N's Pokémon army, reinforcements from the second line of defense, and—most importantly—support from the Hoenn Champion, Steven Stone.
Despite Team Cipher deploying one Shadow Pokémon after another, they were ultimately crushed. The Shadow Pokémon were either forced back into their original Poké Balls or intercepted and caught using Snag Balls.
They had been using the Snag Machines to manufacture Snag Balls almost non-stop for the past few days. The resulting supply was finally enough to capture every Shadow Pokémon on the field.
As the last Shadow Pokémon fell and the final Cipher grunt broke down in tears, begging for mercy, the defensive battle—which had been a desperate stalling tactic—ended in a total defeat of the enemy.
The exhaustion hit immediately. Aggron and the rest of the team were on the verge of collapse, prompting Kashiwagi to quickly recall them into their Poké Balls.
"Did they manage to send out a distress signal?"
He hurried over to Otsuka to check. Otsuka nodded but added, "Brother Ryuka's side has already announced the start of the operation."
"They've started? That's great news!"
Kashiwagi felt a wave of relief. He had been feeling a bit apprehensive; after all, completely annihilating the opposition hadn't been part of the original plan. He was worried it might interfere with the next steps—specifically regarding Steven's intervention. He couldn't exactly tell a Champion to retreat, after all.
Plus, N had somehow gathered a massive horde of Pokémon from who-knows-where. In the end, Kashiwagi had been forced to balance covering the evacuation of the wounded while taking down every Cipher member in sight. Now that the main operation had begun, he wouldn't have to take the fall for any tactical deviations.
Kashiwagi turned and walked toward Steven.
"Whew. It's been a while since I've had such an intense workout."
Steven was jumping down from his Metagross as it reverted to its base form. Despite the fierce battle, he only had a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. "You must be Kashiwagi, right?"
Stunned that the Champion would strike up a conversation first, Kashiwagi paused for a beat before nodding. "That's right, Mr. Champion."
"No need for that. Just call me Steven."
Steven gave a thin smile. The domineering, sharp aura he had displayed while facing the Cipher members vanished, replaced by the friendly, approachable air of an older brother next door. "I'd love to chat more, but I imagine there's still plenty for me to do in this city. Let's talk again once the dust settles."
"Alright, Steven-san!"
Kashiwagi returned the smile, watching as Steven recalled his Pokémon and soared away on Metagross.
Champion.
It was a title that every Trainer looked up to with awe and respect. It represented the pinnacle of human martial strength—the strongest of the strong. Kashiwagi hoped that one day, he too could stand in that position. Only then would this reincarnation truly be worth it.
"Still work to do."
Kashiwagi patted his cheeks to snap himself out of his daydream. With Ryuka and the others absent, he was undoubtedly the highest-ranking commander on-site. Everyone looked to him for orders, from counting the wounded to distributing supplies.
"Kashiwagi, I'm heading out to the other sectors."
N approached on the back of a Mamoswine to say goodbye. "There are still many Pokémon waiting for me." His two sisters, Anthea and Concordia, were flanking him.
"Don't overdo it!" Kashiwagi advised.
He watched as the trio departed with their massive flock of Pokémon. These were undoubtedly the ones N had rescued from the Pokémon black markets in the Underdome. The "Son of Pokémon" had been eyeing that place for a long time; he had already spent a fortune rescuing some earlier, and now he was wasting no time in liberating the rest.
Suddenly—
"Kashiwagi! There's a convoy heading this way! Someone spotted Mr. Yamamino on one of the trucks!" Otsuka rushed over to report.
"Yamamino!"
Kashiwagi's face lit up. He sprinted to welcome the returning "shadow boss" of Team Rainbow. He figured Steven must have been his doing, though the guy could have given him a heads-up.
Though they had only been apart for two days, the two shared a warm, enthusiastic hug, clapping each other firmly on the back.
"I've been waiting for you like the stars wait for the moon! You really gave me one hell of a surprise," Kashiwagi chuckled. "Quick, tell me—how did you convince the Hoenn Champion to come here?"
"He came of his own volition; it wasn't because I begged," Yamamino laughed. "Not only that, but I've brought Elite Four Drake and a host of Dragon Tamers."
"Dragon Tamers?"
Takeshi, who had overheard, felt his eyes light up. He hurried over to ask, "Are they from the Dragon Village? Did Elder Li send them?"
"Elder Li made the arrangements, and Captain Drake brought the Draconids. They aren't from the Dragon Village," Yamamino clarified with a shake of his head.
The news left Takeshi slightly disappointed. He had been hoping to fight alongside familiar faces in this strange land. However, the Draconids!
"Kashiwagi! They might be your kin!" Takeshi said excitedly.
Yamamino nodded. "Exactly. They traveled all this way to help you specifically because of the Elder's word. Normally, the Draconids live in seclusion at Meteor Falls and rarely involve themselves in outside conflicts."
"Uh, is that... so?" Kashiwagi scratched his head.
Logically speaking, while the current situation made it look like he really was related to the Dragon People, wouldn't it be incredibly awkward if he actually wasn't?
"Oh, don't worry about it! You definitely are. I, Takeshi, would bet my life on it!" Takeshi barked, thumping his chest confidently.
Yamamino moved the conversation along. "Alright, we can worry about ancestral roots after this is all over. Kashiwagi, come change your gear. The protective suits provided by the Devon Corporation are guaranteed to be miles better than anything Es Gan's family has."
"Devon Corp suits?"
Kashiwagi's eyes sparkled. He followed Yamamino to one of the vehicles. When the back doors opened, a cloud of cold white mist rolled out, revealing skin-tight protective suits inside.
"This is an undergarment-type protective suit. Don't let the thinness fool you; it has immense resistance to impact, extreme temperatures, and various other hazards," Yamamino explained. "The best part is that you can wear a standard outer-suit over it for double the defense."
Kashiwagi stared at the sleek suits with a sense of déjà vu.
Wait!
These looked exactly like the ones Ash and the others wore as the Ultra Guardians in the Sun & Moon anime! Except instead of those flashy colors, these were a sleek, professional black.
"Not bad!" Kashiwagi nodded, thoroughly satisfied.
"Devon sent a massive amount of supplies this time. Not just vehicles and gear, but food and essential medical supplies as well." Yamamino began opening various crates like he was showing off treasure. "And this is just the first shipment. I expect the second batch to arrive alongside the Nurse Joys and Pokémon Nurses from other regions."
"Nurse Joy?" Kashiwagi turned his head sharply.
"Yes. One of the most prominent families in the League—the Joy family. They are coming to Pyrite Town and even Phenac City to treat everyone who's been hurt. It's a massive medical relief force that cannot be ignored!"
Yamamino smiled and nodded.