The news of Team Snagem's raid on the Team Snarl mines quickly sent shockwaves through Pyrite Town.
Although the town was a melting pot of various factions and lowlifes, large-scale conflicts like this hadn't occurred in a long, long time. Everyone usually worked together to exploit the poor for profit, striving for bigger houses, stronger Pokémon, and the latest high-tech gadgets.
Even when disputes arose, they were mostly confined to verbal spats or small brawls that ultimately ended at a negotiation table.
To them, a thousand-man Pokémon battle between Snagem and Snarl was simply inconceivable.
Is it really necessary to go this far?
Hearing that thousands of outer-circle members had been mobilized made them feel like Team Snagem had truly gone mad.
Was this going to escalate into a total war between the two syndicates?
The Mayor of Pyrite Town couldn't sit still upon hearing the news. However, his concern wasn't for how many lives would be lost in the struggle, but rather whether they could meet the production quotas assigned for the next quarter and the one after that.
These two factions had the highest mineral output in Pyrite Town. If anything went wrong with either and the targets weren't met, he would be the one held accountable by the powers that be.
Consequently, he immediately contacted Ugo of Team Snagem, criticizing him harshly and demanding that the syndicate stop right there.
Unfortunately, the arrow had already left the bow; it wasn't something they could stop even if they wanted to.
Even if they were willing to quit, Team Snarl certainly wasn't.
Anticipating the Mayor's questions, Ugo—acting as the temporary head of Team Snagem—had long since found a legitimate excuse for their actions.
"Those two mines belonged to Team Snagem fifteen years ago. During our restructuring and subsequent period of upheaval, they were deceitfully seized by Team Snarl. We are merely taking back what belongs to us."
As the saying goes, one must have a just cause. Although Team Snagem never felt accountable to the common folk, they needed an excuse to face inquiries from those of the same or higher social standing.
As for whether things were truly as Ugo claimed, it was difficult to say. The two factions had been entangled for so many years that the truth had long since been buried under layers of history.
The Mayor gave a token nod of agreement and immediately began asking if Team Snagem could complete the next quarter's quotas.
Ugo, of course, offered absolute assurance.
Both men knew exactly what the other was thinking.
Having received a definitive reply, the Mayor quickly hung up to find the person in charge of Team Snarl.
Currently, Team Snarl was a headless beast. Even with one unit gone, the internal chaos was so severe that no one even answered his calls for a while, causing him to frown and sigh in frustration.
When he finally managed to get hold of a Top Executive, the man was unable to give him a firm answer.
The Mayor's teeth itched with rage. He could only change his line of questioning to ask about the situation at the mines.
Again, no clear answer.
No, I have to send someone over to see. I can't let them keep fighting like this, he thought, hurriedly ordering a subordinate to head toward the mines outside town.
However, he failed to notice that as soon as his messenger stepped out of the Mayor's residence, someone began tailing him. With extreme speed and stealthy movements, the shadow ambushed the man.
"We can't have you coming out to spoil the fun..."
The attacker's face shifted and contorted in a bizarre fashion. In an instant, they had transformed into the exact likeness of the messenger.
The Mine
Masses of miners were being transferred into Pyrite Town through the secret tunnels. Carrying their few personal belongings, they marched forward in a daze amidst the barking orders of outer-circle members.
Behind them were cart after cart of raw mineral ore seized from the neighboring mine.
Normally, these would be transported by large hovering trailers, but the situation was too urgent. They couldn't spare the manpower to guard the shipments, so they were being funneled directly through the secret tunnels back to Pyrite Town.
It was naturally more tedious. The environment in the secret tunnels was primitive—narrow, cramped, and dark—far worse than a standard mine shaft.
But there was no other choice.
Team Snarl had months' worth of ore accumulated, and Team Snagem had a significant amount of its own. The warehouses were at full capacity, with nowhere else to pile the rocks.
Not to mention the massive machinery.
It would be counterproductive if the operation interfered with the mine's normal workflow—
That's right.
