Kashiwagi's group reached the vicinity of the mine shortly after.
In the dead of night, the soaring flames and billowing smoke were incredibly conspicuous, signaling that the mine was indeed under attack. The enemy had breached the perimeter, causing massive chaos.
"What do we do?"
Otsuka and the others looked toward Kashiwagi, their backbone.
Though they harbored dreams of making a name for themselves, facing the reality of such a situation left them feeling helpless and uncertain.
"...Find a place to hide. I'm going in to assess the situation."
Kashiwagi turned to the four of them. "If a counterattack becomes viable, I'll call you in. Otherwise, I'll get Naruhisa and the others out, and we'll all run for our lives."
Relying on the secret tunnels inside the mine was unrealistic. Once those tunnels started moving people and resources, they were no longer a secret—and they were far too easy to blockade. Being trapped underground was not an experience anyone wanted.
Otsuka gasped. "Going alone is too dangerous! I'm coming with you!"
The other three chimed in with their agreement.
"What use will you be? You haven't even reached squad leader level; you can't even protect yourselves. You'll only be a drag. I'm already risking it to save Naruhisa; I don't want to have to save you too, understand?"
Kashiwagi spoke bluntly, leaving Otsuka and the others speechless.
Their lack of strength meant they could only spectate; getting involved would likely result in their deaths.
Similarly, it was Kashiwagi's own lack of overwhelming power that prevented him from simply wiping out the invaders. He had to be stealthy to extract his squad and, as Frobo said, preserve himself.
If he possessed the terrifying power of those legendary Pokémon from the main regions—the kind that could level a city block with a single Hyper Beam—what would Team Snarl even matter?
But Kashiwagi was still far from that level.
"Then... then we'll hide and wait for you!"
Otsuka ultimately didn't dare to be a burden. The memory of the Charity Gala was still fresh; he knew exactly where he stood.
The other three, though frustrated, ultimately agreed.
Kashiwagi added, "Good. Find a hiding spot. Don't go too far, but don't stay too close either. If any of the outer-circle members who went out scouting come back, do not regroup with them. There might be infiltrators among them."
"Understood!" the four replied in unison.
----
Parting Ways
Kashiwagi placed Mawile in front of him, quickly detached the sidecar that would only slow him down, and pinned the throttle. The hover-bike surged forward like a cannonball.
He planned to use the bike's speed to burst into the mine and scout. High speed brought danger, but it also granted him a level of mobility that might keep him safe.
A double-edged sword.
However, before he could even reach the mine, the ground along the roadside suddenly erupted. Several large, dark-blue rocks shot out, hovering in the air as if they were alive.
Flickering electricity crackled around these stones, weaving a chaotic, massive web of lightning across the ground.
Kashiwagi knew slamming the brakes wouldn't stop him in time. He yanked the handlebars in a desperate attempt to pull a wide U-turn, but he had overestimated his stunt-driving skills. The bike spun out of control.
Left with no choice, he let go of the grips, grabbed Mawile, and bailed.
Mawile was sharp; she immediately activated Magnet Rise, allowing both her and Kashiwagi to drift safely to the ground.
"A Nosepass's electromagnetic wave... they actually had the leisure to set traps. Just how many of them are there?" He frowned as he identified the attackers.
Those floating, head-shaped rocks were indeed the Compass Pokémon, Nosepass.
Simultaneously, seven or eight men emerged from behind the boulders, flanked by snarling Mightyena.
"Someone actually rushed back. Lord Girard really is a prophet."
The man who seemed to be the leader chuckled. The Nosepass flew back to his side, their sides facing Kashiwagi. (Nosepass's quirk is that their faces always point North.)
"Yo, you're a squad leader? Where are your lackeys?" The man couldn't see Kashiwagi's face behind his sand mask, but he could clearly see the insignia on his chest.
"Sigh..."
Kashiwagi noticed the squad leader badge on the man's chest as well and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
"Baton Pass."
He had no intention of wasting words. He recalled Mawile, passing the Magnet Rise status effect to Aggron.
