The news of breaking through the first round of the Final Championship spread through Team Snagem territory like wildfire.
Putting the other two units aside, the Sand Unit headquarters was buzzing with unusual excitement. Having a member achieve such a high rank in the tournament was a point of pride for many; they felt as if the glory was shared.
This meant that when Kashiwagi went to report to Ryuka, his office was a revolving door of visitors, including several other high-ranking Sand Unit executives. It was a clear testament to just how much attention and prestige the Pyrite Colosseum tournament commanded.
So, if winning could bring such instant fame and fortune, why did the squad leaders and executives of Team Snagem rarely participate?
Frobo gave him the answer, and it was simple. Aside from a few people who were legitimately too busy, it came down to two words:
Fear of losing.
The Qualifiers and Preliminaries were one thing—semi-closed venues where only you and your opponent knew the outcome. But the Final Championship was fought in front of thousands of spectators! These leaders didn't have the power to fix the betting pools themselves. If they suffered a humiliating defeat, not only would they miss out on the money, but their reputation would be shot.
How could they hold their heads up in front of their subordinates after that?
The "big brothers" and bosses with the grandest airs were the ones who cared most about their "face" and status in the underworld. They loathed being the subject of gossip; they didn't even necessarily like people speaking well of them behind their backs. When they failed, even a stray chuckle from a passerby sounded like a piercing insult.
Such was the way of the underworld.
It was the same for other factions. The hulking brute Kashiwagi had defeated today was currently teetering on the edge of social ruin. Before, everyone called him "Boss [Name]" out of respect; now, after such a public humiliation, countless thugs were sniggering in the shadows about how he couldn't even take down a green kid.
Furthermore, his scheme to bribe the guest commentator to mislead bettors had been exposed. Angry gamblers, led by those with a grudge, had trashed several underground bookie stalls—though rumors said he still walked away with pockets full of cash. Because Shiratori had tricked so many people into betting at his venue, the house took a cut of every ticket regardless of the winner. That alone was a goldmine.
Whether the money was worth the sudden nosedive in his reputation was a matter of opinion. Judging by the rumors that he had flown into a violent rage upon returning home, it was clear this boss valued his status more than his wallet.
In contrast, while Kashiwagi hadn't made nearly as much money, his fame had skyrocketed. Everyone now knew there was a squad leader in Team Snagem who could punch above his weight class and take down a veteran boss from another faction.
Normally, when a member brings this much prestige to the organization, the higher-ups have to show their appreciation. Before leaving, Frobo specifically told him that Yugo, the leader of the Rock Unit, thought highly of him. There would be no shortage of rewards once the tournament ended—assuming he kept pushing for an even higher rank.
"Higher, huh..."
Kashiwagi sat on his bed, glancing out the window at the dim night sky. His three Pokémon sat quietly before him.
It was time for the pre-battle meeting to set tomorrow's strategy.
Since the tournament began, they had done this every day. It didn't just increase their odds of winning; it deepened the bond between Trainer and Pokémon. Naturally, reviewing today's match was also part of the routine.
Today's victory had been a close shave. If Lairon hadn't managed to trade one-for-one with the brute's Hitmontop, it would have been nearly impossible for Mawile to defeat three Pokémon in rapid succession. Fighting was exhausting work, let alone maintaining an offensive under such high-intensity movement. If they had reached that point, their chances of winning would have plummeted.
Kashiwagi was generous with his praise for Lairon, reaching out to stroke the bruises on its forehead left by Hitmontop's kicks.
"Lai-ron~"
Lairon tilted its head up, leaning into its Trainer's touch. To the Pokémon, these battle scars were symbols of strength. A wound earned from forcing a draw against a Hitmontop while at a disadvantage was a badge of honor. It only wondered if the marks would remain after it evolved.
"You should be right on the edge. It wouldn't be surprising if you evolved at any moment," Kashiwagi said softly. Lairon nodded in agreement.
"Mawile, you worked hard today too." He turned to praise Mawile, who was clutching her plush doll. Seeing her "of course I did" expression, he couldn't help but smile. She had single-handedly taken down Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan.
That wasn't to say Chansey, who had successfully put the former to sleep, deserved no credit. On the contrary, if Hitmonlee hadn't been neutralized, the match after Hitmontop went down wouldn't have been so smooth. However...
