It had been over two months.
Kashiwagi had descended into a mine shaft once again. But compared to the dilapidated, pitch-black abandoned tunnels he had known before, the rock walls here were sturdy, the environment was well-lit, and there were virtually no dark blind spots to be found.
The tracks running down the center of the path were slightly tarnished, but a closer look revealed they were still iron-strong—sturdy enough to withstand cart after cart of heavy ore.
It seemed that even the "slave drivers" of Team Snarl understood the vital importance of basic infrastructure safety.
"According to the headcounts and surveillance room probes, there are still five work shifts trapped in various locations, totaling one hundred and three people. The objective is to lead them safely out of the pits."
Frobo's voice crackled through the earpiece. "The underground is different from the surface; conditions are volatile and the danger is much higher. Therefore, if you encounter any Team Snarl remnants, I authorize you to strike first and take them down with maximum speed."
"Prioritize individual safety above all else. If necessary, you may abandon the rescue. I will guide your direction from the surveillance room and confirm the suspected positions of both the work shifts and the Snarl remnants."
"Understood!"
The Team Snagem members, fully geared up, responded in unison, Kashiwagi's voice blending in with the rest.
Currently, he was participating in a temporary mission to search for the remaining miners and hunt down the handful of holdout Snarl members.
In truth, leaving these few stragglers behind wouldn't have affected the bigger picture much. The evacuation teams on the surface were short-handed, and the defensive line desperately needed reinforcement.
However, Ryuka had issued the order anyway—under the principle that a scouring is only a scouring if it's clean. Frobo had accepted the task and delegated it to ten members, including Kashiwagi.
They were split into pairs, starting from multiple entrances to wrap the mission up as quickly as possible.
From the perspective of the surveillance room, the Snarl remnants were actually quite easy to find. These fools kept destroying the cameras inside the shafts, hoping to play cat-and-mouse to stall for time.
Little did they know that their movements were entirely within Frobo's grasp. They could hide from a camera lens, but they couldn't hide from the ultrasonic detection of Zubat and Golbat.
Every duo was equipped with one of these Pokémon, vastly increasing their search efficiency.
"I'll clear the path!"
Kashiwagi's partner, Otsuka, was visibly excited. As soon as they entered the shaft, he released his massive, burly Donphan. "Use Roll—"
"Are you an idiot?"
Kashiwagi slapped the guy hard on the back. "Our goal is to rescue the trapped people, not to 'resolve' them. Listen to my commands and don't act recklessly!"
"Ow..."
Otsuka winced and rubbed his back, not daring to take any more initiative. He obediently pulled his Donphan back to the side.
"I'm counting on you."
Kashiwagi released his Aggron, whose presence felt as heavy and immovable as a mountain.
To a Pokémon that uses its steel horns to ram through bedrock and digs tunnels in search of iron ore, a mine shaft was as familiar as home. Even if the ceiling collapsed, Aggron had the confidence to hold up that terrifying weight and find a way out for its Trainer.
Over half a month had passed since its evolution. Having fully mastered its new body, it possessed boundless self-confidence.
"Gronn..."
"Let's go."
Kashiwagi signaled Otsuka to move, following slowly behind the advancing Aggron.
There was no doubt that in the half-month since the Chef Simulator ended, Kashiwagi's strength had grown even further through two additional standard simulations. He had also verified the benefits of "Glowing Dishes" on Pokémon growth.
In terms of level alone, Aggron had reached Level 48, while Mawile had climbed to Level 49. Even Chansey, the lowest in level, now had a solid foundation at Level 40.
With the buff from the Glowing Dishes, their actual combat effectiveness far exceeded the average Level 40 standard.
Take that giant from the tournament, for instance. That man's strength was equivalent to a veteran squad leader in Team Snagem, with Pokémon levels hovering around 50 and an ace Hitmontop equivalent to an Executive's level.
Back then, Kashiwagi had won through a mix of luck and grueling effort.
But if they fought again now, he wouldn't need to go through elaborate schemes to hide his moves, nor would he need to rely on a desperate Endeavor to turn the tide.
He could now stand his ground in a head-on confrontation without losing an inch.
So, while their levels had only increased by a few stages, the qualitative change within those levels was staggering.
"Kashiwagi squad, you'll be out of surveillance range in another fifty meters. Remember to let the Golbat scout ahead before advancing," Frobo's voice came through the comms.
"Copy that," Kashiwagi replied in a low voice.
Damn it! Damn it, damn it!
If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have stayed behind just because it was a hassle. He should have followed his boss out of the mine and back to town!
Amidst several suppressed breaths, a few flickering shadows hid in a corner of the tunnel. One pair of shifting eyes was filled with conflict and regret.
He could have left this place safely earlier; now, he was reduced to cowering in a corner like a stray dog, putting up a completely futile resistance.
"What do we do now?"
"We find a way to stall. I don't believe the higher-ups haven't noticed. The Boss and the others will come for us eventually!"
"Right!"
Hearing his teammates encourage each other, Eguchi knew they hadn't surrendered for two reasons: first, they didn't dare leave their fate in the hands of Team Snagem; second, Team Snarl had recently been cracking down on traitors, refusing to tolerate any form of desertion.
It wasn't that they were particularly loyal to Team Snarl; they simply couldn't afford the price of betrayal, and they knew they had no leverage to negotiate with Snagem.
Now, they could only pray that Snagem would find it too much of a bother to deal with small fry like them.
"Eguchi, why have you been quiet this whole time?"
His companion's voice brought Eguchi back to his senses.
"Shh."
Eguchi signaled for silence, pricking up his ears to listen intently. His face turned pale. "It's the cries of Golbat and Zubat. That chirping resonance they make when they release supersonic waves... I'll never forget it. They've already found us!"
The others were shocked.
"They found us?"
"Eguchi, are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious! No, we can't just sit here and wait for death. We have to do something!" Eguchi's hearing had been excellent since childhood—a natural talent.
He would definitely not mistake the sounds of those bats.
Knowing the enemy was approaching, he refused to wait for Team Snagem to find and torture him. He racked his brain for a way to survive.
Finally, a spark of inspiration hit him.
"Didn't we run into a group of miners who couldn't escape earlier? Do you remember where they are? We'll blend in with them!"
"Blend in with those lowlifes?"
"Will that really work?"
"We won't know unless we try. Either way, I'm doing it!"
Eguchi dashed without hesitation toward the direction they had seen the miners. After sharing a glance, the rest of the group had no choice but to follow.
After all, they didn't have any better ideas.
A short while later.
Two figures slowly emerged—members under Frobo's command.
"Suspected targets have left their position. Golbat has detected them moving."
"Can you confirm they are hostiles?"
"Unable to confirm."
"Surveillance logs show a work shift was spotted six hundred meters ahead of you. Proceed with caution."
"Copy that."