Afternoon.
Qualifying Round Two.
Kashiwagi hadn't expected to run into an "old acquaintance."
"Yo-yo-yo-yo—It's you!?"
The moment his opponent saw his face, the rap verses died in his throat. His face turned green, and his voice cracked on the spot.
"What a coincidence," Kashiwagi smiled. He hadn't anticipated meeting the Rap King again in the qualifiers.
Since that had been his very first battle at the Colosseum, the Rap King's clumsy battling style had left a remarkably clear impression on him.
"Aaaagghh! I'm gonna wash away my previous shame!"
Sensing the teasing glint in Kashiwagi's eyes, the Rap King erupted in fury. He shouted like a stage actor, and instead of trying to cheat by counter-picking his Pokémon late like last time, he went straight for his ultimate ace—
Loudred.
The Big Voice Pokémon, featuring purple-blue skin and speaker-like ears. Its mouth was gargantuan, occupying two-thirds of its torso, offering a clear view of the contours deep within its throat.
A Rap King paired with "speakers"? A fitting combo.
Kashiwagi knew the man belonged to a second-rate faction called Team Sonic. Its members were mostly rock and rap enthusiasts, and Loudred was their standard-issue Pokémon. It was much like Team Snagem's Geodude and Roggenrola, or Team Snarl's Houndour and Poochyena.
Unfortunately...
"Dig."
Kashiwagi deliberately placed Lairon behind him and gave it a quick wink.
Lairon understood. It charged menacingly toward Loudred, its front claws glowing with yellow light halfway across the field. The hard ground immediately became as soft as cake. Gravel flew everywhere as its massive frame vanished into the earth.
"Hahaha! A blunder!"
The Rap King wasn't alarmed; he was overjoyed. He roared, "Use Supersonic on the hole! Let it know that even if it hides underground, sound waves will follow the air right to its face!"
"Loud!"
Loudred vibrated its speaker-ears, emitting a deafening, jarring noise as it hopped toward the tunnel Lairon had dug.
However, neither the Pokémon nor the Rap King expected what happened next.
Lairon hadn't tunneled away at all; it was crouched right at the entrance, waiting for it!
Normally, a trainer should sense the enemy Pokémon's movements through ground vibrations, but such a skill was far too advanced for the Rap King, whose tactical level rivaled that of a complete novice.
"Iron Head!"
Seeing Loudred in position, Kashiwagi shouted at the top of his lungs to be heard over the vibrating noise. Fortunately, the move hadn't fully reached its peak intensity yet, so Lairon could hear his command. Of course, even if it hadn't, Lairon would have attacked the moment the enemy got in range anyway.
Shrouded in a silver halo, Lairon burst from the ground like a high-speed train, slamming its entire body straight into that massive, open mouth!
BOOM!
"Wuuu!"
Loudred's eyes bulged. Its body was sent tumbling backward, tangling into a ball with Lairon.
A look of pure disbelief crossed the Rap King's face.
"What the—!? Quick—use Uproar to shake it off!" he screamed frantically.
Alas, Lairon didn't need a command to pull its head back. Using its massive weight—further enhanced by nearly a month of training—it pinned Loudred to the ground, making it impossible for the smaller Pokémon to move.
A brilliant, earthy-yellow light glowed beneath Loudred, accompanied by violent energy fluctuations.
As if pronouncing a death sentence, Kashiwagi gave the Rap King his answer.
"Earth Power."
RUMBLE—!!
The ground beneath Loudred exploded. Surging Ground-type energy erupted like a volcano, slamming into its back and blasting both it and Lairon into the air.
While the former was left battered and bruised, Lairon flipped easily in mid-air and landed firmly back on the ground.
"Lair-on!"
Thud...
Loudred hit the floor, its eyes spinning in circles.
"I... I lost again..."
The Rap King slumped to the ground in dejection. He hadn't expected his ultimate ace to be no match for Lairon.
The problem is you, not your Pokémon, Kashiwagi thought. He patted Lairon's head, having no intention of offering the Rap King any advice. He wasn't about to waste that kind of effort.
The qualifiers were a heated affair.
Sitting in the main hall, Kashiwagi constantly overheard complaints and boasts from all sides.
The losers always had a list of excuses: they picked the wrong Pokémon, the opponent got lucky, they didn't sleep well last night, or even that their "morning business" hadn't gone smoothly. In short, they blamed everything but themselves.
Meanwhile, the winners' laughter was deafening. Some boasted so loudly they practically considered themselves Regional Champions.
Watching the various scenes in the hall, Kashiwagi found it quite amusing.
While Pyrite Town did have many green trainers—reminiscent of Ash during the Indigo League era—it wasn't right to generalize. There was always the chance of meeting an elite trainer. It was unwise to judge the entire town's strength based on just one or two matches.
Kashiwagi pulled out his phone, checking to see if Professor Rowan had replied, when a voice suddenly called out to him.
"Big bro! Hey, young man!"
He turned around to see a rather shifty-looking man standing before him, wrapped in a large overcoat.
"Interested in buying some betting slips? Different trainers, different odds. If an underdog makes it through, your stake could flip ten or a hundred times over! You could hit the jackpot!"
The shifty man pulled open his coat, revealing rows of slips tucked into the lining.
Kashiwagi looked intrigued. "You know exactly which trainers are competing? Who's likely to advance?"
"Of course! I've got underground connections!"
The man chuckled. "How about a slip? It won't hurt your wallet, and you won't be cheated. Ask around about the name Lanyacun (Rotten Tooth Village in chinese). Who doesn't know me? If you win, I guarantee the payout!"
Rotten Tooth Village?
Kashiwagi instinctively glanced at the man's teeth. Yep, a mouth full of rot.
"Do you have a list?"
"You bet!"
The man pulled out a crumpled piece of paper covered in fine print. "Want me to read it for you?"
Kashiwagi shook his head and took the list. He found his own name quickly; his odds weren't low at all, and there was a small star drawn next to it.
"What does this star mean?"
"A Spotted Rapidash!"
"Huh?"
"It means a dark horse! An incredible, powerful player who came out of nowhere! You catch my drift?"
A dark horse, then.
Kashiwagi nodded. After scanning the list, he pulled out 2,000 credits and bought two slips for his own victory. The base price was 1,000 per slip—similar to horse racing stakes in his previous life, and much more expensive than a regular lottery.
"Thank you for your patronage~"
The man happily tucked away the money. "Rest easy. Lanyacun hasn't been hanging around the Pyrite Colosseum for just a year or two. I won't ruin my own reputation!"
"Mm-hm," Kashiwagi responded casually. He only bought the slips for good luck.
The qualifier opponents were completely randomized. Who knew if he'd run into some elite trainer from out of town?
Fortunately, he was overthinking it.
His third-round opponent was just as abysmal as the first two, no better than the Rap King. Lairon took the victory with ease.
After exiting the match...
He actually managed to collect 20,000 credits in winnings from Rotten Tooth Village.
"Want to place another bet?" the man whispered, trying to entice him.
Kashiwagi replied, "I'll take two slips again. 1,000 each."
"...Just two?"
"Two."
Kashiwagi smiled at him, showing zero intention of falling for the up-sell.
Rotten Tooth Village thought to himself: This kid is tough. Usually, people are hooked and doubling down by now. Is he the cautious type?
Fine, I'll play the long game.
The two slips and 2,000 credits were exchanged. Both sides were smiling happily.