The massive, dark silhouette of Aggron—looming like a mountain—caused the laughing Snarl members to freeze instantly.
"Take Down. End this quickly!"
"Gronn!"
In the next instant, the 400kg Aggron erupted in a blinding white light. Like a meteor, it lunged at the group with a speed that defied its immense weight.
"Block it!"
"Awoo—! Yelp!"
The Mightyena tried to halt Aggron's charge under their Trainers' orders, but they were tossed aside like blocks of tofu. They were utterly incapable of withstanding the Take Down.
The Nosepass flew forward to stop it, but fragile magnets were no match for hardened steel. Aggron smashed through them with ease, leaving cracks on the Nosepass's bodies while coming away with only a few scuff marks.
"Gronn—!!"
An exhilarated Aggron roared. Its Rock Head ability meant it suffered no recoil damage from the impact, and it began to ramp up its speed, charging back and forth through the group.
In seconds, the Snarl members were scattered and screaming. Some unlucky souls caught the brunt of Aggron's charge and were sent flying, hitting the ground with agonizing groans. They were clearly out of the fight.
"Speak! How many of you are there? Which big shots showed up?"
Kashiwagi interrogated them, desperate for intel.
He soon learned that Team Snarl had sent a staggering three Executives. For a mine defended by only one Executive—Ayana—this was a potentially catastrophic blow.
Currently, all three were inside directing the destruction of equipment, leaving only small groups at the perimeter to prevent reinforcements.
"Damn it!"
Kashiwagi carelessly tossed the groaning man aside. He didn't have time to finish off these "cripples," and there was no point in doing so.
Aggron was only one individual; it couldn't catch everyone at once. The enemy squad leader had managed to release a Pokémon to signal the mine before he was incapacitated.
Every second counted!
Kashiwagi quickly checked his hover-bike. Finding it totaled, he leapt onto Aggron's back.
"Charge!"
"Gronn!"
Aggron roared and carried Kashiwagi toward the chaotic mine, ignoring the blood and fire at the gates.
However, just as Kashiwagi entered the mine and prepared to start his search, a figure stepped out from a dark corner.
"I wondered who had the nerve to breeze through the perimeter. So it's the famous 'Demon Wood' (Yao Mu). You truly live up to the rumors."
The man was somewhat thin, with a clean buzz cut and a flippant expression. Beside him stood a humanoid creature holding three leaves, with long white hair covering its face, a long pointed nose, and wooden geta sandals—the Wicked Pokémon, Shiftry.
"...An Executive?" Kashiwagi asked in a low voice after a second of silence.
The man smiled and nodded. "Yes."
This response made Kashiwagi's expression crumble. He couldn't help but sigh again. "Sigh... the more I want to avoid something, the more I run right into it..."
"Don't be nervous. Rest assured, if you get on your knees and beg, I might let you live. You're quite famous, after all," Girard said with a smile, though he then shook his head. "No, I think I'll kill you instead. Someone like you is far too dangerous."
In just a few words, he had decided a man's fate.
To this, Kashiwagi felt only a deep sense of helplessness. "Seriously... couldn't we just pretend we didn't see each other? There are three of you; Ayana can't hold out..."
"What a twist of fate... Frobo, it's not that I don't want to run. He's the one forcing my hand."
He looked at Executive Girard. In the face of the man's confusion, Kashiwagi said: "Capturing you alive should be worth more than bringing back a corpse, right?"
"—You brat!!"
Girard's smile vanished, his blood pressure spiking. "Razor Leaf!"
Two green blades of light shot forward like lightning, aimed directly at Kashiwagi on Aggron's back. But as they approached, a massive steel head reared up and blocked them perfectly.
Clang! Clang!
The sharp sound of metal hitting metal rang out. Kashiwagi took the opportunity to leap off Aggron's back.
"Sand Tomb."
In the next instant, a raging storm of sand erupted. With a violent, indiscriminate force, it completely enveloped Kashiwagi and Aggron before sweeping toward Girard and Shiftry!