Amidst the howling wind, the Arcanine seemed to have found a way to retrieve the man. It retreated a few paces, then suddenly accelerated into a sprint, leaping and rebounding between the canyon walls. In the blink of an eye, it had scaled several meters of the rock face.
Go!
Kashiwagi hesitated no longer, pouring every ounce of strength into his sprint.
The wind muffled his footsteps. At first, the enemy didn't notice him at all, fully focused on the miserable Snagem member atop the spire. It was only when the victim stared behind him with sudden hope—and the wind died down just as a heavy trampling sound thundered from the rear—that the Snarl member whipped his head around.
Kashiwagi was less than fifty meters away.
"Battle!"
Kashiwagi roared. A flash of light erupted as a Poké Ball opened, and the Snarl member's wristband instantly lit up, forced into a responsive match.
At that moment, the Arcanine atop the peak hadn't even had a chance to grab the Snagem member. Seeing the threat in its peripheral vision, it didn't hesitate and leapt back down.
However, at the same time, the Team Snarl member had just pulled out a second Poké Ball. Before he could release it, the ground beneath him suddenly bulged upward, sending him stumbling and losing his balance.
Immediately after, a massive cloud of purple smoke erupted from nowhere, blinding both the trainer and his Arcanine. The choking mist sent the man into a fit of coughing.
"Awoo!"
The anxious Arcanine landed, only to hear a scream from its trainer. Just as it prepared to lung toward the source of the sound, a chaotic buzzing of wings approached rapidly from the distance.
In the next second, visible sound waves tore through the purple mist. A terrifying, sustained humming made the Arcanine cringe in pain, feeling as though a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on it, preventing it from advancing.
By the time the Arcanine managed to recover, its trainer was already pinned to the ground, a cold, sharp dagger pressed against his throat.
"I suggest you let go of that Poké Ball and your knife," Kashiwagi said, "otherwise, I can't promise how much blood you're going to lose."
Kashiwagi applied a bit of pressure. The sharp sting forced the snarling man to drop both his Poké Ball and the blade he had been holding.
"Grrr—"
The Arcanine lowered its body, growling with clear intent to pounce.
Kashiwagi glanced at the giant legendary dog. "Let's gamble. Will you pounce faster, or will I cut faster? Or, you can pretend you don't understand me and keep growling, but don't blame me for what happens next. Want to bet?"
"...Whimper."
Seeing the blood trickling from its trainer's neck, the Arcanine immediately abandoned its threatening stance.
The Team Snarl member bit his lip. He desperately wanted his Pokémon to fight to the death, but the pain in his neck and the panic of impending death left him gasping for air, unable to respond. Between life and death lies a great terror; very few can truly throw it all away.
"Kashiwagi! Save me! Get me down, quick!"
The Snagem member on the rock saw Kashiwagi like a savior and shouted with a mix of agony and excitement. "I can't hold on much longer!"
"Vibrava, lend a hand." Kashiwagi directed the Vibrava with one hand while searching the Snarl member's pockets with the other.
After a week together, the Vibrava had become quite obedient. Although it occasionally took liberties, it rarely defied his direct orders. Hearing the command, it swiftly flew to the spire, rescued the precarious teammate, and set him on the ground.
At that moment, Kashiwagi found the Arcanine's Poké Ball. He recalled the glaring dog and shoved the ball into his pocket along with two others. In this region, the winner can seize the loser's Pokémon, though the loser has the right to buy them back after the tournament.
He continued to search the Snarl member, ignoring his hateful glare. He took the backpack and all suspicious items, stripped the wristband, and then tied the man up securely with pre-prepared rope and gagged him.
With that, the Snarl member was no longer a threat. Kashiwagi finally had a moment to breathe.
"Whew..."
In the air, two Drone Rotoms exchanged a look. One flew away while the other slowly descended.
"You have received total Donations of 550,000."
"550,000?" Kashiwagi blinked. "Can you tell me who the donors are?"
The Drone Rotom gave no reply, silently flying back to its station three meters above the ground.
It seemed there was no "viewer list" function. He felt a bit of regret but politely thanked the donors anyway. He did a quick mental calculation—30% of 550,000...
Over 160,000.
Indeed, crisis often walks hand-in-hand with opportunity. No wonder the Snagem members held such high expectations for this tournament despite knowing the risks.
"Aron, help me go grab my bag. It's back where we were just now."
"Gron!"
As Aron left, Kashiwagi thanked the Vibrava and recalled it. He threw his cloak and a capsule to his teammate.
"This is extra-strength pain medication. Did you call for rescue?"
"I did."
The teammate sat paralyzed on the ground. His face was pale from the pain of his broken ankles, but he immediately used the cloak to cover himself. After a moment of hesitation, he swallowed the capsule.
Soon, the throbbing pain in his feet began to dull.
"...Thanks."
"No problem," Kashiwagi shook his head. "Who did this to you?"
The man hesitated before asking, "Where did you just come from?"
"The north. Why?"
"It seems you didn't run into him. Yeah, I'm talking about Ken. That guy is too strong. I didn't even have a chance to fight back."
"So you're saying his Pokémon are still in perfect condition?"
"Yes... just like yours." The teammate's expression was complicated. Seeing Kashiwagi take down an opponent so effortlessly—even if it was a sneak attack—was proof enough of his combat prowess.
"What Pokémon did he use?" Kashiwagi's expression remained unchanged as he gathered as much info on Ken as possible.
However, after questioning him, he realized this guy was in such a state that he barely had any useful intel. He claimed he had been ambushed, but as he spoke, he clearly began to lose confidence in his own story.
Kashiwagi didn't bother exposing the lie. He took his backpack from the returning Aron, stuffed his spoils inside, and put on a second cloak.
Suddenly, he looked toward the horizon. A white-faced, red-bodied Pokémon that looked like a cross between a penguin and Santa Claus was approaching.
"It's the rescue Pokémon, Delibird." The teammate let out a massive sigh of relief.
Kashiwagi's expression was odd. "...A rescue Pokémon? How is it going to carry you out?"
"In its bag. Don't let its size fool you; it can carry me quite easily. It's just not very comfortable." The teammate gave a bitter laugh. In his position, comfort was the last thing on his mind. Getting out was all that mattered.
"I have to go. Good luck."
Kashiwagi hauled up the Team Snarl captive, ignoring his resentful eyes, and headed west.
The blatant arrival of a Delibird would surely draw many people to this area. It was highly likely Ken would return to the "crime scene." Fortunately, only one person could arrive at a time at most.
As for information on Ken, he would just have to pry it out of his prisoner's mouth. Whether it was true or not, he would judge for himself.
The Snagem member watched Kashiwagi's back. He opened his mouth to say something, but ultimately swallowed the words.
Despite his wretched state, he hadn't been mocked, nor had he been extorted for money. He had been treated with simple, level-headed decency.
That was enough. He didn't need pity or excessive warmth; that would only have made him feel more humiliated. Sharing clothes, medicine, and exchanging intel... it felt like having a true teammate.
He had always been dismissive of the rumors surrounding Kashiwagi, but now, he believed them.