewards and the String Shot move.
He hadn't used the level-ups yet. As for the moves, he had tested them on Aron. A prompt appeared saying learning String Shot failed, but when he tried Endeavor, a [Yes/No] dialogue box popped up. He decisively chose "Yes."
This confirmed that Pokémon could only learn moves within their specific move pool.
A pity. It would have been amusing to see an Aron that could use String Shot.
As for Aron's current status, Kashiwagi had already gathered the details from the Pokémon Center:
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Pokémon: Aron
Type: Steel / Rock
Gender: Male
Height: 47 cm / Weight: 50 kg
Ability: Rock Head
Level: 28
Moves: Tackle, Harden, Mud-Slap, Metal Claw, Iron Defense, Take Down, Iron Head, Dig, Endeavor
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Aron was slightly taller than average but significantly underweight. The doctor confirmed the malnutrition and noted issues with the metal plating on its body; upon close inspection, many areas were pitted and uneven, requiring specialized maintenance.
Just like raising a cat or dog in his previous life, there was a difference between "basic care" and "elite breeding." Proper cultivation methods would help improve its willpower, confidence, and combat effectiveness.
Furthermore, the doctor mentioned that Aron was quite young. Judging by its moves, level, and reaction time, it had clearly been trained with care at some point in the past.
As for why it was abandoned... unless Aron brought it up itself, Kashiwagi wouldn't pry. It clearly wasn't a happy memory.
"Come up and sleep on the bed."
He sat up, lifted Aron onto the mattress, and applied the Level Up rewards. Since they couldn't be used once a Pokémon surpassed Level 30, this was the perfect time to maximize efficiency.
"Ku?"
Aron blinked, its body shifting awkwardly. It felt a strange, warm itchiness spreading through its limbs, giving it a sudden urge to kick and roll around. It felt similar to the sensation it used to get after a hard battle.
Kashiwagi asked softly, "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
"Ku!"
Aron shook its head. It figured it was just because it was finally full; it felt a surge of energy, almost wanting to pick a fight.
However, seeing the fatigue in Kashiwagi's eyes, it suppressed its desire for exercise and lay down quietly to welcome the next day.
It had thought it would be hard to adjust to living with humans again, but these past few days had been happier than expected. This made Aron realize how easy it was to satisfy and began to look forward to the future.
Will there be battles tomorrow? I haven't moved properly in so long. I hope I don't let Kashiwagi down...
Lost in thought, Aron eventually drifted off.
Kashiwagi lightly stroked its head. Hearing the faint, steady breathing, his own mind relaxed, and sleepiness began to take hold.
Tomorrow, after reporting to the Sand Unit, I need to find a literacy class. I need to fix being 'half-illiterate' as soon as possible, then find a way to get online and contact the outside world. It never hurts to have an exit strategy.
He was determined to leave Team Snagem eventually.
That was the small goal he had set for himself—to grow strong, gather power, and then execute his departure.
The ship of Team Snagem was infested with leeches. From the Executives down to the Squad Leaders, the exploitation of regular members was rampant—protection fees, "tributes," holiday gifts. Even when iron ore was shipped out, a Squad Leader might skim three tons off a five-ton load.
The members were arrogant, constantly picking fights with other gangs, leaving the organization with almost no allies. It was hard to fathom what the Executives' long-term development plan even was.
Once I'm familiar with the breeding process, I can start looking for a second and third Pokémon. But most importantly, I need to make money. Without money, nothing moves forward...
Kashiwagi slowly closed his eyes.
The next morning.
Kashiwagi and his group put on their official Team Snagem uniforms and headed toward the Sand Unit's headquarters.
The style was surprisingly normal—resembling desert camouflage fatigues from his previous life. It looked much better than the uniforms of most "evil organizations" in the main series.
"By the way, why do you always keep it outside?" Naruhisa looked curiously at Aron trotting by Kashiwagi's feet. "Isn't it a hassle?"
"The bond between partners is more important."
Kashiwagi exchanged a look with Aron. Synergy was built through companionship, nurtured bit by bit through daily life. Swapping Pokémon was common practice for Pyrite Town Trainers, but Kashiwagi didn't share that habit, and the existence of the simulator gave him the confidence to stick with his partner.
Hearing this, Naruhisa thought for a moment and released his coal-like Roggenrola. The others followed suit, and with the sudden addition of several Pokémon, the group became quite large, drawing occasional stares from passersby.
As they neared the Sand Unit's base, the number of watchful eyes increased—mostly from official members wearing the same uniform.
"Look, the one in the lead..."
"Is that him? Lucky brat!"
"Is saving people such a big deal? I could've done that..."
"Who knows what kind of stroke of luck he had? He looks awfully smug, tsk tsk."
The whispers swirled around Kashiwagi, accompanied by strange looks.
Naruhisa frowned in annoyance, looking ready to lead the equally irritated group to cause trouble for the whisperers, but Kashiwagi held up a hand to stop them.
"Ignore them. Reporting in is more important. These guys aren't like that idiot Shibata."
He spoke in a low voice. There were clearly people in the crowd trying to provoke an emotional reaction—likely associates of Shibata's crew whose family or friends had failed the exam. They were here to be bitter. Starting a fight would only give them what they wanted and make the group late for their assignment.
Naruhisa and the others nodded obediently. They had come to see Kashiwagi as the core of their group and wouldn't act without his lead.
Thus, under the gaze of the bystanders, the group walked into the Sand Unit's headquarters—a massive, orange-red, egg-shaped building covered in rust.
At first glance, it looked like a derelict stadium. Inside, it was exactly as Kashiwagi had imagined: iron barrels, chains, and tires were scattered everywhere. The floors were stained dark, and the walls were covered in strange graffiti.
Most notably, there were bikes.
Single-wheeled hoverbikes, traditional two-wheelers, and full-suspension hover-cycles were everywhere, almost exclusively in an aggressive, "Bozosoku" (biker gang) style. Some were fully assembled; others were stripped down for parts. It looked less like a military base and more like a biker gang's clubhouse.
Naruhisa and the others let out involuntary gasps of awe. Kashiwagi locked eyes with the nearest person.
"You guys are... Oh! It's you! You're early!"
The man looked to be about thirty-five, wearing a black tank top, sporting a thick beard, and covered in engine oil. He turned and shouted into the interior: "The rookies are here! Someone come welcome 'em!"
His voice was booming; likely the entire building heard him.
A moment later, a man with messy, wine-red hair and glasses walked out. His eyes were narrow and slit-like, reminiscent of an Abra.
He appraised the group, then pointed at Naruhisa and the others. "You lot, follow this path to the end. There's a small room there; tell them you're there to register."
Once Kashiwagi was separated from the rest, the man spoke again. "As for you, Kashiwagi, right? Follow me. The Boss wants to see you."
"The... Boss?" Kashiwagi blinked.