It was as if it were destined.
Mawile was indeed able to learn the move Baton Pass, fulfilling Kashiwagi's wish for a balanced distribution of skills among his team.
When the new moves were infused into the three Pokémon, they naturally reacted during their training sessions, subconsciously executing the techniques as if they had been part of their muscle memory all along.
"ROAR—!"
Aggron was enveloped in a rising, brownish-red aura, resembling steam released from an intensely hot surface. As it charged forward, it rumbled like a steamroller, crushing everything in its path. A choking cloud of dust billowed into the air. When it cleared, a long, deep trench was visible in the ground.
On the other side, Chansey's eyes glowed with a blue light as she raised her small hands. A massive pressure radiated from her, imposing a terrifying force of Gravity upon the surrounding space.
The levitating Mawile, caught off guard, slammed heavily into the ground. Just as it tried to pick itself up, its body was enveloped in a white halo, transforming into a streak of light that flew back into the Poké Ball Kashiwagi had already raised.
"Superpower, Gravity, and Baton Pass. That's the gist of it."
He released Mawile again and looked at the three of them. "With diligent practice, your activation speed and range will improve."
Aggron and the others responded with low cries of understanding. Mastering new moves was exciting for both Trainer and Pokémon. While Mawile felt a slight pang of regret for not learning an offensive move, it agreed that any utility was better than none.
Besides, Baton Pass allowed it to transfer the state of Magnet Rise to its teammates—something Aggron would desperately need.
Kashiwagi had already scheduled "Magnet Rise" lessons for Aggron. A massive, heavy Pokémon like it urgently needed to compensate for its lack of mobility—either that, or it needed a vast array of high-power, long-range moves to keep enemies at bay.
Naturally, learning via a teammate's move was much simpler, and experiencing the sensation through Baton Pass would significantly shorten the learning curve.
Unexpectedly, during the subsequent practice, Aggron picked up another new move on its own: Stomping Tantrum.
A Ground-type move, the execution was as literal as the name: lift a foot and stomp down. However, it was a direct physical stomp rather than a shockwave attack. The move's power was tied to negative emotions; specifically, if the previous attack failed, the power of Stomping Tantrum would skyrocket—fueled by the energy of frustration.
"You really are a late bloomer, aren't you?" Kashiwagi patted Aggron's massive iron head.
Since evolving, it had learned four new moves in a short span: Double-Edge, Flash Cannon, Superpower, and Stomping Tantrum. Every single one was a practical, high-impact skill. This big guy's potential was truly extraordinary.
"Roar!" Aggron beamed, clearly feeling that its luck had turned since evolving. The other two Pokémon exchanged a glance—driven by either a sense of competition or a desire not to hold the team back, they doubled down on their own training.
Following the Tournament.
Kashiwagi enjoyed a period of relative peace. No one came looking for trouble, and his superiors didn't send him to cause any. Life in the syndicate was far more mundane than he had anticipated.
He attended literacy classes, trained his Pokémon, occasionally returned to Blue Iridium Street to check on his neighbors and offer help, or sat in a local bar within his territory to drink tea.
Yes, drink tea.
The bar owner was a tea enthusiast who regularly spent money on Galar Red Tea and often invited Kashiwagi to share a pot. Ever since the shopkeepers of the Copper-Milling Shopping Street realized that Kashiwagi wasn't like the previous "vampires"—greedy enough to double the protection fees and still demand more—their relationship with him had thawed rapidly.
Of course, no one dared to underestimate this seemingly gentle young man. After all, the last person to pick a fight with him was currently hauling ore in the Underdome mines.
The other factor that improved his reputation was the private kitchen he had opened. Initially, he told people he just wanted something to do to supplement his income. The local bosses assumed he was using the restaurant as a front to collect more bribes; whether they liked it or not, they showed up to support him, "gifts" in hand.
To their shock, Kashiwagi's cooking was the real deal. Even the restaurant owners from the affluent Sector 1 and Sector 2 felt like they were going to swallow their own tongues from the flavor.
"This reminds me of a Kalosian chef I met in my youth. I was lucky enough to taste his food once; the memory is still fresh today."
"Kalos? Isn't that a gourmet paradise?"
"Yeah... I wish I could visit someday. I heard Johto cuisine is delicious, too."
The elderly restaurant owners spoke with voices full of longing. But as the designated "fat sheep" of Team Snagem, while the higher-ups wouldn't bleed them dry, they also wouldn't let them leave Pyrite Town with a fortune. Money alone wasn't enough to buy freedom.
Hearing their chatter, Kashiwagi realized once again just how many people this "cage" called Pyrite Town had trapped.
"Are you planning to go to Kalos too?" Otsuka whispered in his ear while he was daydreaming.
"Go wash your vegetables!" Kashiwagi gave him a light kick. "Less yapping, more working."
Otsuka's injuries had mostly healed, and upon hearing that his "Big Brother" had opened a private restaurant, he had insisted on helping out as a kitchen hand. Kashiwagi didn't mind having more help, even if the place was only open for a few hours a day. Between Otsuka's sister acting as the hostess and Chansey assisting in the back, things got frantic during peak hours.
More importantly, Kashiwagi had refused help from Naruhisa and the others. They were too weak—even by "grunt" standards, they were the bottom of the barrel. Improving their battle strength was their priority.
Otsuka, however, was decent. Though he had lost to Ken, he wasn't far from being an elite grunt. Giving him work kept him out of trouble; despite being timid in front of Kashiwagi, he was still quite aggressive toward others.
Incidentally, Otsuka had also joined the literacy classes. Unfortunately, because he hadn't developed a "learning mindset" as a child, his progress compared to Kashiwagi was like heaven and earth, often leaving him frustrated.
"Yo! I'm back for more!"
The door slid open. Frobo walked in laughing with a few sub-captains from the same unit. They sat down naturally. "The usual, plus a takeout order for the Boss."
"Got it," Kashiwagi nodded. "I'll close up after your order is done."
Opening the restaurant was about making "clean" money legally. While not as fast as robbery, his prices were high. He left the ingredient sourcing, prep work, and cleaning to Otsuka's sister. Since he only opened for three hours a day and took two days off a week, it wasn't overly taxing.
Once the Unit Commander, Soshiro, started visiting, his customer base stabilized, making life even easier. With his income sorted, Kashiwagi could be much more generous with Pokémon resources, no longer needing to pinch pennies every day.
"You're a natural, kid," Frobo remarked again. "Learning culinary skills from videos that most people can't master in a lifetime."
Kashiwagi shrugged. "Diligence makes up for lack of talent."
He wasn't worried about people questioning his skills. Since he had never cooked for anyone before, no one could prove his ability had skyrocketed overnight. To these people, who had never heard of "transmigration" or "system" web novels, the idea of a "cheat" wouldn't even cross their minds.
Talent was just talent. Some people were born to defy common sense.
Even Frobo—whom Kashiwagi had consulted about whether "internet-learned" cooking could make money—was just impressed. He had even helped pull strings to get the shop set up. While he was amazed that Kashiwagi mastered languages, Pokémon rearing, fighting, and cooking with such speed, he had seen even more exaggerated geniuses in the wider world.
Compared to them, Kashiwagi's talent only made people regret that such a good kid hadn't been born in a normal, peaceful region.