The terrifying tremors didn't last long.
A few moments later, a scarred landscape lay before Kashiwagi's eyes. Bottomless, crisscrossing fissures looked like jagged gashes torn into the earth. Billowing clouds of dust blurred the surroundings, making everything look grotesque and frightening.
Scanning the district, he saw that while many buildings had lost their facades and windows to the debris, most of the main structures remained standing. Only a few shacks and poorly constructed building had been reduced to complete ruins.
Wails and screams echoed from every direction. At that moment, Kashiwagi felt an immense sense of relief that they had evacuated most of the civilians and prisoners from the buildings to open areas beforehand. If they were still inside, the casualties would have been catastrophic.
Still, with the collapse of some structures, many of Team Snagem's peripheral members, Jackal Gang grunts, and ordinary citizens were buried under the rubble.
"Take me higher", Kashiwagi said to Chansey.
Her eyes flashed blue once more, lifting him to a height of nearly fifty meters. In a place like Pyrite Town, which lacked high-rise buildings, fifty meters was more than enough to get a clear view of the disaster.
"Just as I thought..."
Kashiwagi frowned deeply as he surveyed the wreckage of the Jackal Gang's territory. The epicenter of the earthquake seemed to be Roki's Underdome, radiating outward from there. Consequently, the three districts belonging to the Roki Division suffered the most, while the territories of the other two Top Executives were also affected. Even some neighboring factions' lands hadn't been spared.
Given the concentrated scale of the damage, this was clearly man-made. A natural tectonic event wouldn't be this localized; it would have leveled at least half of Pyrite Town.
What on earth happened in the Underdome?
He switched his radio to the channels for Frobo and Ryuka, but as expected, there was no response. The surface and the underground were completely cut off from each other.
As he thought, Kashiwagi noticed the chaos at the edges of the district. Countless people were running around like headless Combee. He immediately flew toward the vehicle equipped with the loudspeaker, intending to use the amplifier to calm everyone down.
By chance, the other squad leaders had the same idea, and they all converged in one spot.
"What's the situation? Was this earthquake part of the plan?" Kashiwagi asked the moment he landed.
The squad leaders looked visibly rattled. Forcing themselves to stay calm, they shook their heads vigorously. "How could it be? We haven't reached the point of sacrificing civilians to achieve our goals!"
It was true. This earthquake would have caused massive casualties in the neighboring districts they hadn't fully secured yet. The Crystal and Rock Units were still clearing those areas and remained in a standoff with Jackal members and civilians.
Furthermore, if the surface was this bad, the situation in the Underdome must be even more horrific. Ryuka and the others had waited over a decade to make this move; there was no reason to burn everything down now.
If it wasn't Ryuka's doing, then it most likely had everything to do with Roki, who held the home-field advantage. Realizing he couldn't stop the Roki Division's collapse, had he decided to take everyone down with him in a fit of desperation?
It was highly probable.
One of the squad leaders managed to reboot the loudspeaker system. After confirming it wasn't broken, it let out an ear-splitting blast.
"EVERYONE STAY WHERE YOU ARE AND WAIT FOR ORDERS! DO NOT RUN AROUND!"
Once the crowd quieted down, the broadcast message changed.
"All squad members, count your numbers and regroup at the command vehicle! Everyone else, stay put! Wait for further instructions! It is strictly forbidden to run, shout, or incite panic. Violators will be punished!"
Two minutes later, the Snagem members who had been scattered throughout the district converged on the command vehicle.
"I'll take a team to investigate the Underdome and find a way to restore contact with the boss. One of you needs to head back to Team Snagem HQ to request reinforcements. The rest of you, start rescue operations. Not just in our district, don't forget the other two!" one squad leader took the initiative to command.
"Understood!"
The others nodded in agreement. Kashiwagi looked around and joined in. The fact that they didn't send everyone underground—despite the crisis—and instead prioritized rescuing civilians proved that Ryuka's company wasn't just a band of thugs shouting slogans.
Leaving the scene now would only breed fear and unnecessary trouble. From the squad leaders' unhesitating decision to save lives, it was clear they truly wanted to bring a "clear sky" to the people of Pyrite Town.
"Kashiwagi! Kashiwagi! What do we do?"
Naruhisa ran over, covered in dust, his face pale with fright. Kashiwagi gripped his shoulder firmly. "Don't panic. Is everyone okay?"
"We're fine! Not just our group—the people from Blue Iridium Street are all clustered with us. Two guys almost fell into a fissure, but they were pulled out!"
Finding his anchor, Naruhisa's breathing leveled out.
"Good. Have everyone do a headcount. Make sure no one is missing, then start searching the nearby houses."
Kashiwagi's voice was steady. "Don't let them see you panic. Show some backbone. Tell the worried ones that it'll be okay and that Team Snagem won't abandon them. Do you hear me?"
"I... I hear you!" Naruhisa nodded.
On the other side, Otsuka approached. "Kashiwagi! There you are!"
"Gather some people you can trust. Watch out for anyone trying to loot during the chaos. If anything happens, call me immediately," Kashiwagi whispered.
Otsuka blinked, surprised that his mission was assigned before he could even ask. "Got it!"
After briefing his subordinates, Kashiwagi surveyed the surrounding mess. He released Aggron to go and keep the captured Jackal members in line, preventing them from causing trouble.
Fortunately, these people were more subdued than expected. They were either wailing on the spot or staring blankly at the shattered streets, their faces filled with a despair that suggested their hearts had already died.
Kashiwagi understood their feelings. Most Jackal members might have acted like tyrants to those beneath them, but they themselves had come from the bottom. Now that their homes were ruins, who could stay calm?
"EVERYONE BE QUIET!!"
AGGRON!!
Aggron's thunderous roar forced the Jackal members to turn toward Kashiwagi.
"I think you all realize something went wrong in the Underdome. Your superiors have likely been wiped out. Right now, you are alone and your only choice is to join Team Snagem. But because you are prisoners and criminals, you will inevitably end up at the very bottom without any merit to your names."
He shouted at the top of his lungs: "But now, you have a chance to redeem yourselves! Organize your people and the civilians. I will return some of your Pokémon to you so you can use them for rescue efforts. If you do well, I will put in a good word for you in the future. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
There was almost no response. Seeing this, Aggron picked up a piece of rubble and crushed it into powder with a single smash. BAM!
AGGRON!!
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Kashiwagi roared again.
"WE UNDERSTAND!"
"WE GET IT!"
the prisoners shouted, nodding frantically.