The second wave of support arrived much faster than Kashiwagi had anticipated—hardly half a day after Yamamino.
Once the professionals touched down, the makeshift medical staff were relegated to grunt work. From the corridors, the sharp, authoritative voices of the Nurse Joys could be heard echoing through the halls.
"Gentle! That's a living creature, not a rock!"
"Do not reuse gloves! Toss them!"
"That bandage is going to unravel in seconds. Honestly... just let me do it!"
"Where's the medicine? These trays need to be prepped in advance!"
"Audino, take over here."
"Blissey, I'm counting on you."
The original Pyrite Town medics could only hover awkwardly, feeling useless as they handled logistics. Whether it was their bedside manner or their actual medical expertise, the gap between them and the Nurse Joys was simply astronomical.
Kashiwagi, too, found himself liberated from his duties.
Yamamino, proving his worth as a top-tier administrator, had taken over the heavy lifting of back-end management. Under his direction, Team Rainbow operated like a well-oiled machine; everyone had a specific task to perform.
Except for Kashiwagi.
According to Yamamino, Kashiwagi had already done more than enough. There was no need to chase more glory; the priority now was to rest and recover his strength.
But Kashiwagi couldn't sleep. The distant thunder of battle still rumbled, signaling that the fighting wasn't over. After tucking in his exhausted team—Aggron and the others—he decided to take Chansey for a walk over to the Pokémon Center.
"The Nurse Joys, huh..."
Watching the pink-haired nurses bustling through the lobby, he finally fully grasped one of the greatest mysteries of the animated world: the power of the Joy Family.
How on earth did Brock recognize which city they were from when their faces were practically identical? It was surreal.
Kashiwagi didn't even dare strike up a conversation, terrified that if he got friendly with one, he'd accidentally mistake her for another later. That would be beyond awkward.
"Lucky~"
Chansey stared at the passing Blissey, her eyes shimmering with deep admiration.
"Do you want to be a Pokémon Nurse?" Kashiwagi asked, curious.
Chansey hesitated, then shook her head side to side. "Lucky!"
"Then... do you want to evolve?"
Another head shake. "Lucky!"
"If it's neither of those, then you must be envious of their medical techniques," Kashiwagi surmised after a moment of thought.
This time, Chansey nodded vigorously, clasping her small hands together in a dreamy gesture.
"Lucky!"
As a Pokémon naturally inclined to care for the sick, Chansey was profoundly envious of the nurses' specialized skills and their mastery over healing.
Kashiwagi looked at Chansey, then glanced at the hectic Nurse Joys in the distance. "Wait here for a second."
"Lucky?"
Chansey watched in confusion as Kashiwagi intercepted a passing Joy. He bowed repeatedly, wearing a charming, persuasive smile as he spoke. At first, the Nurse Joy looked annoyed at being stopped, but as Kashiwagi continued, her gaze softened, and she glanced over at Chansey.
Chansey instinctively looked away, shy under the scrutiny. When she gathered the courage to look back, the Nurse Joy no longer looked angry.
Kashiwagi walked back, grinning.
"I managed to beg for a chance. You're going to be a Pokémon Nurse's assistant—you'll get to shadow them and watch how they care for the patients. Go on, that Nurse Joy is waiting for you."
He reached out and gently patted Chansey's head.
Chansey looked up at him, her eyes a mix of joy and pure shock. "Lucky?"
"Go on. Don't keep her waiting; she's very busy."
Kashiwagi gave her a light nudge. Chansey took two steps forward, then turned back to look at him. Seeing his encouraging nod, she straightened her posture and trotted over to the Nurse Joy.
"Lucky~" Chansey greeted her timidly.
"Hello there! I'm Nurse Joy," the woman said, her voice brimming with warmth as she stroked the Pokémon's head. "Don't be nervous. You'll stay by my side for a while, and I'll be responsible for showing you the ropes."
"Lucky!"
Chansey nodded firmly. She glanced back toward the entrance of the Pokémon Center, but Kashiwagi had already turned and left.
It was clear now. He hadn't come to the Center because he was bored; he had seen right through her longing for the Blissey nurses and had gone out of his way to make her wish come true.
The thought made Chansey's heart swell with warmth.
Nurse Joy noticed her expression and smiled. "You have a very considerate Trainer, don't you?"
Chansey blinked, then broke into a radiant, beaming smile. "Lucky!"
Yes. He's the best!
-----
Rooftop of the Team Rainbow Office Building
"It's finally reaching the endgame."
Kashiwagi stood atop a water tank, overlooking the entirety of Pyrite Town.
Steven and the others were truly tireless. They had fought straight from day into night. Setting aside their terrifying stamina, the sheer conviction they displayed was enough to move him.
A reigning Champion and an Elite Four member, fighting until the last minute for a city they didn't even know. To uphold justice, Steven was truly leading from the front.
It reminded Kashiwagi of when Lysandre tried to destroy Kalos; Steven hadn't hesitated to appear and dismantle Team Flare then, either. Much of the peace in the Pokémon world was likely thanks to people like him.
Suddenly—
"Kashiwagi! Kashiwagi!"
A voice called out from behind him. Kashiwagi turned to see Naruhisa. "Aren't you supposed to be on Magnetic Barium Street keeping everyone calm? What are you doing here?"
When legends clash, the common folk suffer. Not every civilian was brave enough to jump into the fray, and to prevent panic from spreading, Team Rainbow had deployed personnel to reassure the ordinary citizens.
"Otsuka's handling that area now. I was assigned to help transport the captured Shadow Pokémon back. Frobo is waiting for you downstairs; he said he has something to show you."
Naruhisa pointed toward the floor. "Sub-basement level three."
"...What is it?"
"Something to do with the Shadow Pokémon, I think."
Hearing it involved the Shadow Pokémon, Kashiwagi nodded and hopped down from the water tank.
Just as he was about to exit through the roof door, Naruhisa spoke again. "Kashiwagi... everything has happened so fast these past few days. So fast I can barely wrap my head around it. Can Ryuka and the others really give us the life they promised?"
Kashiwagi slowed his pace. "The truth will be out, and lies eventually crumble. Whether it works or not, we'll see it with our own eyes soon enough."
"But I heard from Otsuka that you're planning to leave... Kashiwagi, you aren't going to just abandon us, are you?"
Perhaps the Resistance's creed was too "advanced" for them, or perhaps their worldviews hadn't been fully recalibrated yet, but Naruhisa was clearly shaken. Many people on Blue Iridium Street likely felt the same anxiety.
"It was never about abandoning anyone."
Kashiwagi turned around, looking Naruhisa squarely in the eye. "We are free. Our fates should be in our own hands. What we're doing right now is breaking the shackles of Pyrite Town so that everyone has the right to master their own destiny."
"But..."
"Going on a journey is about broadening my horizons and increasing my strength, not leaving people behind. Of course I'll be back."
He cut Naruhisa off before he could spiral. "You guys should go out and see it for yourselves, too. The world is vast. You shouldn't stay in this little corner forever."
With that, Kashiwagi walked down the stairs.
He left Naruhisa standing there, who was staring blankly into the distance.