Even in such an emergency, with the enemy liable to attack at any moment, this mine showed no signs of stopping. Work continued at a fever pitch.
Black-tech-style loaders and excavators roared like snarling mechanical beasts.
"Gronn—"
"You might not be a match for them now, but you'll probably be able to out-push them later."
Kashiwagi patted Aggron's thick, iron-armored shoulder. As a Pokémon naturally fierce and fond of competition, even with a relatively calm and steady personality, Aggron occasionally felt a surge of battle lust.
For instance, right now, it desperately wanted a one-on-one "manly" showdown with a loader to see if its own raw strength was greater than the machine's horsepower.
Unfortunately, its Trainer had poured cold water on the idea before it could even try.
"Gronn!"
Aggron swung its tail in dissatisfaction.
"Haha, alright. I'll let you have a go at it when there's a chance in the future," Kashiwagi consoled with a smile, though a hint of worry lingered on his face.
As an ultra-large Pokémon, the environment of the two-story house was feeling increasingly cramped for Aggron. It looked restricted regardless of what it was doing.
Furthermore, since its evolution, Aggron's territorial instincts had awakened. Every day, it would accompany Kashiwagi like a king on a patrol through the house and Sections 1 and 2 of Copper Solder Street.
It did nothing but patrol tirelessly, clearly viewing these areas as its own domain.
At the same time, it was quite dissatisfied with the lack of greenery in Pyrite Town. The tree-planting instincts buried deep within its genes compelled it to frequently urge Kashiwagi to buy saplings.
Currently, Kashiwagi's backyard not only housed two trees but also several shrubs.
Regarding the environment of Copper Solder Street, Aggron often intimidated the shop owners there into buying trees to plant—and surprisingly, quite a few of them actually complied.
From these small incidents, it wasn't hard to see its yearning for a territory.
Much like how a person from an agrarian culture can't help but want to plant something upon seeing a good field, Aggron desperately wanted a large piece of land to call its own.
During their idle "chats," Kashiwagi had managed to tease out its ultimate dream—
This guy wanted a mountain.
A high, sprawling mountain where it could do as it pleased. It would be best if there were minerals inside, but it didn't really matter as long as it belonged to him.
Looking at Aggron's face through this lens, it wasn't hard to see its desire for this mine, nor the intense emotion hidden within its blue eyes.
Its wish to wrestle with the loader was likely because it associated the machine with an intruder invading its territory.
Even though, technically speaking, it was the intruder here.
"—Kashiwagi! Kashiwagi!"
A call suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
Kashiwagi turned and immediately recognized the female driver who had previously taken them to the Charity Gala.
"It's time for the shift change. Call your squad and follow me. Some will stay to guard the mine, while others will spread out to scout for attackers."
Tyra, the driver, had a broad, hearty smile on her face.
"Tyra, do you have any news from the other mine? I really want to know what happened there," Kashiwagi said as he and Aggron approached her.
"I don't know much," Tyra replied. "I heard that Team Snarl, led by that Top Executive, crushed the other division. A lot of people died, apparently? But the reinforcements from Lord Ryuka and the others arrived quickly. It should be a stalemate now."
"...A lot of people died?"
"Yeah. In a large-scale battle like that, collateral damage is unavoidable. Besides, the enemy came in a fit of rage. Bloodshed is normal."
Tyra spoke as if she were used to it. "After you've seen it a few more times, you won't be surprised."
A "large-scale" battle involving thousands...
Kashiwagi fell silent.
It wasn't that he thought Team Snarl and Team Snagem would play house at this stage; he knew it wouldn't stop at mere verbal sparring. He was simply contemplating the intentions of Ryuka and Frobo.
If the current situation was something they had orchestrated, what was their goal?
To help Team Snagem unify all of Pyrite Town?
Unlikely.
Sigh...
Question: If you discover your boss is a double agent—and more of a traitor than the guy next door—what should you do?
Waiting for answers online. It's pretty urgent.