Outside a secluded rock cave.
Kashiwagi looked up, watching the Delibird clutching its large sack disappear into the distance. It was hard to imagine that this penguin-like creature, barely taller than a person's waist, could carry such a massive load.
"Will he... suffocate in there?"
It's probably breathable food-grade fabric, he reasoned.
He turned back toward the interior of the cave. The Team Snarl grunt had already changed into a Team Snagem uniform, though it looked a bit loose on her.
"Luckily, Snarl uniforms are unisex."
Kashiwagi ignored her sour expression as he tugged on the Team Snarl gear. Though it was tight in a few places, it wasn't entirely unbearable.
"What is the point of this?" the Snarl grunt couldn't help but snap. "You'll be exposed instantly! Do you think everyone else is brainless?"
"So what if I'm exposed?"
He gave a thin smile. "I only need the other person to hesitate for a split second. Of course, that requires your cooperation."
During the pat-down, he had realized his prisoner was female. While the gender mismatch was a bit unfortunate for a disguise, he didn't have much of a choice. He had managed to capture one without a scratch, and she seemed the type to value her life over her pride—she would have to do.
The main reason for keeping her around, however, was the radar. While he couldn't use an enemy's wristband himself, there was nothing stopping him from making the enemy use it for him. He had checked earlier; all the wristband's functions remained active.
She looked at him coldly. "And if I refuse to cooperate?"
"Then you can forget about ever buying your Pokémon back," Kashiwagi's expression remained flat. "And maybe I'll take both of your thumbs as a souvenir. How does that sound?"
"..."
The girl went silent.
Kashiwagi continued, "You should actually feel lucky. If you weren't useful, your fate would be the same as my teammate's—an eye for an eye. By the way, were you actually trying to get him down earlier? Why? Did you just feel like beating him up somewhere else?"
"I wouldn't do something like that!" the Snarl grunt muttered, turning her head away in frustration. She knew that claiming she'd had a sudden burst of kindness wouldn't be believed, so she chose to stay quiet.
Kashiwagi chuckled softly. "It doesn't matter. If we work together in good faith, I guarantee you'll leave here in one piece, and I'll even give you a discount when I sell your Pokémon back to you."
"...Really?"
"You're free to believe I'm lying. That's your choice. Alright, time's up. Get ready—two minutes until the radar refreshes."
He threw on his cloak and pulled a black mask from his bag, fitting it over the girl's face before they silently stepped out of the cave.
The Drone Rotom trailed behind them, recording every action and conversation and broadcasting it to the outside world.
The feed projected onto screens everywhere, sparking localized debates among the spectators.
The main topic was whether Kashiwagi and the female Snarl grunt could actually pull off the deception. At the arena site, many felt he was being too clever for his own good, arguing there was no way someone would fall for it. Others thought an opponent might see through the ruse but approach anyway to spring a counter-trap.
In short, not many were betting on Kashiwagi.
Their reasoning was simple: his previous victory hadn't been a fair fight. He'd won via a sneak attack without showing much "hard power," and his post-battle handling was seen as lacking. Your teammate was treated that brutally, and you didn't even take an arm off the enemy? Boring. Utterly boring.
"Too green," they muttered, even as they ignored the other screens to keep their eyes glued to Kashiwagi's.
In the Gateon Port ballroom, however, Kashiwagi had a slightly larger fan base—mostly comprised of those who were indifferent to bloodshed and preferred decisive action. Although the ambush plan was a bit crude, capturing an opponent so quickly was still worthy of praise. Since Mayor Erkin hadn't made the first donation yet, the others were holding back their tips, waiting for the signal.
It wouldn't be long now. They looked at Erkin on the second floor, who was chatting and laughing with a few associates, wondering which lucky contestant would receive the "first strike" of his favor.
Inside the Team Snagem camp, the heavy atmosphere had lightened significantly. Aside from grumbling that Kashiwagi was too merciful, there were no real objections. They were just waiting for the Delibird to return with their wounded comrade.
The Snagem logistics crew gossiped about the 550,000 donation, speculating on the source.
"It has to be Big Sis Ayana."
"I think so too. When I went to report to her earlier, she was grinning like crazy..."
"Shut up! Look! Someone's closing in!"
The discussion was cut short as someone pointed excitedly at the main screen. While there were smaller projectors in the camp, they preferred the giant screen.
Everyone looked up to see a blinking red dot on the simplified map moving toward a blue dot. Simultaneously, the detailed follow-cam showed a Team Snarl grunt advancing cautiously. The path he was taking was the exact one Kashiwagi had traversed earlier.
In another frame, the female Snarl grunt—now dressed in Snagem colors—was leaning against a massive rock. Crouched behind that same rock, moving with calculated precision, were Kashiwagi and his Vibrava. He was positioned perfectly to ensure he couldn't be seen from other angles, waiting patiently for the prey to walk into his lap. A textbook "camper."
The radar countdown hit zero.
Outside, the gamblers began taking bets on whether the target would fall for it. Amidst the noise, even the ongoing battles in other sectors were ignored by many. The broadcast director skillfully shrunk the non-combat frames and enlarged the ones where action was imminent.
The Snagem logistics crew joined the gambling, clutching their betting slips as they stared at the screen. They didn't even notice the Delibird dropping off the wounded grunt until he shouted for attention.
On the screen, the moment the radar countdown ended, both sides activated it simultaneously.
The light screens flickered to life. Both Kashiwagi and the approaching Snarl grunt saw a blinking red dot in their immediate vicinity!
So close!?
Dammit, I have to strike first!
Pop! Pop!
The Snarl grunt instantly released two Poké Balls, summoning a burly Mightyena and a Houndoom with curved horns.
"Go! He's right up ahead!"
He barked the command and sprinted forward with his two baying hounds. As they rounded the jagged rocks that blocked their line of sight, they burst into a small, open clearing tucked into a corner of the cliff.
There, he saw a figure in a Team Snagem uniform, face obscured, leaning against the rock in a contorted, pained position. A Drone Rotom hovered above, its camera pointed straight down at the scene.
Did he just finish a fight?
Was that Delibird earlier taking away one of our guys?
A trap? Hidden Pokémon? Hmph! I'll play along and crush him!
A flurry of thoughts flashed through the Snarl grunt's mind, and a smirk of triumph touched his lips. He thrust his arm forward. "Battle request! Charge!"
"Awoo!"
"Bark!"
Beep.
The wristband let out a low chime, signifying the battle request had been accepted. A cry of response echoed from the distance.
But... why did the sound seem to come from behind the rock? Had the guy thrown his wristband back there?
The Snarl grunt watched his two Pokémon pounce, but his footsteps instinctively slowed. An inexplicable sense of dread made his heart skip a beat.
"Come ba—"
"Gotcha!!"