Kashiwagi rubbed Chansey's round head, thinking that while she was incredibly useful, her inability to deal direct damage on her own was a major drawback. In serious battles, the opportunities to switch out were painfully few. Once she fulfilled her role as a support, she might not get a safe exit. Even if she did, the teammate switching in would likely take a hit on the way out.
He realized he needed to get Chansey to learn Toxic as soon as possible. Speaking of which, he still had two attribute-specific TMs he hadn't used. Should he try for a Poison-type one?
...Never mind. A move just learned would have low proficiency, poor accuracy, and slow execution. Using it now would only drag them down.
"Let's go over tomorrow's plan one more time," Kashiwagi whispered to the trio.
Half an hour later, he settled his Pokémon down, letting them rest and recover their strength. Tomorrow's match was daunting. According to the data Frobo had given him, almost every trainer in the Top 8 possessed strength at the Executive level—meaning their Pokémon were generally around Level 50.
They were stronger than the brute he just fought, and often younger. These were trainers who hungered for money and cared less about local reputation or "street cred." Their Pokémon might not all have been raised by them personally, but as long as the creatures followed orders and fought tooth and nail for the prize money, they were a force to be reckoned with.
The Round of 16 was officially over. His next opponent was confirmed: it was the young man with the extraordinary aura he'd seen this morning, Yamamino.
Despite his youthful face, Kashiwagi felt he was the most likely candidate to win the whole thing. Just watching him battle was enough to see he was the real deal. His skills were far beyond the usual standard of Pyrite Town. He was like Tobias from the Sinnoh League—even without Legendary Pokémon, he was steamrolling the competition with pure, overwhelming power.
Even the Top 16 match had been no exception.
How could he win? Unless Yamamino went easy on him.
Come to think of it, if Yamamino really came from another region, what tier would his strength be in? Could he take on eight Gyms and compete in a regional Conference? The Simulator didn't display the levels of the Pokémon in real life, which made it hard to be certain. Even if it did, the strength required to challenge Gyms varied across different timelines; some Leaders might even hand out badges out of pity.
Thinking this, he reached for his phone on the nightstand, intending to search for related keywords on social media. The screen lit up.
"Huh?"
A new message occupied his notifications. The sender was...
"Professor Rowan!"
Kashiwagi sat up so abruptly he startled the two Pokémon at the foot of his bed. Mawile, clutching her plushie and rubbing her eyes, walked over from the next room.
"~Maw-ile?"
"It's nothing, go back to sleep."
He coaxed Mawile back to bed and quickly soothed Lairon and Chansey before opening his phone to read the reply from Professor Rowan.
The first sentence made him cringe.
What did he mean, "Children should sleep well to grow strong; it's wrong to sneak onto your phone in the middle of the night"?
But on second thought, it made sense. Kashiwagi's written formal language wasn't great, which likely led the Professor to mistake him for a child who had swiped his parent's phone. Plus, due to the time zone difference, it had been the middle of the night in Sinnoh when he sent the message.
A beautiful misunderstanding.
He read further. The reply answered his questions in great detail. Regarding his main concern—whether rapid evolution in a short period was harmful—the answer was:
"No. Evolution is a miracle of life and a leap forward. Time does not diminish the Great Power residing within the genes."
As for when and under what conditions evolution was most likely to occur, the reply stated it was difficult to pin down. Pokémon are creatures highly susceptible to emotions. Therefore, particularly intense feelings could often trigger the miracle. At the same time, "natural" evolution was also common; once a certain level of strength was reached, a Pokémon might evolve even while eating or sleeping.
However, "Level" was not a shackle on evolution. The reply cited several examples, including the differences in Growlithe evolving at low versus high levels...
Finally, the Professor mentioned how much he admired Kashiwagi's courage to ask questions and his drive to learn, apologizing for the delay in his response. He suggested that if there was anything Kashiwagi didn't understand, he should ask his teacher, study hard, and learn more. He even added that one day in the future, Kashiwagi would be welcome to attend his public lectures at Celadon University. Or, he could visit the lab to receive a starter Pokémon and begin a journey. He even left a phone number and an email address.
"Looks like I really did get mistaken for an elementary schooler..." Kashiwagi muttered, a helpless smile on his face.
Still, was it really Professor Rowan who replied, or one of his assistants? He shook his head to clear his thoughts. The most important thing was tomorrow's match.
Kashiwagi leaned over and gently touched Lairon's head. "It seems my judgment was correct... Lairon, I'm looking forward to the moment you grow."
"Huuu..."
Lairon's breathing was steady, slow, and heavy.